The LA Clippers can find some gems late in the second round of the NBA Draft.
Wednesday’s NBA Draft offers an abundance of intriguing propositions for a Clippers front office desperate to recover from a tumultuous end to the first chapter of Kawhi Leonard’s reign in Los Angeles.
President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank isn’t one to shrink on draft day, and will be expected to continue his search for a valuable addition to an organization yearning for silverware.
At the top of the Clipper’s agenda will be their selection with the 57th pick of the draft. While owning one of the final picks of the night may be perceived as underwhelming, it affords the Clippers an opportunity to discover a serviceable, dedicated prospect free of the publicity and scrutiny that will follow their lottery-bound colleagues throughout their careers.
So without further ado, here are three players who can inject new blood into a Clippers side harboring Championship aspirations and will have the potential to adopt crucial roles under Coach Tyronn Lue.
LA Clippers prospect #1 – Ashton Hagans (PG, Kentucky)
In the guard-oriented NBA landscape, sophomore point guard Ashton Hagans promises to be a strong fit for a Clippers roster with an embarrassment of offensive riches.
Hagans’ two years in Lexington saw the Georgia native play with the likes of Tyler Herro, PJ Washington, and Tyrese Maxey – all proven scorers oozing confidence at the highest stage of collegiate basketball. On a star-studded roster, Hagans found his role on the starting unit through a respective offensive repertoire and an especially suffocating brand of defense.
The 21-year-old averaged 1.8 steals per outing in his college career, making strong reads and displaying impressive defensive hands to create easy scoring opportunities in the open court. Hagans’ skillset on this side of the floor promises to translate to the NBA game, where defenders are encouraged to ‘read and react’ to the actions and movements of their opponents.
It is with the ball, however, that has made scouts so hesitant about Hagans’ NBA value. Hagans showed no willingness to become a three-point shooter at Kentucky, where he attempted just under two shots from distance per game on a disconcerting 26.5 percent clip. While the five-star recruit exhibited strong slashes to the rim, Hagans’ inefficiencies from beyond the arc have placed him at the bottom of expert mock drafts, where a reputable three-point shot has become a necessity for point guards in the modern NBA.
But perhaps under the tutelage of fellow Georgian Lou Williams, Hagans can finally unlock a perimeter shot that will keep defenders honest. Or maybe with the offensive weapons presently on the roster, Hagans’ shooting woes can even be hidden.
While shooting has rightfully worsened Hagans’ draft stock, his defensive presence is an undisputable attribute that promises to translate immediately to the professional arena and strongly contribute to the blue-collar culture of basketball originally formed under Doc Rivers.
With Reggie Jackson’s looming free agency, Lawrence Frank will be eyeing off a ball-handler who can help fill the 21-minute void that the veteran point guard may leave in Southern California. Only time will tell.
LA Clippers prospect #2 -Yam Madar (PG, Israel)
Yam Madar presents an interesting opening for a Clippers side currently mortgaging their future to capitalize on their Championship window. The 19-year-old Madar has been competing against men for the past two years in Israel, displaying glimpses of his raw talent with Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Madar posted advancements in all statistical categories in his second professional season, highlighted by his 28 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal performance in a narrow loss against southern neighbors Maccabi Ashdod.
Israeli PG Yam Madar with 28 points today on 3-4 3PT after scoring 21 on Saturday. Potential 2nd-round pick capitalizing on a return to strengthen his case little bit before the draft. pic.twitter.com/9wL6WdM9ti
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) July 13, 2020
Madar’s growth was recognized at the conclusion of the 2019/20 Israeli League season when he was awarded with the competition’s Most Improved Player award.
Despite Madar’s commendable progression, the teenager is emerging as a prospect that could become the beneficiary of experience in the G League, where the Israeli would be afforded ample playing opportunity while remaining under the guidance of the Clippers’ infrastructure. With the Agua Caliente Clippers, Madar will be challenged to add size to his 180-pound frame and improve his three-point shot, where he completed just 27.4 percent of attempts last campaign.
But this is where the Madar pick may become interesting.
The contract structures of the Clipper’s superstars – Kawhi Leonard and Paul George – includes the option for both All-NBA talents to ‘opt-out’ of their current agreements and sample free agency at the conclusion of the 2020/21 season. Whilst these clauses have incentivized the front-office to form a roster prepared to win immediately, another disappointing campaign in Southern California could prove catastrophic for a Clippers brass with little future assets.
Drafting Madar could signal an acknowledgment of a future without Leonard and George, where the Clippers roster beyond this season remains predicated on success in the present.
LA Clippers prospect #3 – Jay Scrubb (SG/SF, John A. Logan College [NJCAA])
Jay Scrubb appears to be another promising asset that would profit from a G League assignment.
Scrubb was initially poised to play at Louisville in the 2020/21 NCAA season, however chose to declare for the draft after an impressive sophomore year with John A. Logan College.
The Kentucky native averaged 21.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game last season, and will be hoping that his collegiate exploits will make him the first Junior College draftee since 2004 (Donta Smith).
At 6’6” and weighing 200 pounds, the 20-year-old possesses an NBA-ready body that will allow him quality opportunities to advance his offensive inventory at the professional level. One aspect that scouts will be fiercely monitoring is Scrubb’s three-point shooting, where he shot the ball dramatically worse as a sophomore (33.3 percent) than from distance in his freshman campaign (46.4 percent).
The glaring criticism of Scrubb at the collegiate level was his subpar defense, which looms rather ominously at an NBA level where offensive talent is exponentially greater than that of the NJCAA. To earn minutes at the Clippers, Scrubb will need to develop a defensive portfolio that incorporates his strong physical attributes to create no less than a neutral impact on this side of the floor.
But despite his defensive frailties, optimism remains for Scrubb to emerge on the shortlist of draft day steals. There is a belief that if Scrubb was competing in the NCAA, he would be in the upper echelon of second-round projections. And with a – quite frankly – flat talent pool in the 2020 class, there is every chance that Scrubb could find himself as one of the standout rookies of the 2020/21 season.