Clipperholics
Fansided

Missing the Can’t Miss NBA Draft: An LA Clippers Story

By Benjamin Criswell

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Brice Johnson (North Carolina) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number twenty-five overall pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Brice Johnson (North Carolina) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number twenty-five overall pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 7
Next
January 16, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) meets with Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) following the 126-121 victory at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
January 16, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) meets with Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) following the 126-121 victory at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The End?

The Clippers landed Shaun Livingston with the fourth pick in the 2004 NBA draft. While Livingston’s young career was tragically interrupted by a gruesome injury, the selection falls in line with the rest of the “can’t miss” prospects the Clippers thought they couldn’t miss.

The 2004 draft, while without the superstar caliber player, produced plenty of career players. Devin Harris, Luol Deng, and Andre iguodala were all aselected in the top ten in 2004. Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, J.R. Smith and Jameer Nelson were also selected in the first round, and Anderson Verajao and Trevor Ariza were both taken in the second round.

It seems even when you do have a top-pick in a can’t miss draft, there’s still a way to miss the boat. The Los Angeles Clippers of the 2000s trend towards the forgettable side of a star-studded league.

Continued Reading: Why the Clippers Do Not Have a 2017 Draft Pick

As with any draft, hindsight always kills the general manager. In the 2010 NBA draft, the Clippers selected Al-Farouq Aminu, the power forward form Wake Forest with no jump shot. The two picks directly after Aminu, were Gordon Hayward, and Paul George. How’s that for hindsight.