LA Clippers select Jason Preston: Instant draft grade reaction

The LA Clippers traded back into the draft and took PG Jason Preston with the 33rd overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft.

A high-basketball IQ guy, Preston is a creative ballhandler who is a good shooter. Shooting 39.9% in his last two years of college, Preston showed immense improvement from being a ‘C team’ player in high school where he averaged just 2 points per game.

Preston’s comeback has been nothing short of remarkable. I don’t think stories get better than this.

The LA Clippers’ selection of Jason Preston warrants a B+ grade for the front office.

I’m bullish on the LA Clippers’ decision to pick up Jason Preston.

Something he was docked for in the lead-up to the draft was that he didn’t play the best competition in college. The Ohio product, however, put up 31,8 (assists), and 6 against a top eight Illinois team. He already showed that he can rise to the occasion.

He knocked off a four-seed Virginia team in the NCAA tournament too. Stop telling me he can’t play against high-level competition. It’s ignorant.

Preston averaged a steal and a half last year, and projects as an above-average defensive player to me. I also like his 6’4″ size as a point guard, which I think will make his defensive transition in the NBA a little easier than maybe expected.

He’s a tremendous pick and roll passer, but a downside of Preston is that he isn’t the quickest. It’s going to be tough to produce the way he did off of the pick and roll in college when he’s not the fastest off the dribble.

His lack of quickness isn’t going to make for the easiest transition to the NBA, but again, nobody knows how to overcome adversity the way Preston already has.

Preston went from a FanSided writer at PistonPowered to an NBA early second-round pick, who is absolutely deserving of a B+ grade.

I like Preston’s story and who he is as a prospect, and I’m excited to see what kind of work he puts in during the rest of the offseason.