Trading up one spot ahead may have been questionable, but the LA Clippers made a great pick in Kobe Sanders, a guard from the University of Nevada. He understands how to score and could develop his jumpshot in the league, with an all-around game that stood out to Lawrence Frank.
Furthermore, Sanders spent four seasons of his collegiate career with the Cal Poly Mustangs. As a super senior, he transferred to Nevada, where his projection shifted from a likely undrafted free agent to a mid-second-round pick.
In his one and only season with the Wolf Pack, Sanders posted 15.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds, shooting 46.0% from the field and 34.2% from a distance. These numbers resemble excellence, but the summer league will be a test for the experience-heavy guard to show whether what he did in college is replicable in the NBA.
However, one guard who went undrafted, Ryan Nembhard, is making every team with a second-round pick, especially a late one, regret their decision of allowing him to fall into the undrafted bunch.
He had an excellent debut yesterday, and though Sanders can be great, it is clear the Clippers made a mistake by not staying put and drafting Nembhard. The only player worth trading up for at the end of the draft should have been Tyrese Proctor.
Ryan Nembhard is proving to the LA Clippers how he could have been their guard of the future
In his summer league debut, Ryan Nembhard was surely aware that thousands would be watching the battle between Cooper Flagg and Bronny James. However, this also created an opportunity for him to take over the spotlight, which he did quite easily.
In 33 minutes, Nembhard dropped 21 points and five assists, shooting 8-14 from the field, while winning the game and outplaying everyone on the court. He also showed numerous similarities to the game of his older brother, Andrew, who is a rising star for the Indiana Pacers.
The LA Clippers may have made a call to Nembhard’s agents following the draft, showing interest, but this action occurred too late, as by the time he went undrafted, the Gonzaga product was likely going to the team with the best opportunity to establish himself.
The Clippers were likely behind several others on his list, given their poor developmental infrastructure. Instead, he should have been drafted with the 50th pick, which would have been another draft day blunder that played out.