According to Andrew Greif of the LA Times, the LA Clippers are reportedly planning to sign G-League guard Justin Bibbs to a 10-day contract on Wednesday.
According to the LA Times’ Andrew Greif, the LA Clippers are reportedly planning to sign G-League guard Justin Bibbs to a 10-day contract on Wednesday.
Bibbs, currently a player for the Maine Red Claws, has averaged 11.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in his first season in the G-League. He went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft.
With a 6-5, 220 pound frame, Bibbs has great size for a shooting guard, and was able to connect on 42.4 percent of his attempts from deep during his four-year collegiate career at Virginia Tech.
According to VT Scoop’s Chris Arvin, Bibbs was usually tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player during his time at Virginia Tech, so it seems safe to say that the Clippers are getting a stout defender, even if he’s not a permanent addition to the roster.
The move does seem puzzling at first, especially since the Clippers already have a roster loaded with guards — all of which should take priority over Bibbs as well. But given his defensive versatility, it seems unlikely that the Clippers would use him as a guard in most settings. Think the kind of role Sindarius Thornwell has now in LA.
The Clippers have had an open roster spot since the trade deadline, so assuming Bibbs performs well enough on his first (and presumably second) 10-day contract, he could end up filling the position.
Back in February, Bibbs had one of the best games of his G-League career against the Greensboro Swarm, going for 25 points and connecting on 7-of-11 attempts from three-point range.
The Clippers last used a 10-day contract to sign Sean Kilpatrick near the end of the 2017-2018 regular season. In four games, he averaged 4.8 points in just under 10 minutes per game.
Bibbs first chance to play should come on Friday, when the LA Clippers host the Chicago Bulls. That being said, it’s not likely that Bibbs gets a lot of meaningful minutes unless the Clippers take control early on and build a large lead.
LA has some easier opponents coming up soon in the schedule, so now seems like the best possible time to bring in another young player and see what he can do. Time will tell if Bibbs can make an impression with the Clippers and grab the last roster spot.