Our exit interview series on the 2023 Clippers nears its conclusion with a look at second-year point guard Jason Preston.
Basic Information
Height: 6’4
Weight: 187 pounds
Position: Point Guard
Age: 23 (24 in August)
Years in NBA: 2
Key NBA Stats: 2.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.7 turnovers in 8.9 minutes per game across 14 games played (0 starts) on 43.9/27.8/0 (1.3 3PA, 0.1 FTA attempts) shooting splits (48.9 True Shooting)
G-League Stats: 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.0 turnovers in 32.8 minutes per game across 37 games played (regular season + showcase cup) on 49.2/38.3/78.6 shooting splits (4.9 3PA, 1.5 FTA attempts) shooting splits
Expectations
There were virtually no expectations for Jason Preston in the Clippers’ 2023 season. Having missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, this was basically his rookie year, and the Clippers had championship aspirations and veteran point guards ahead of him. There was really no expectation for Preston to play any rotation minutes it eh NBA, with the most optimistic outcome being him pushing Reggie Jackson or John Wall for minutes, and the most pessimistic being him underperforming in the G-League.
Reality
Jason Preston barely played for the LA Clippers in the 2023 season, spending nearly the entirety of the year in the G-League playing for the Ontario Clippers. Preston played the least of any Clippers player on a full NBA contract by a significant margin, receiving just 129 minutes, all of them in garbage time. Therefore, there’s not much to really take away from his time in the NBA at all.
The G-League was a different story, as Preston played big minutes there as a starter. There are a few statistical takeaways from his time in Ontario, a mix of good and bad. First, his rebounding, which was great in college, carried over to the G-League – 5.4 rebounds per game is awesome for a guard. Another positive was his three-point shooting, as he hit 38.3% from deep on over five attempts per game. He shot 40% and 39% in his last two college seasons, but on a lower volume and from the college line. Preston did play next to Xavier Moon, another point guard, so a lot of his threes were probably off the catch and not off the dribble, but still, his shot looks viable.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest worries about Preston held up in the G-League – his lack of burst. Preston got to the line just 1.5 times per game, a very low number considering how much he had the ball in his hands and how many possessions he used. If he was unable to get past defenders and into the lane consistently in the G-League, he probably won’t be able to do it in the NBA, even with better spacing and more offensive support. There are point guards who can get buy without much dribble penetration as table-setters and off-ball guys, but Preston’s chances will be severely limited if he’s perimeter-bound.
Future with Clippers
Jason Preston has one non-guaranteed season left on the Clippers for the 2023-2024 season. However, unlike Brandon Boston, Bones Hyland, or Moussa Diabate, Preston’s spot is very much up in the air, not just as a trade candidate, but for a waive. The Clippers have invested two years in Preston, but they’ve not been afraid to pull the plug on young guys before, and with Bones, Terance Mann, Norm Powell, and likely a veteran point guard of some kind on the roster, there just isn’t much room for Preston. It’s not his fault that he hasn’t gotten an opportunity to prove himself, but he’s not as young a prospect as Moussa or Boston and has shown less than either of them. It wouldn’t be shocking if he made it onto the Clippers roster next year, especially with another two-way deal for a young guy, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if the Clippers traded or released him.
