This is the second part at my look at players who disappointed in a Clippers uniform in the 2010s, but weren’t quite bad enough to be regarded as villains. Check out part one here.

106. C.J. Wilcox

Seasons Played: 2 (2014-2016)

Games Played: 44 games (none started)

Stats: 2.5 points, 0.4 assists, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.3 steals in 6.1 minutes per game on 40.4/38.1/78.6 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: C.J. Wilcox, like the soon-to-be-discussed Reggie Bullock, was an older college player who was regarded as a ready-now asset for a contending team. He received even fewer opportunities than Bullock, riding the pine for most of his two seasons on the team. In his rare appearances, he showed flashes of promise, with a handful of threes and some energetic defense displaying the abilities that saw him get selected. It simply was never enough for him to earn minutes over the veterans ahead of him on the depth chart, and he was traded for a second round pick after the 2016 season. The Clippers desperately needed big wings and bench scoring in those seasons, and Wilcox’s inabilities to fill those gaps were a real disappointment at the time. Poor C.J. was never really able to find his footing in the NBA – he’s been on several two-way deals since, but has suffered major injuries, and nearing 30, is unlikely to make much of an NBA comeback.

105. Ryan Gomes

Seasons Played: 2 (2010-2012)

Games Played: 108 (64 started)

Stats: 5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.7 steals in 23.3 minutes per game on 39.7/31.7/71.9 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Gomes was signed to a multi-year deal by the Clippers after a couple solid seasons in Minnesota, but was regarded from the start as a disappointing acquisition by Clippers’ fans who were dreaming bigger in free agency with Blake Griffin, Baron Davis, and Eric Gordon in the fold. Gomes’ numbers fell across the board in his first season with the team, and proved to be an ineffective starting small forward (the first of many such in this decade). However, he was competent, at least, and it was hoped that he could provide some decent minutes off the bench in the following seasons with Caron Butler as the starter. This did not happen – Gomes’ play deteriorated further, with all his confidence lost. He was cut after the 2012 season with the Clippers eating the last year of his contract, playing in only five more NBA games afterwards. Clippers’ fans mostly remember him for several end-of-game inbounding gaffes and his wayward shot, with few fond memories (though his first season numbers, in retrospect, aren’t that bad). Again, he was the first small forward disappointment, but far, far from the last.

104. Reggie Bullock

Seasons Played: 2 (2013-2015)

Games Played: 68 (2 started)

Stats: 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.3 steals in 9.7 minutes per game on 37.7/33/78.6 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Drafted with a precious 1st round pick into the height of the Lob City era, Bullock was billed as a ready-now player, a big wing who could really shoot. However, he played in just over half the Clips’ games during his rookie season, much to the chagrin of fans who wanted to see more. When he did play, he was mostly ineffective, and while he improved slightly in his second season, he remained untrusted by the Clippers’ coaching staff. He was therefore flipped for coach Doc Rivers’ son Austin in what was a highly panned move at the time. Rivers was coming off several atrocious seasons of his own, and Bullock was regarding as having greater potential. The move ended up paying off for both parties, as Bullock was able to turn his career around a year later in Detroit, while Rivers grew into a fan favorite and one of the better role players of the latter Lob City era. Bullock himself never did much as a Clipper, and was certainly a disappointment as a 1st round pick, but at least his tenure led to Austin.

103. Chris Douglas Roberts

Seasons Played: 1 (2014-2015)

Games Played: 12 (none started)

Stats: 1.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.1 steals in 8.6 minutes per game on 23.8/14.3/100 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: The Clippers were constantly desperate for a wing to fill the 5th starting spot, and CDR was just one of their attempts to plug the hole. Unfortunately, after some hype in preseason, CDR proved utterly ineffective in his brief appearances, and was soon consigned to the bench. He was later included in the Reggie Bullock-Austin Rivers trade, and never played in the NBA again. Another minimum signing, CDR was still coming off a pretty solid season with the Hornets, and his complete lack of impact was another blow to what was supposed to be the Clippers’ season.

102. Byron Mullens

Seasons Played: 1 (2013-2014)

Games Played: 27 (none started)

Stats: 2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists, and 0.2 steals in 6.2 minutes per game on 40.6/33.3/33.3 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Mullens had a semi breakout in 2013 as a 23 year old who moved behind the line to be a stretch big man. The Clippers signed him in that role, and he utterly failed. He couldn’t hit shots from outside, brought nothing else to the table offensively, and was a dreadful defender. Mullens was brought in on a minimum deal so it’s hard to be too disappointed in what he brought to the table, but 2014 was maybe the Clippers’ best chance at winning a title or at least making a Western Conference Finals run, and whiffing completely on a free agent signing hurt the Clips. The Clips traded Mullens mid-season for essentially nothing, and he was shortly out of the NBA. This was also Doc’s first of many failed attempts to bring in a stretch big, and while Mullens was the least effective, he was not even the most harmful (see Hawes, Spencer).

101. Trey Thompkins

Seasons Played: 1 (2011-2012)

Games Played: 24 (none started)

Stats: 2.4 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.1 assists, and 0.1 blocks in 5.0 minutes per game on 39.3/30.8/71.4 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Thompkins was selected with the 37th pick in the 2011 draft, but was considered a steal at that range who fell due to attitude issues, not talent. Unfortunately, he never really got a chance to enter the Clippers’ rotation as the arrival of Chris Paul meant a shift in expectations towards playoff contention, not player development. He suffered a bone bruise in the summer of 2012 and never played for the Clippers again, being waived in March 2013. Since then, he’s had a phenomenal overseas career, playing a major role on some excellent Real Madrid teams as a stretch big man who can punish mismatches in the post. The two reasons he’s on this “disappointment” list versus the next one on “non-factors” is that Clippers fans had real expectations for him, and the player he developed into could have been a real help for the Clippers over the years. Still, good for Trey on turning his career around post-NBA.

With this post, we are now at the 100th spot in the all-decade rankings list, which is a good time to start our progression from players who left a negative presence towards those who made a positive one. But first, we will take a look at players who didn’t make an impact at all, and might be tough for fans to remember.

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