With the 46th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Clippers have selected Cam Christie, an 18 year old, 6’6 190 pound wing from the University of Minnesota.

The most notable thing about Christie is his age. You read that right – Christie does not turn 19 years old until July 24. He played just a single season at Minnesota, where he started 26 of 33 games, played 30.6 minutes, and averaged 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.6 steals per game. He rated fairly well in my stats model.

The most notable element of Christie is his three-point shooting. He took 5.4 threes per game (high volume for college) and made them at a 39.1% clip. He mostly took the threes off the catch, not the dribble, but he did make some pull-ups, and is already comfortable shooting off movement. Guys his size who shoot at that rate are interesting at the NBA level, especially when they are still teenagers.

That said, nothing else about Christie’s game is truly NBA ready (which is fine for an 18 year old in the mid second round). He’s not a good rebounder, and shot a putrid 42% on two-pointers. He doesn’t get to the rim, and when he does get there the results are not good. As Christie bulks up that should improve a bit. He also had an extremely, extremely low steal rate, which is a bit worrisome. On the plus side, an assist to turnover ratio of 2.2:1.2 for a young off-ball wing shows some signs of smart decision-making.

Overall, this is not who I would have drafted, but Christie is an interesting flier on a very young player with a useful NBA skill. Whether he can flesh out the rest of his game to complement his shooting is the question, and he will probably be mostly in the G-League his rookie season.

A side note: the Clippers have also signed, per Law Murray, Trentyn Flowers, a 19 year old who played in the NBL in Australia this past season. He’s also more of a shooter, but less developed than Christie. Overall, it’s interesting that the Clippers have brought on two teenagers and not more NBA ready players.

Clippers Select Cam Christie With 46th Pick in the 2024 Draft
Robert Flom

The second round of the 2024 NBA Draft starts tonight at 4 PM on ESPN, and the Clippers have the 46th pick. Considering the second round goes much quicker than the first, I’d expect the Clippers to make their pick sometime between 4:45 and 5:45 PM ET.

The two primary media draft coverage platforms, ESPN and the Athletic, have updated their draft boards. Here’s who they have the Clippers taking.

ESPN: Cam Spencer, UConn SG

Write Up: ” Spencer is an excellent off-screen shooter whose consistency pulling up off the dribble puts added pressure on defenses as he constantly moves without the ball. His competitiveness, skill level and experience were huge assets for the Huskies last season and often overshadow his physical limitations, which are nonetheless questions he’ll have to answer in the NBA on both ends of the floor.”

The Athletic: Trey Alexander, Creighton PG

Write Up: ” Alexander has a chance to be something of a 3-and-D guard who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend. When he was locked in — especially when he was in his younger years at Creighton and didn’t have to shoulder such an offensive load — he was a menace on defense and made life tough for opposing players. This year, the jumper fell off a bit, and I don’t think you can trust him to make pull-ups at a high level. However, he’s an interesting bet if you already have some primary wings who can play both on and off the ball.”

Incredibly enough, I would actually love either of these guys for the Clippers. Both rated very well in my statistical projections, and both have clear roles at the NBA level. The other nine guys who I’d be fine with at 46 who are still on the board include KJ Simpson, Ajay Mitchell, Tristen Newton, Nikola Djurisic, Kevin McCullar Jr., Melvin Ajinca, Jonathan Mogbo, Oso Ighodaro, and Adem Bona.

Comment below!

2024 NBA Draft Second Round Thread
Robert Flom

The 2024 NBA Draft starts tonight, which means its time for a final roundup of some mock drafts of who the biggest media sites have the Clippers taking at 46.

