The 2022 NBA Draft is of little importance to the LA Clippers. At least, that’s how it comes across. With LA hitching their wagon to the coattails of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the franchise isn’t overly concerned with what the draft has to offer. In addition to that, even if LA was interested in poaching one of this year’s top young stars, doing so would be incredibly difficult, considering that, following the Paul George trade, LA is bereft of any first-round picks this year.
As countless young stars are taken off the board, LA will have to wait until the second round, 43rd overall, before making their selection. Still, despite having only one second-round pick in their back pocket, LA appears to be hinting at making a move to get into the first round.
Which NBA Draft prospect is drawing interest from the LA Clippers?
Jalen Williams, a projected first-round pick in this year’s draft, recently revealed that he went through a private workout for the Clippers brass.
Standing at 6’6” and oozing with potential and promise, Williams, in the opinion of many, will be long gone by the time the second round of the draft rolls by. During his time in Santa Clara, Williams increased his production year after year.
To cap off his junior season, Williams emerged as one of the best guards in the entire country. On the year, Williams averaged 18 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Scoring and scoring efficiently, was ultimately the name of Williams’ game.
On all three phases, the 6’6” guard was elite. He easily connected on over 50% of his shots from the field. When he ventured behind the line, Williams was terrific, nailing 39.6% of his shots from distance. Fouling the physical guard was of no use as he connected on over 80% of his free throw attempts.
While LA has championship aspirations, they could use help behind Reggie Jackson. The score-first guard has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance last season, averaging nearly 17 points per game in the absence of Kawhi Leonard as he nursed a torn ACL.
Heavily fortified across the board, LA has little to no help to spell Jackson for short spurts. If a move is made in an effort to move up the draft, Williams could be a desired target to address their backup point guard needs.