The last time the LA Clippers had a lottery pick, they drafted Jerome Robinson. This was a crucial mistake, and something the front office will regret until the end of time, as Michael Porter Jr. was still on the board, yet they passed him due to concerns about his back from Missouri. Eight years later, Porter Jr. is a borderline All-Star for the Brooklyn Nets, while Robinson took his professional career overseas.
Luckily, for the Clippers, they have a shot to make things right and prove they learned their lesson by selecting Mikel Brown Jr., a superstar-potential guard out of Louisville with back issues entering the 2026 NBA Draft.
In the event the Clippers allow Brown Jr. to fall to someone else, and he lives up to the hype as expected from his one-and-done freshman season, the entire world will have enough of a reason to laugh at LA’s front office, as they keep allowing history to repeat itself.
Mikel Brown Jr.’s back should not cause any worry to the Clippers
If the LA Clippers are second-guessing Mikel Brown Jr. because of his back, they are not in the wrong. The fifth spot is extremely high in the draft, and given that many franchise superstars are found in this range, the Clippers might be thinking that a player who suffered a major injury before entering the league is not worth it.
However, the more important fact is that Brown Jr. took the proper time to recover, rehabbed appropriately, and bounced back in a way NBA teams would like to see him do so.
In addition, Brown Jr. himself provided an encouraging update on his back at the combine.
As far as how good he is as a prospect, the numbers should do the talking. In 21 games for Louisville, Brown Jr. posted 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds.
While this is impressive as it is, it’s not what stands out most; his measurements have that covered.
Brown Jr. is 6’3.5”, with a standing reach that is over eight feet, and logged a maximum vertical jump of 39.5.
Louisville's Mikel Brown measured 6'3.5 barefoot and 190 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, with a 6'7.5 wingspan and 8'9.5 (*) standing reach.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 11, 2026
Strong numbers across the board. Brown has grown four inches and added 36 pounds over the past three years, including a half inch and 8… pic.twitter.com/hWYAdrX9NL
Athleticism is where he excels, and that’s what makes him a top prospect the Clippers cannot pass on due to fear.
There’s also a world where the Clippers could trade down a few spots to take him. But, as long as LA ends the night with Brown Jr., which would let the fans know a lesson was learned, they’ll be just fine.
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