ESPN: Updated June 25

Cam Spencer, UConn SG

The Athletic: Updated June 26

Oso Ighodaro, Marquette C

Yahoo: Updated June 26

KJ Simpson, Colorado PG

The Bleacher Report: Updated June 19

Justin Edwards, Kentucky SG

June 26 Update: Pelle Larsson, Arizona SG

The Ringer: Updated June 17

Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas SG

June 26 Update: Keshad Johnson, Arizona PF

Thoughts

Now this is more like it. I’d be pretty happy with four of these five picks, with Justin Edwards being the lone guy I’m not super on board with. I’ve talked about every one of these other guys in my draft by the numbers articles, and I think all of solid chances to be real NBA players. There’s still no real consensus in terms of who the Clippers would take, or what position they are targeting, but older guys with higher floors seems to be the theme. Another note is that the mocks have no international prospects for the Clippers (the Clippers haven’t taken one since David Michineau in 2017).

This will also serve as our draft thread for the day, so comment below!

Final 2024 NBA Mock Draft Roundup + Draft Thread
Robert Flom

The Clippers could use a forward. That was evident across all of last season after the Harden trade. However, they took Kobe Brown with the 30^th pick in last draft to eventually fill that void, so I’m not sure if another draft pick would overtake him for that spot. Still, the NBA is a league that is increasingly wing-focused, so the Clippers taking a stab at another wing even with Kawhi, Terance, Amir, and Jordan Miller on the roster (not even counting Norm or Brown) is reasonable enough, even if the need for a big or point guard is greater.

The following explanation is more or less a copy paste explanation of the stats and methodology from previous years. The numbers I compile for this are for college players only (no international, OTE, or G-League players included), and are per game, not per possession. In the NBA, per possession is a more useful stat, but when looking at college players, I feel like playing time is a bigger component – if you can’t play in college, you probably won’t play in the NBA. I also stopped at around number 70 on ESPN’s prospect list, as guys below are unlikely to get picked even at 46. Finally, the numbers are averaged between the last two college seasons the players played, which can hurt some guys but can balance out outlier seasons.

For wings, the stats that consistently carry the most value in terms of correlation to NBA success are age, turnovers (better to be lower/younger), rebounds, assists, steals, and true shooting. As with point guards, blocks and points aren’t very important, though interestingly neither is three-point volume. Do-it-all wings are the ones with the best chance of making an impact in the NBA.

Best Prospects in Clippers’ Range

Dillon Jones – Jones is one of my favorite prospects in this draft. A stocky 6’6, 235 pound forward from Weber State, Jones feasted on Big Sky competition, earning three All Big Sky Team recognitions and winning conference player of the year his senior season. The competition was bad compared to most of these prospects, but Jones’ rebounding, assist, and steal rates were all fantastic and he was a very efficient scorer at good volume. His three-point shooting was a bit hit or miss, but he was a fantastic free throw shooter and scored excellently from two-point range. He’s old, but he could be quite good.

Cam Spencer – Spencer was a huge part of UConn’s triumphant NCAA championship last season, starting in all 40 games and contributing excellent across-the-board production. Spencer is shooting-guard sized, and will have some athletic disadvantages in the NBA, but he’s a terrific shooter and is just a smart player who understands how to play winning basketball. The connective passing and ability to generate steals (he rated as a very impactful defender in college) should make Spencer a useful player to complement his high-volume shooting. Low upside, but a guy who could play for the Clips right away.

Kevin McCullar Jr. – McCullar is a fifth-year senior who played his last two seasons at Kansas. At 6’6, 205 pounds, he’s a solid wing size and contributes rebounds, assists, and steals alongside some cutting and interior scoring. McCullar’s swing skill is outside shooting, as he was a combination of low-volume, low-percentage in college. However, he’s a fantastic perimeter defender who would be a legit rotation player if he could shoot even decently at the NBA level. Worth a flier.

Prospects to Trade Up For

Baylor Scheierman – Scheierman is one of the oldest players in this class, but is a statistical standout due to his combination of rebounding, playmaking, and scoring efficiency with fairly low turnovers. At nearly 24 years old, Baylor lacks the upside of some of his draft classmates, but seems one of the surest guys to step in as a ready-made role player who can shoot, dribble, and pass, and has the size to stick on defense. He’s projected to go anywhere from the late 1^st to the mid 2^nd, but I doubt he falls to 46.

