Scouting report on newest Clipper, C.J. Wilcox

The Los Angeles Clippers picked 28th overall tonight and they used that selection on C.J. Wilcox, the 6'5" shooting guard from the University of Washington. He's a 6'5" and 201 pound shooting guard who features a nearly 6'10" wingspan and has a 37½" max step vertical leap. He has prototypical shooting guard size and very good athleticism. So, how does he fit on the Clippers? Well, let's find out.

One of the immediate things you notice about C.J. Wilcox is that he has a really sweet shot. Physically, he's everything you want out of a shooting guard. His ability as a knockdown catch-and-shoot guy really cannot be undersold, either. He can slash to the rim, as well, and has scoring ability that teams are looking for in the latter half of the draft. On defense, he competes and isn't bad. He's about a solid defender overall. His wingspan and athleticism help him well on that end of the floor.

On the downside for C.J. Wilcox, he's already 23 years old and will actually turn 24 years old in late December (30th). Because of that, his upside is severely limited and he doesn't have much hope of ever being anything other than a roleplayer shooting guard. And that's okay as far as he's concerned because the impact he can make would be good. But, on top of the low upside, he doesn't create that well for himself and others. He's primarily just a catch-and-shoot guy. If you're looking for him to create for himself, don't hold your breath.

C.J. Wilcox is what he is. He's a soon-to-be 24 year old shooting guard that can make an impact now with little chance of upside for the future. Wilcox is an unselfish player who can pass, defend a little bit, rebound, and who will always compete. His value as a catch-and-shoot wing option is good. He pairs very well off the ball when the Clippers go to Reggie Bullock off the bench since they can play together at the two and three spots. Wilcox can also guard bigger guys in smaller lineups, if the Clippers decide to play him at small forward for any stretches, due to his wingspan.

As far as what this means for others, it'll be interesting to see what the Clippers decide to do with Jamal Crawford now. This isn't to say that C.J. Wilcox is better than Jamal Crawford, because he's not. However, it is interesting that they selected a shooting guard who already has maxed out potential. It might mean that they have a deal lined up to send Crawford somewhere for a veteran. Or maybe this means that they're going to move Reggie Bullock. Either way, I expect Wilcox to see some time next season but not much. He's a solid but not great prospect. His age will hamper him but he should contribute for a little while. He's a one contract guy. And those are fine. Really good roleplayer potential for him.

For a deeper look at C.J. Wilcox, enjoy the DraftExpress video on him.