Perhaps the most mysterious signing from this year’s NBA free agency period, Serbian point guard Milos Teodosic will certainly turn heads on court this season for the LA Clippers.
A former EuroLeague champion and MVP, Milos Teodosic isn’t your average sign-and-stash international player. He’s got better vision than most of the point guards in the NBA, an excellent outside shot, and off-the-charts basketball IQ. He even pushed Team USA to the brink of elimination as a member of the Serbian National Team in last year’s Gold Medal match in Rio. Lucky for us, the LA Clippers were able to nab him right in the prime of his career.
Teo expressed his feelings about coming to the NBA in his own personal blog, which reads as follows:
"From the very first moment the talks began with the Clippers I knew that this was going to be my new family! They made me feel very comfortable, they convinced me that they have faith in me, and it’s important that here I will have the time, the opportunities, and the role I need in order to adjust and prove what I can do in the NBA."
Milos will also benefit from having his former teammate, Patrick Beverley, on the Clippers roster. The two played together for Olympiacos of the Greek Basketball League during the 2009-2010 professional season, and have stayed close since. Soon after, Pat got his chance in the NBA. Now, it’s Teo’s turn.
With the latest signings, it seems evident that Teodosic will have a large variety of rotations to work with. Rivers can opt to have him start at point with Beverley at the 2, with Gallo-Griffin-Jordan rounding it out. He could also replace Beverley with Austin Rivers, or move Beverley to starting point and have Milos handle the bench. However, the most likely scenario seems to be the first. With Beverley coming off a career year in which he earned Defensive First Team honors, it seems unlikely that Doc will bring him off the bench.
Teo averaged 16.1 points and a league-best 6.8 assists per game last season with CSKA Moscow. With tools like Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to use, it seems likely that his assist numbers will shoot up, especially if he is given the starting role.
Be ready to welcome Milos Teodosic on Tuesday at the LA Clippers introductory press conference and give him a follow on Twitter. And as always, make sure to keep checking back here at Clipperholics for all your news and updates and make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!