Prospects to Avoid

Antonio Reeves – The avoid list is short this year, as I think there are a lot of wings in this range who I’d be fine with. Reeves is the closest to a “do not draft” for me, as his fifth-year senior season at Kentucky was a massive outlier compared to his earlier college career in terms of impact. The issue with Reeves is he’s really more of a point guard size (6’4, 185) but is really more of an off-guard scorer. He’s an excellent shooter, but those types of players (Seth Curry, even Luke Kennard) don’t have nearly the value in the NBA that they used to, when shooting was more of a premium.

International Prospects of Note

Melvin Ajinca – Ajinca turns 20 the day of the draft, making him one of the youngest players in this years class. A 6’7 forward, Ajinca plays for Saint-Quentin Basket in the LNB Pro A, one of the top domestic leagues in Europe. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.5 steals in 24.6 minutes per game, solid production for a young player. His shooting splits are less impressive, with 37.5% from the field and 30.9% from three. However, Ajinca took 5.3 threes per game, an extremely high volume for a European player especially at his age. The prospect of a three-point shooter at his size is intriguing.

Nikola Djurisic – Djurisic is a 20 year old, 6’7 Serbian wing who plays for Mega Basket in the Adriatic Basketball League (ABA). Djurisic first played professionally as just a 17 year old, and put together an impressive 2024 season, with 14.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1 steals in 30.7 minutes per game. Djurisic shot 45.4% from the field and 33% from three (3.7 attempts), solid efficiency numbers, though he did turn the ball over 3.2 times per game. Djurisic’s production at his age against fairly good competition bodes well for his ability to make the jump to the NBA as a scoring wing.

Any wings or forwards you have your eyes on in this draft class?

2024 NBA Draft by the Numbers: Wings & Forwards
Robert Flom

The Clippers have been bad at drafting in recent years, and have particularly whiffed on big men. Mfiondu Kabengele at 27 in the 2019 Draft and Daniel Oturu at 33 in 2020 were both immense misses even at their range in the draft, and Moussa Diabate hasn’t provided anything as the 43^rd pick in the 2022 Draft either.

That said, the Clippers could take another big man with the 46^th pick in this draft. After all, their two backup centers last season, Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis, are both free agents and don’t seem super likely to return. Kai Jones, who they signed at the tail end of 2024, has a team option for 2024-2025 that is non-guaranteed. Diabate, who has been on a two-way the past two seasons, is a restricted free agent. Thus, the only big man truly “on the roster” right now is starter Ivica Zubac.

However, I would be mildly surprised if the Clippers took a big at 46. Jones and Diabate seem fairly likely to be in the Clippers’ Summer League/Training Camp plans at the very least, and adding another young guy to the mix seems odd unless the Clippers are out on Jones and Diabate. Additionally, the Clippers have learned how important it is to have competent veteran backup center play, so even if one of Jones or Diabate pops in Summer League I’d guess the Clippers bring in another more experienced center as a deep reserve. All in all, the room is just probably going to be too crowded to warrant another big man pick. Let’s move into some stats!

The following explanation is a copy paste explanation of the stats and methodology from previous years. The numbers I compile for this are for college players only (no international, OTE, or G-League players included), and are per game, not per possession. In the NBA, per possession is a more useful stat, but when looking at college players, I feel like playing time is a bigger component – if you can’t play in college, you probably won’t play in the NBA. I also stopped at around number 60 on ESPN’s prospect list, as guys below that are unlikely to get picked even at 46. Finally, the numbers are averaged between the last two college seasons the players played, which can hurt some guys but can balance out outlier seasons.

