Throughout the draft process, along with Keaton Wagler, another player the LA Clippers reportedly wanted was Mikel Brown Jr. He appeared to have the full superstar package, with proven athletic ability and a knack for making a strong offensive impact. One of the primary concerns with Brown Jr., which likely played a role in why the Clippers passed on him, was his availability. He played only 21 games in college and is coming off a major back injury.
Unfortunately, just before the regular season, reports say Brown Jr. suffered an ankle injury with no timetable to return. There is hope he’ll return sooner rather than later, as he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post that he is “back on the court moving,” but ultimately, it shows the Clippers dodged a bullet by passing on the 20-year-old for Wagler.
If Brown Jr. didn’t have any health concerns, the Clippers would’ve probably taken him
In terms of talent and potential for the foreseeable future, Mikel Brown Jr. is about as good as it gets. He averaged 18.2 points and 4.7 assists as a freshman in college, then showed up to the summer league and dominated.
In 22.5 minutes across three games for the Brooklyn Nets, Brown Jr. posted 16.7 points and 4.0 assists, which includes a 20-piece versus the New York Knicks.
If the numbers don’t already show it, the film backs up the idea that Brown Jr. is an all-around stud and certainly one of the best guards in a draft class heavily regarded as generational. The Clippers were considering taking him off the board at fifth overall for a reason.
And, honestly, it’s pretty safe to say they would’ve had his biggest concern, which was health, not been there.
But, as they always say, the best ability is availability. Because Brown Jr. missed a good bit of time at Louisville after injuring his back and later aggravating it again, there was fear that his incapacity to stay on the court would follow him to the league. This is the last thing the Clippers needed in a new era surrounding youth.
So, instead of making as big of an investment as the fifth overall pick in Brown Jr., the Clippers went with Keaton Wagler.
We’ll revisit this decision many times down the road, but for now, it looks like the Clippers dodged a bullet by choosing Wagler over Brown Jr.
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