1. Trevor Keels
The LA Clippers have found themselves as one of the prohibited favorites to win the 2022-23 NBA title. On paper, they have it all. Star power in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, a stacked bench, led by Norman Powell, Robert Covington, and Luke Kennard, as well as a genius in the head coaching chair in Tyronn Lue.
Yet, despite their well-rounded roster, LA is in dire need of a floor general. Currently, Reggie Jackson will lead LA into battle each and every night. Worthy of his current NBA stature, Jackson averaged 16.8 points per game for an injury-hit LA club last season. Ultimately, Lue’s ability to mix and match his gifted players hits a snag once Jackson is removed from the court. As the team’s only true point guard, the 32-year-old shouldn’t be expected to carry a burdensome workload for 82 games.
Trevor Keels, the University of Duke’s latest one-and-done prospect, flashed a ton of promise in his lone season. The 6’4” 220-point combo guard averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists a night.
Fearless in his style of attack and confident enough in the big moments, Keels is projected to go somewhere near the bottom of the first round. If his stock plummets and LA views him as the same mouthwatering prospect that we do, they could be enticed to begin wheeling and dealing draft picks in an effort to move up and grab him.