2015 NBA Draft: Breaking down the Clippers’ top targets

Mar 14, 2015; Hartford, CT, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Ryan Boatright (11) reacts after his three point basket against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the first half during the semifinal round of the American Conference Tournament at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Point guard Ryan Boatright of Connecticut

The Clippers have supposedly been very keen on Boatright in recent weeks, as was reported by Zach Links of HoopsRumors. The 6’0″ 175 lbs guard is identical to Chris Paul in heigh and weight (maybe that’s some kind of sign for Doc?) and is coming off a very productive season after averaging 17.4 points on 42.3 percent shooting and making 41.1 percent of his threes.

So whilst we don’t know how interested the Clippers genuinely are in Boatright, his scoring, ball handling and three point efficiency (similar to Quinn Cook) are what make him an interesting option for L.A.’s offensive minded team. He may be small in stature, but his exceptional 41 inch vertical emphasizes his athletic ability.

Boatright can be a threat as both a catch and shoot player and as a ball handler in pick-and-roll situations, although it’s hard to see him executing much of the latter with Paul, Rivers, J.J. Redick, and Jamal Crawford (for now) dominating the backcourt rotation. Again, it’s another reason why the Clippers need to target a big man. Because their backcourt has a lot of talented depth already, and Doc is probably going to demote any guard he does draft to the depths of his rotation anyway.