While Walter Clayton Jr. would fill the hearts of LA Clipper fans worldwide in next week’s draft, he may not end up in Inglewood, California, as other teams also need an experienced guard on their roster. He is quite literally one-of-one; hence, front offices outside of the lottery will likely have him as the best available.
With the extreme amount of doubt that a talent like Clayton Jr. falls to the last pick of the first round, the Clippers’ draft committee must have an open-ended list of options to pick from. However, the wing position should be ruled out instantly, as they have one too many with Kawhi Leonard at the helm.
If the player LA drafts in the first round is not a guard, the name called on stage must be a power forward or center. There is no way around it, as Ben Simmons and Drew Eubanks, the two primary bigs on Tyronn Lue’s bench, will most likely be gone this summer.
This leaves practically no legitimate talent to aid Zubac, and the front office witnessed in the playoffs how big of an issue this can be. Had the Clippers rostered a true center and not tried to run the five-man with Simmons or Nicolas Batum, LA could have won in less than seven games.
That said, a seven-foot, stretch power-forward from Michigan could drop in the first round, and if he is unselected by pick 30, the Clippers must do their homework and draft him with zero concern in mind.
Danny Wolf of the Michigan Wolverines is a prospect that could be the Clippers’ most obvious first-round choice
After spending two seasons with Yale, an Ivy League school, and one with the Michigan Wolverines, power forward Danny Wolf appears prepared to win over the LA Clippers’ backup big man duties as a rookie.
If drafted, Wolf will be the most talented of whoever is competing on the bench, as he played 37 games in his junior season for Michigan and averaged 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks, shooting 49.7% from the field and 33.6% from a distance.
The efficiencies could be better from an NBA-ready seven-footer, but from watching Wolf’s film, he has an elite handle with great touch at the cup and is an under-appreciated shot-blocker.
These types of big men are more successful in the association now than ever, which is why Wolf will be a steal of the draft if he manages to fall to the final first-round selection.