Shamorie Ponds, PG, St. John’s
2018-2019 statistics: 19.7 PTS, 4.1 REB, 5.1 AST
The last player on this list may be a bit of a head-scratcher to some fans, since the LA Clippers are already loaded to the brim with guards. However, the team has reportedly already visited Ponds, and he may be difficult to pass on if he’s still available late in the second round.
Ponds was an elite point guard in college, averaging nearly 20 points per game over his three-year career. He also ranks quite high on a lot of NBA Draft big boards, and as high as 29th on Tankathon’s.
He’s got all the pieces to become a solid point guard at the NBA level, too. It’s just a matter of whether he’ll be able to put it all together at the next level or not.
Most scouts say yes, which is why Ponds’ draft stock is so hard to judge right now. Depending on how he fares at the upcoming Draft Combine, he could end up going anywhere from the late-first to late-second by the time draft night rolls around.
If he’s still there late, it makes sense for the Clippers to pounce. Ponds could be a serviceable point with the second unit, which is an area where they struggled to find a lot of consistency this past season. Lou Williams typically ended up running the offense, and when Tyrone Wallace was part of the rotation, he didn’t have a lot of success in the backcourt.
The LA Clippers may not have a shot to take Ponds at all, but assuming he slides, he could end up being one of the biggest steals from this class.