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Joe Alexander & Adam Morrison: Bargain Potential?

I know, seeing Ammo's name up there probably has some of you guys ready to reach through your monitors to smack me in the head. But hear me out!

Here we have two former lottery picks who are UFA's. We also have two guys who have barely received any playing time over the last few seasons for various reasons, which has lowered their value immensely. Now you might say that they didn't play because they don't have any value, and you might be right. I haven't seen much of them either lately, so I can only guess.

I think we can all agree that there is a youth movement going on in Clipperland. So why not take a flyer on one or both of these guys to see what they can do. Sign 'em up for 2-year minimum deals with a 3rd-year team option, and give them a chance. They are both young and have something to prove. Both guys have good reputations for having a strong work ethic. And both guys, though for different reasons, did not have games that were going to quickly translate to the NBA level.

Think about JJ Reddick. Though he was successful in college, it took him several years just to crack the rotation in Orlando. Now he is a valued role player who has made his presence felt in the postseason and is about to cash in on that. I think there is a small chance that Morrison could have a similar redemption. During his rookie year, he definitely showed flashes of scoring potential with some monster games. Then he got hurt, didn't play for a long time, then got traded to a stacked Lakers team that didn't need him on the floor. Some of you may say, "Morrison wasn't even good enough to supplant Luke Walton," and you might be right. All I'm saying is that I'd rather sign Morrison and see what he can do, than sign a no-upside known quantity like Brian Cook. Morrison will never be "the next Bird" as some folks touted him in college, but he could turn into a surprisingly useful scorer off the bench (and potential trade bait).

I think Alexander is an even more intriguing option. While Morrison is the classic unathletic but sweet-shooting white guy, Alexander is a physical beast who can jump out of the building. Just take a look at his old scouting reports at http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Joe-Alexander-1185/ and see for yourself. Alexander was also notable for being inexperienced. I think the Bucks definitely mishandled his development when he was a rookie, and he's never really gotten a chance, despite showing productivity in limited minutes on the few occasions he was allowed into the game. By now he's had a couple years in the NBA and D-League, but he's still only 23. I think with his hard-working attitude, he would fit in well with our other good young players and could possibly reward the Clippers for giving him a chance. Let's sign this guy up and see what he can do. Worst case scenario, we have a guy who's good for 6 fouls. Best case scenario, we get an under-the-radar athletic wing who can shoot, rebound, and block shots, and who can become another important part of our young core. The guy was taken in the lottery for his upside. Perhaps the Clippers can be the team to finally unleash it.

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