The LA Clippers current longest tenured player may be a surprise to many as it is 2nd-year guard/forward Sindarius Thornwell. He deserves more praise.
Sindarius Thornwell has had a roller-coaster journey through two seasons as the former South Carolina product deserves more praise for accepting his role on the past two LA Clippers’ teams.
Though he saw limited action this season in both the regular season and the Playoffs, Sindarius Thornwell never once complained about his role.
There was one particular moment that caught my eye when Head Coach Doc Rivers made his rounds around the room thanking every Clippers player after their Game 6 loss last Friday night.
A season, and a team, to be proud of. pic.twitter.com/4VQjKlCuxt
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 27, 2019
The exact moment I am talking about is when (at the 2:45 mark in the clip above) Coach Rivers thanks Thornwell for being a great teammate.
From the start of this season, Thornwell saw his draft-day counterpart and friend, Jawun Evans, get cut from the roster as he would be the only member remaining from the Clippers 2017 Draft Class.
Thornwell has had his fair share of moments including this poster over former Pelicans guard DeAndre Liggins.
Having been a key player at the University of South Carolina under Frank Martin, the transition for Thornwell wasn’t easy as the number’s game would affect the amount of minutes he would get the past two seasons.
Because of his limited time that he got in the NBA, the Clippers decided to send him down to their G-League team, the Aqua Caliente Clippers, so he could regain his confidence that got him to the league.
Though Sindarius only averaged roughly 5 minutes per game in the big leagues this year, his presence was felt throughout the Clippers team and locker room.
Doc Rivers used Thornwell primarily as a defender he would sub in with less than a minute left in each quarter.
Each time as I saw Thornwell check in, he gave it his all with his effort and intensity.
No matter how long he sat on the bench for, when his name was called, he was always ready to defend the opposing team’s best player.
After scrolling through Clippers player’s Instagram’s I noticed one common player out of most photos. It was Sindarius Thornwell.
Thornwell’s personality meshes with the other Clippers vets and rookies as last year, they took him under their wings.
This year it was Thornwell’s turn to help out fellow rookie guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerome Robinson and Landry Shamet get settled in LA.
Should the Clippers land a star next year (KD/Kawhi/etc.) expect Thornwell to be one of the first to reach out as he has stated he would like to be apart of the recruiting pitch for stars looking to join the Clippers this summer.
The stats may not show it, but the impact that Thornwell has left on this Clippers staff and roster shows just how valuable he is and why he truly deserves more praise and recognition for not only his work on the court but helping others off it.