Just one night after changing the direction of the franchise for good, the LA Clippers will begin their Summer League campaign against the Lakers.
It’s been a wild 24 hours for LA Clippers fans, who, in the last day, have seen their franchise land two of the game’s best players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, trade away rookie centerpiece Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and position themselves to contend for an NBA title for the next few years. No one saw it coming, and now, one day after stealing Leonard away from the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers will suit up against their hallway rivals to open their 2019 Summer League campaign.
LA’s Summer League roster is headlined by Jerome Robinson, the Clippers’ own 13th overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. Robinson didn’t get much of a chance to produce at the NBA level during his rookie season, but was an important piece for the Agua Caliente Clippers, LA’s G League affiliate. In 24 games, he averaged 18.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in just under 32 minutes per game.
Also joining Robinson on the roster are 2019 rookies Mfiondu Kabengele and Terance Mann, who the LA Clippers selected with the 27th and 48th overall picks, respectively, in the 2019 NBA Draft.
The Clippers traded up for Kabengele, who also happens to be the nephew of NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo. A 6’10” forward from Florida State University, Kabengele offers excellent shot blocking skills, the ability to space the floor with a solid three-point shot, and a motor that never seems to stop. Look for him to take on a big role on the Clippers’ Summer League squad.
Mann, on the other hand, does a little bit of everything. Nicknamed the “Stat Stuffer”, the wing averaged 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his senior year at Florida State. He connected on 39.0 percent of his three-point attempts during his senior season, albeit on a relatively low number of attempts, so look for him to show that he’s a legitimate three-point threat.
Other notable names on the Clippers’ roster include Amir Coffey, the team’s latest two-way contract signee, Cliff Alexander, who had a brief stint with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016, Nigel Hayes, who played for three different NBA teams during the 2017-2018 season, and David Michineau, a French point guard that has yet to appear in the league after being drafted by the Clippers in 2016.
The Los Angeles Lakers have already played four Summer League games thus far, winning two of three contests in the California Classic and losing to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night in Las Vegas.
The LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers will tip-off at 4:30 PM PST. The game can be viewed on ESPNU in addition to various streaming services. For live updates, be sure to follow @ClipperholicsFS on Twitter.