I have updated my database and models, and things have changed somewhat. The most important stats for big men prospects (in comparing college stats to advanced all-in-one numbers at the NBA level including WS/48, VORP, and BPM to determine correlation) are age, assists, rebounds, blocks, and true shooting, with turnovers also being somewhat relevant. It’s better for prospects to be younger (makes sense) and have fewer turnovers (ditto) and for all their counting stats to be higher (also checks out). Points, steals (this is a big change, as years ago steals rated as the most important stat for bigs), and three-point shooting don’t have a strong correlation to NBA success for big men prospects in my models, but obviously matter when judging players. Here’s a look at some prospects!

Best Prospects in Clippers’ Range

Oso Ighodaro – Ighodaro is a four-year senior from Marquette who made All Big East Second Team his last two seasons there. At 6’10, 235 pounds, he’s a solid size for an NBA big, though his 6’11 wingspan does harm him on defense and the glass. However, he’s an exceptional athlete with above-the-rim leaping ability and a quick first and second jump. On offense, he pairs that rim-running with very good passing out of the short roll and in dribble hand-off situations, and was a hub for Marquette’s offense. Defense is more of a mixed bag, as Ighodaro was frequently overpowered on that end, but moves well on the perimeter and in recover situations. His offensive game being tailor-made for the modern NBA and his plus athleticism make him a very worthy selection at 46.

Jonathan Mogbo – Mogbo played junior college for two years before transferring to Missouri and then San Francisco, for whom he had a breakout senior season. At 6’6, 216 pounds, Mogbo is incredibly undersized for a big man, but makes up for that with a large wingspan and standing reach. He’s also a solid offensive player who can finish strong at the rim, make plays in space (3.6 assists to 1.8 turnovers his senior season), and handle a bit. The question with Mogbo is whether he can protect the rim and guard bigger centers well enough, but his defense in switches and the open court is good. There are some real flaws but he’s an interesting prospect and I’d like a swing on him.

Prospects to Trade Up For

Adem Bona – Bona might be the draft prospect who Clippers fans are most familiar with, as he has been the starting center the past two years on UCLA. While Bona is “only” 6’10, he’s a hefty 235 pounds and covers a lot of ground on defense. His motor and intensity are fantastic, helping him win Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year last season. He projects as an energy big man who should be relatively helpful on defense early on in his career but probably won’t contribute a ton on offense outside of rim-running. Still, I think he’s a fairly safe bet to be a solid backup center, albeit one with limited upside.

Prospects to Avoid

Isaac Jones – Jones is a big man from Washington State who is a fifth-year senior. He played at the junior college level before transferring to Idaho as a junior and then Washington State for his final season. Jones is another undersized big man with fairly impressive scoring numbers, but whose statistical outlook is really harmed by his age (he’s almost 24) and just-ok rebounding and block stats. I don’t think he’d be an awful pick, but there should be better guys on the board.

International Prospects of Note

Ariel Hukporti – Hukporti has been a name on the fringes of the NBA Draft radar for years. A 22 year old from Germany, Hukporti has been playing professionally since he was just 16 years old back in 2018, albeit at very low minutes early on. Hukporti has played in the German Bundesliga, Australian NBL, and Lithuanian LKL leagues, which are all fairly strong professional leagues, though he has never played for a top-tier EuroLeague or EuroCup team. Hukporti’s numbers are not particularly impressive, but he is a full 7’0, 250 big who does traditional big man things like rebound and block shots and does have a lot of professional experience against solid competition.

There are some pretty strong big man prospects in the Clippers’ range in this draft. Are there any that you have your eye on more than others?

2024 NBA Draft by the Numbers: Big Men
Robert Flom

The 2024 NBA Draft is now less than a week away, so let’s do a quick round up of who all the most plugged-in draft writers have the Clippers taking with the 46^th pick.

ESPN: Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Updated June 19)

Clippers Pick: Ajay Mitchell (22 year old point guard, UC Santa Barbara)

Bleacher Report: Jonathan Wasserman (Updated June 19)

Clippers Pick: Justin Edwards (20 year old wing, Kentucky)

Explanation: “Justin Edwards hit mid-range jumpers and a step-back three in the combine’s opening scrimmage before missing his outside shots and struggling in the second scrimmage.

