Agua Caliente Prospect: Malik Fitts
To start off the list, Malik Fitts had a very solid rookie year in 2020-21, and although his numbers weren’t as good as the next rookie up on this list, he gave a great impression for the future. This 6’8″ forward from St. Mary’s College played in all but one game last season and left his mark on the team during their games in a positive light despite their losing record.
Fitts was averaging 11.1 points, 1.4 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in his first season, and he did it while averaging 26.3 minutes on the floor. Not bad at all for a rookie tasked with playing almost 30 minutes a night. He was shooting 46.8% in field goals and 34.8% in three-pointers, but despite the slightly unimpressive numbers, Fitts was still finding ways to score and help out the team in the way you would wish any rookie would. He still has plenty of development to go before anyone can really dig deep into his play, but his rookie numbers do give hope for the future.
Overall, he stood out from the other younger and less developed players on the AC Clippers with his offensive capabilities and his point production, but it is still early on for Fitts, and his offense is the most notable thing about him. If he develops more and trims down those defensive points given up, he could very easily make next year’s list as a higher entry. Good potential for a new forward in the G-League, and his improvement could eventually net the Clippers a good player if he makes it to the NBA level.