Unfortunately, the LA Clippers just received a tragic, heartbreaking update on Bradley Beal: he will need the rest of the season to recover from a hip fracture. Therefore, the Clippers’ guard rotation has suddenly become depleted, and just like Cam Christie, LA’s second-round phenom, Kobe Sanders, who the front office is so high on, will inevitably receive playing time as a rookie.
Sanders had an impressive summer league showing, and the Clippers knew what to make of him, but the rest of the NBA community did not. He flashed how well his size allows him to score, as well as a nice jumper from beyond the arc.
The rest of the summer and training camp clearly helped his development, as the last game of the preseason arrived, and Sanders looked like a player the Clippers could have used for more than four minutes on the season-opener.
The Clippers will use Kobe Sanders’ preseason campaign as a reason to play him
Kobe Sanders has played only nine minutes in the regular season, both in 20+ point outcomes. In these minutes, Sanders logged two points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal, shooting 1-4 from the field.
With these numbers not necessarily helping or hurting his chances at being a rookie in the Clippers’ active rotation, which is rare, Tyronn Lue will need as much assistance as possible with the devastating injury news to Bradley Beal. Thus, Sanders’ final preseason showing could be the reason he is up next.
The Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors by three points, and Sanders played 37 minutes. In this action, the second-round pick posted 25 points, a game high, with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal, shooting 8-15 from the field and 4-9 from beyond the arc.
He had everyone jaw dropped, as a performance like this, in less than six months after being drafted by the franchise, is not common in the Clippers’ system.
Moreover, Sanders deserves one of the next available playing opportunities, and it will be granted, as Lue will be eager to eliminate any curiosity by seeing what the front office found in the Nevada product.
That said, a veteran guard may be brought in for depth, but it could take a while, and in the meantime, the Clippers should maximize Sanders’ potential and see if he really is NBA-ready as a 23-year-old rookie, one of the oldest in his class.