He isn’t advanced enough in any one offensive area for teams to confidently draft him with a first-round pick. He’ll remain in the second-round conversation for teams willing to bet on shotmaking improvement to complement his athleticism and defensive tools.”

The Athletic: Sam Vecenie (Updated June 5)

Clippers Pick: Jonathan Mogbo (22 year old big man, San Francisco)

Editor’s Note: Vecenie updated his mock this morning, and now has the Clippers taking Oso Ighodaro, a 21 year old big man from Marquette who has favorable analytics

Yahoo Sports: Krysten Peek (Updated June 17)

Clippers Pick: Jamal Shead (Almost 22 year old point guard, Houston)

The Ringer: Kevin O’Connor (Updated June 17)

Clippers Pick: Kevin McCullar Jr. (23 year old wing, Kansas)

Explanation: “The Clippers could use someone with some bite, especially at the wing and forward spots. McCullar would fit what they need, providing a versatile defender to replace Paul George if he leaves in free agency.”

Summary

There is very little commonality across these picks. Not only do none of the writers have the same pick for the Clippers (that does sometimes happen), but the picks include two point guards, two wings, and a big man. Four of the five prospects are older, but that could be more just that prospects in the mid-40s tend to be older and less from any draft philosophy from the Clippers.

Overall, none of these names are that exciting – but it’s also very hard to get exciting names at 46 in a weak draft. Overall, I’d probably like Mogbo the best of these guys, as I think he’s close to a first round talent. Edwards is by far the youngest and has some promise but I don’t think he’s close to ready to contribute. I’ve talked about Shead in my PGs article – he was an awesome college player, but I don’t think he’s nearly good enough as a scorer to make an impact in the NBA.

Ajay Mitchell is a guy I like quite a bit too, he’s a dynamic scorer and playmaker and I think could be a solid NBA point guard. McCullar is a fifth-year player who had a relatively fine college career until this past season, when he exploded at Kansas. How much you believe in him depends on how much you value his breakout.

Overall, as always this far down in the draft, there’s not too much to hold onto here outside of getting a bit more familiar with some names. I will probably try to do one more of these before the draft, but we will see how much changes in the interim.

2024 Clippers Mock Draft Roundup
Robert Flom

The Clippers’ run of barren drafts even by their standards starts in 2024, with their lone pick being at 46, smack in the middle of the second round. The Clippers have a bunch of free agents, which means there will probably be a roster spot available (even if it’s just a two-way) for whoever they select at 46. And, with no draft picks having been rotation players for the Clippers since Terance Mann back in 2019, the Clippers need to make every pick they have count, especially as they possess so few of them in the next couple years.

We are starting as always with point guard prospects, and point guard is apparently a position the Clippers might look at, per the Athletic’s Law Murray. Jason Preston is long gone. James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Xavier Moon are free agents. Thus, the only true point guard currently under contract is Bones Hyland, and there are some indications the Clippers want to move on from him. Even with Harden probably coming back, if Russ and Bones don’t return, point guard depth will be needed, which means the Clippers taking a point guard is certainly possible.

The following explanation is a copy paste explanation of the stats and methodology from previous years. The numbers I compile for this are for college players only (no international, OTE, or G-League players included), and are per game, not per possession. In the NBA, per possession is a more useful stat, but when looking at college players, I feel like playing time is a bigger component – if you can’t play in college, you probably won’t play in the NBA. I also stopped at around number 60 on ESPN’s prospect list, as guys below that are unlikely to get picked even at 46. Finally, the numbers are roughly averaged between the last two college seasons the players played, which can hurt some guys but can balance out outlier seasons.

