LA Clippers’ rookies Mfiondu Kabengele, Terance Mann and Amir Coffey all showed their potential during a workout with Rico Hines.
There’s something about LA Clippers’ players and attending Rico Hines’ runs. On September 10, rookies Mfiondu Kabengele, Terance Mann and Amir Coffey joined other young talent to play five on five with coach Rico Hines.
Other players involved included Marvin Bagley, Jordan Bell, Tyler Dorsey, Kyle Allman Jr., Brandon Randolph, Pe’shon Howard, John Lucas III, Cheick Diallo, and Spencer Rivers (Doc’s son).
You can check out the video below.
Amir Coffey was excellent at attacking and hitting open threes. This was good to see from the Clippers two-way player, especially considering he struggled some from deep in his junior season.
Terance Mann didn’t look like he missed a beat from his extraordinary play during the Las Vegas Summer League. He used Kabengele’s screens effectively and was making the right plays seemingly every time (Yes, I know this is a highlight reel). It’s easy to see why Jerry West is so high on him.
Mann and Coffey both looked at home on the court and impressed in their own right, but the real star that jumped out to me was Kabengele.
The most notable participant at the run was Marvin Bagley, who is coming off a very successful rookie season. This bode well for Kabengele, who was matched up on him for most of the day. No, Bagley isn’t a noted defender and this is a summer pickup game where the defense is typically weak anyway, but still. Kabengele looked GOOD.
He was setting screens, rebounding and scoring at every level. He was even making pull-ups off the dribble. The offensive game seems to come so easily to him. Center depth is the elephant in the room for the Clippers this season, but Kabengele may just play himself into a larger role.
If he is coming off the bench, he won’t need to be more than a potent offensive player. Bench units typically don’t have dominant big men, so he won’t have to exert a ton of effort on that side of the court and can instead focus on putting the ball in the basket.
It’s only a matter of time before we start to see the whole Clippers’ group together. Mann and Kabengele have already been at the team facility getting work in with some of the roster, but we haven’t seen the whole thing come together. Whether it’s at the practice facility or at a Rico Hines run, Clipper Nation cannot wait to see the whole team on the court.