LA Clippers: Grading the team’s last 10 NBA Drafts

LOS ANGELES - NOVEMBER 20: Blake Griffin
LOS ANGELES - NOVEMBER 20: Blake Griffin /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 30: DeAndre Jordan
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 30: DeAndre Jordan /

We’re nearly a third of the way into the 2017 NBA season, and it’s time we evaluate how this LA Clippers team’s rookies hold up against previous selections.

Let’s be honest – the LA Clippers have never been too fortunate when it comes to the NBA Draft. Just the mention of those two together brings back memories of guys like *shudder* Michael Olowokandi.

But even a blind squirrel finds a nut, and even the Clippers have stumbled upon some legitimate cornerstones in the NBA Draft. Blake Griffin immediately comes to mind, as does DeAndre Jordan, but outside of those two… there’s not really much.

That’s not to say that the Clippers have only had bad drafts. That’s just untrue, especially when you take a closer look at LA’s drafts from the last decade. The team snagged Eric Gordon in 2008 and Eric Bledsoe in 2010, to name a few. Those are certainly great picks. There have been more bad than good, though. Al Thornton. Reggie Bullock. C.J. Wilcox. Those still hurt.

This season’s rookies have impressed me so much that I felt the urge to take a deep dive into the Clippers’ recent draft history and find out what could have been.

The grading criteria is simple. To come up with each grade, I considered individual impact, draft position, personal achievements, and notable players that were still available.

Strap in Clipper Nation, and take a Tylenol – you’re not going to want to relive some of these headaches.