I have updated my database and models, and things have changed somewhat. The three most important stats for point guard prospects (in comparing college stats to advanced all-in-one numbers at the NBA level including WS/48, VORP, and BPM to determine correlation) are steals, age, and true shooting, with rebounds and three pointers made also being impactful. It’s better for prospects to be younger (makes sense) and for all their counting stats to be higher (also checks out). Points, turnovers, and blocks don’t have a strong correlation to NBA success for point guard prospects in my models, but obviously matter when judging players. Here’s a look at some prospects!

Best Prospects in Clippers’ Range

Trey Alexander – Alexander is a three-year junior from Creighton (shout out Cole Huff) who doesn’t stand out hugely in any one category, but brings solid efficiency, rebounding, steal, and three-point shooting numbers. Alexander is also fairly young for his class, having just turned 21, and is on the taller side for a point guard at 6’4. Alexander’s three-point shooting dipped his junior season, but he took a high volume of threes and has had excellent free-throw shooting, so I’m relatively confident the shot will translate. He’s not an amazing playmaker by any stretch, but he’s a solid enough guard who I think would be a terrific selection at 46.

KJ Simpson – Simpson is a three-year junior out of Colorado who steadily improved across his three years in college, finishing with a ferocious 19.7 point, 5.8 rebound, 4.9 assist line this past season to earn First Team All Pac 12. An excellent rebounder for his size (6’2, 175), Simpson is a score-first guard who nonetheless takes relatively good care of the ball. The question for him is whether his shooting 43.4% from three his junior season was real after shooting under 28% his first two years. His free throw shooting being excellent throughout bodes well for his touch, making me a believer in the outside shot. He’s a dynamic scorer who could be a very nice backup, though he is small on defense.

Prospects to Trade Up For

Tyler Kolek – Kolek was a four-year senior at Marquette, and his age (he’s one of the oldest in the draft) and size are the only real knocks on him. He posted solid rebound and steal numbers, made a good number of threes on solid volume, and was extremely efficient. A lot of draft people think he’s one of the safer prospects in the entire draft and a near lock to be a steady backup point, albeit without much upside. I highly doubt the Clippers move up (they don’t really even have the assets to do so), but if Kolek slips from the late 1^st to the early 2^nd he’d be a fine target.

Prospects to Avoid

Jamal Shead – Shead is someone I know a lot of draft twitter likes. He won Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season at Houston, and is an absolutely tenacious player. The reason he doesn’t measure well statistically is simple – he’s old and posted really poor efficiency stats. His steal numbers are fantastic, and despite being small he can probably hang defensively in the NBA. But at 6’1, 175, Shead might have a really hard time scoring in the NBA, and you need to be a scoring threat as a ballhandler in today’s NBA. He’s not a bad prospect, but I think there will be better guys here.

Bronny James – The Clippers almost certainly would not take Bronny in the draft. And he had a very weird freshman season at USC that resulted in his stats being so poor. But it was still a disappointing campaign for Bronny, and I think he’s a couple years away from being an NBA guy if he ever gets there. Don’t see this one happening.

International Prospects of Note

Juan Nunez – Nunez is a 20 year old who plays for Ratiopharm Ulm in the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the top league in Germany. In 54 games this past season across Bundesliga and Eurocup, the second-highest international competition in Europe, Nunez averaged 9.9 points, 4.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 23 minutes per game while shooting 47% from the field, 31.9% from three (2.6 attempts), and 61% from the line (2.7 attempts). Nunez is a highly skilled offensive player and an adept passer, but the question for him will be if he’s athletic enough to get to the rim or play defense at the NBA level. He’s intriguing.

There are some interesting point guard prospects in the Clippers’ range in this draft. Are there any that you have your eye on more than others?

2024 NBA Draft by the Numbers: Point Guard Prospects
Robert Flom

The Clippers had a quiet night in the 2023 draft, staying put at 30 and 48 to select Kobe Brown and Jordan Miller respective. We already wrote about each of those guys as well as what the Clippers’ lack of moves mean, but here are some grade roundups from other media sites.

