A concerning issue on the LA Clippers’ bench is Nicolas Batum, given his age and status as a constant liability. Drafting Alex Karaban with the 36th overall pick in the second round appears to be the obvious solution following the National Championship.
Granted, it came from out of the blue, considering Karaban’s shaky Elite 8 and Final Four performances. However, he came to life on the biggest stage in all of college basketball and played phenomenally, despite the loss, with 17 points (team-high), 11 rebounds, and 2 steals, while being the only player on both teams to play every second of the game.
This shows heart, passion, and the ability to push through physical strain in order to win, which is what the Clippers’ bench needs.
Add these characteristics to Karaban’s two-way strengths, and the hole Batum will have left in the summer, once his team option is inevitably declined, will be filled if drafted.
Alex Karaban replaces Nicolas Batum to a T
With how Nicolas Batum’s season has gone so far, there does not appear to be a chance that the LA Clippers will exercise the last year of his contract, which is worth nearly $6 million. The best option for the team is to save that money by declining and drafting an ideal replacement-stretch four like Alex Karaban.
At a similar size of six-feet-eight-inches, Karaban fits the shoes Batum will be leaving behind. He can knock down threes, cut to the basket, protect the rim, and has instincts on both sides of the ball that simply cannot be taught.
Karaban is also seasoned, having been redshirted as a freshman in 2021-22, then maximizing his eligibility by spending the next four seasons with UConn, where he ended with two championship wins.
Statistically, Karaban had an impressive senior season with averages of 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, shooting 46.8% from the floor and 37.8%(five attempts per game) from beyond the arc.
The best part about Karaban is that he can grow into a crucial sixth man for the Clippers. The tangibles are as evident as can be, and though he will certainly have to prove himself, with patience and development, he could easily surpass the pre-draft hype with flying colors.
That said, Karaban must be the prime target with the 36th pick. The Clippers will need a backup power forward, and given the 23-year-old's showing in the National Championship, looking elsewhere with him on the board would be the definition of a fumble.