LA Clippers: Three significant talking points from the 2020 NBA Draft

The Clippers see a future in Daniel Oturu and Jay Scrubb

The organization’s other major moves Wednesday night was to trade up for center Daniel Oturu with the 33rd selection and swingman Jay Scrubb with the 55th pick of the night.

Oturu posted 20.1 points and 11.3 rebounds each outing in his sophomore season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The 21-year-old excelled against NCAA competition in the 2019/20 season, proving to be an ever-present shot-blocking presence and a high-energy rim runner, posting 2.5 blocks and 3.7 offensive rebounds per game.

Ahead of free agency, Oturu could mitigate the potential departures of Harrell and Patterson. At 6’10” and 240 pounds, front-office executives will be hoping Oturu can increase his size to emerge as a key piece for the current iteration of this Clippers squad. Presently, however, Oturu may benefit from assignments to Ontario with the Agua Caliente Clippers, where extended time on-court against G League opposition will smoothen his transition into NBA basketball.

Scrubb became the first Junior College draftee since 2004 (Donta Smith) Wednesday night after registering 21.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in his sophomore campaign at John A. Logan College. The 20-year-old initially elected to transfer to Louisville for the 2020/21 NCAA season before choosing to declare for the Draft after his exploits against NJCAA competition.

The 6’6”, 200-pound Kentucky native possesses an NBA-ready body that will provide Scrubb opportunities to shine at the professional level. And while completing 39.5 percent of his three-point attempts collegiately, Scrubb promises to enjoy a seamless transition to the modern NBA offense.

Scrubb appears as a potential beneficiary of the G League, where he can learn the nuances of professional basketball while still under a common infrastructure with Ontario’s Agua Caliente Clippers.

Scrubb will also be expected to improve his defense while at the Toyota Arena. It was the defensive end where Scrubb was most harshly criticized in his collegiate career and is an aspect of his game that will require improvement before seeing meaningful minutes on an NBA floor. The newest Clippers’ size and frame will give Scrubb all the tools to become – at worst – a neutral defender on this side of the floor.

The selections also offer a glimpse into what life may look like in Los Angeles without Clippers’ All-NBA talents Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The Clippers’ star duo both can exercise their options to ‘opt-out’ of their contracts at the conclusion of the upcoming 2020/21 season to test free agency. While these clauses have prioritized winning immediately, the potential exits of Leonard and George would leave the Clippers with a squad unable to contend for a title and left with only the slightest of future assets.

Choosing to draft Oturu and Scrubb offers a roadmap of recovery for Clippers brass entrusted with rebuilding after what would be a demoralizing summer. But with a flat talent pool in the 2020 draft, both Oturu and Scrubb will be gifted every chance to rise as one of the steals of their class and become of real value in Los Angeles.