ESPN (Kevin Pelton) – D

“Among players with projections, Brown had the second lowest of all the players drafted Thursday. Both Brown’s age (23, the oldest player taken in the first round) and his late development into a college star after scoring in single figures in his first two years at Missouri work against his projection. Miller, also 23, gave the Clippers two of the four oldest players taken. That doesn’t rule out successful NBA careers, but it makes them less likely.”

The Athletic (Sam Vecenie and John Hollinger)

30th Pick

Vecenie: “Brown is one of the guys who really stood out to me in terms of skill the more I watched him. There’s so much more to his game than you’d think when watching a typical 6-foot-7, 250-pound big man. He’s an incredible processor of the game who makes quick decisions, and the shooting-mechanic adjustments he’s made over the last year have clearly worked wonders in terms of turning him into a real potential shooter in the NBA. He’s a smart defender who was active and valuable on that end in the SEC. And there is a real case for long-term upside if he can add a bit of quickness over the next few years. To me, it all comes down to the shooting. If Brown proves he can be a consistent shooter from distance, he might play in the NBA for the next eight to 10 years as a valuable rotation player. Every NBA team is looking for bigger guys with length who can dribble, pass and shoot. Brown can do that. There’s a world where you can see him playing both as a wing four man and a small-ball five given his strength. He is a valuable rotation player as long as he shoots.”

Hollinger: “Wow. I liked Kobe Brown as a potential backup 4 with some stretch capability when I saw him at the SEC tournament, but I didn’t really see a first-rounder there. This one surprises me a bit, especially on a roster where half the guys already more or less fit this job description.”

48th Pick

Vecenie: “I think Miller is an awesome candidate for a two-way contract and would have been one of my priority players there. I love the idea of him being a cutter, spot-up shooter and defender who just keeps things simple and plays the right way. But I’m worried enough about the shooting that I don’t know how great I’d feel about him right now as a fully guaranteed roster player. If it takes him time to adjust to the NBA line as a shooter, he turns 24 midway through next season and might not have a ton of time to figure it all out. I love his length, and I love how direct his game is. He’s one of those guys who just gets stuff done out there, and I have an immense appreciation for how he forces his will upon the game despite being relatively low usage. The fact that he doesn’t need the ball to be productive is a huge plus. I just would like to see a bit more shooting evidence before I’d make a full commitment.”

Hollinger: “Miller was perhaps my favorite deep sleeper, a very productive wing from Miami whose shooting is a bit suspect but whose all-court game is good enough that he can still become a good role player. There are shades of Terance Mann here, and I’m a much bigger fan of this pick than the one the Clips made at 30.”

CBS Sports (Colin Ward-Heninger) – C

“The Clippers signaled their desire for immediate help by drafting two seniors. Both have long wingspans and profile as plus defenders on the wing that can fit into Ty Lue’s switching defense, and they can also step out and knock down 3-pointers. These prospects aren’t going to blow anyone away, but the Clippers are just looking for potential rotation pieces on a win-now team, so they should suffice.”

SB Nation (Ricky O’Donnell, First Round Only) – B

“Four-year player who emerged on NBA draft boards as a senior after making a big leap as a shooter. Brown is absolutely massive at 6’8, 250 pounds with the skill to play on the perimeter and the size to bang inside. He went from a 25 percent three-point shooter to a 45 percent three-point shooter as a senior. If that progress holds, he should be a stretch forward with offensive versatility who will be a load to handle in the paint.”

Yahoo (Krysten Peek, First Round Only) – C+

“Brown is one of the best defensive rotational players in this draft with the way he swings through multiple positions on the wing and is active dropping down low. Brown is a swing forward who was the glue guy for coach Dennis Gates and Missouri and could see early minutes on a roster with his high basketball IQ and defensive versatility, but he is a reach.”

My Thoughts

I think I by and large agree with most of these assessments. Kobe Brown is an intriguing player due to his size, defensive awareness, and skill level especially as a passer. However, his shooting is a question mark – how legit was his senior year shooting? – and he might struggle to find an individual position to defend. Ultimately, I think there were better players available, and wish the Clippers had gone for a more high-upside player, but at least there’s talent and a vision here. My grade: C.

Jordan Miller is, to me, a better prospect than Brown straight up, and considering he was taken 18 picks later, I’m happier with his selection. He has clear NBA skills with his defense, finishing inside, and rebounding, is another very high instincts player. His career will also come down to shooting, but I think he could have a career without real shooting where I’m unsure if Brown can. My grade: B+.

Clippers 2023 Draft Grade Roundup
Robert Flom

With the 48th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Clippers selected Jordan Miller, a wing from University of Miami.

Jordan Miller averaged 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals on 54.5/35.2/78.4 shooting splits last year at Miami. Jordan Miller is almost the exact same age at Kobe Brown at 23.5, making them two of the oldest players who were taken in this draft. A big guard at 6’6, 205 pounds, Miller is an excellent scorer from two-point range who is fairly limited from three (32.9% on 2.4 attempts across five college seasons).

Miller is a good athlete with a nice first step, a great combo with his finishing. That made him an extremely efficient scorer, boasting True Shooting of over 60% in both his seasons at Miami. Miller also has long arms and good quickness, combining with his height to give him multi-positional versatility defensively. Miller isn’t much of a playmaker for a guard, but also didn’t turn the ball over, which is nice – he could be a tertiary ballhandler at the NBA level.

Like Kobe Brown, the swing skill for Miller is shooting. If he can be just an average three-point shooter, his rim scoring package (similar to Terance Mann) will be much more effective. Despite his age, there’s some upside here due to his legitimate two-way potential as a scorer and defender.

There were still other guys I had higher on my board, like Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jaylen Clark, and Terquavion Smith, but Miller is a nice pick at 48. I’d guess he’s on a two-way deal considering how many guards the Clippers currently have, but we will see.

Jordan Miller, welcome to the Clippers! The Jordan Miller pick should conclude the 2023 draft for the Clippers, but it’s possible they bring someone to training camp after the draft is over.

The Clippers Select Jordan Miller at 48 in the 2023 Draft
Robert Flom

With the 30th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Clippers selected Kobe Brown, a senior forward from Missouri.

Kobe Brown averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 Rebounds, 2.5 Assists, and 1.5 steals on 55.3/45.5/79.2 shooting splits last year at Missouri. Brown’s three-point shooting looks great, but he took just 3.3 per game, and shot under 30% in his first three college seasons – so shooting is a big swing factor. With Kobe in general, whether you believe in his senior season is the dealbreaker, as his first few seasons in college were thoroughly unremarkable.

Kobe Brown is a fit positionally, as he’s a 6’8, 250 pound forward who could theoretically play either big man position, though he’d be a bit short for a center. He is skilled for a guy his size, with good assist rates and an over 1:1 assist to turnover ratio. He’s extremely built for a guy his size, as well, though older (23.5), and does have some nice off-ball skills. Sadly, like many Clippers’ small-ball forwards of recent years, Brown is not a particularly good rebounder.

This isn’t an awful pick – a lot of people like Brown quite a bit – but there were better players on the board, in my opinion – Leonard Miller, Trayce Jackson-Davis, James Nnaji, and Colby Jones most especially. Brown is not ultra athletic, and he’s really only going to be a player if his senior shooting is legitimate. Still, he’s an intriguing stretch big man prospect as a massive guy with some shooting and playmaking skills. There’s not much upside here, but if the Clippers trade away multiple of their veteran power forwards he could be usable in the next year or two.

Welcome to the Clippers, Kobe Brown! We will keep going for the rest of the draft and the Clippers’ pick at 48.

Clippers Select Kobe Brown at 30 in the 2023 NBA Draft
Robert Flom