2016 Clippers Player Preview: Brandon Bass

Name: Brandon Bass

Height: 6’8”

Weight: 250 lbs

Age: 31

Position: PF

Experience: 11 years

Key Stats: 7.2 points in 20.3 minutes per game last season. He shot 84.5% from the Free Throw line (Career: 82.9%) and 54.9% from the Field (Career: 49.6%). He only grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game, however, which is less than exciting. He played in 66 games without a start for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Contract Status: Bass signed a one-year contract with the Clippers, reuniting him with his former coach of Doc Rivers, under whom he played for two years in Boston. He only cost the Clippers $1.5 million.

Breakdown: For a thirty-one year-old player, Bass still moves well for a big-man. And, furthermore, what he adds to a team is often independent of athletic ability. He is an opportunistic scorer, with the ability to pick-and-pop for a mid-range jumper. But that is not to say he won’t fit in with the Clippers’ athletic front-court: he can still throw it down. I think peak thirty-one year-old Brandon Bass looks just like the clip below. Can hit jumpers, will finish a pick-and-roll with a dunk, and will hit his free-throws.

Bass was also a popular as a person with the Lakers last season. In fact, the power-forward was even voted “Teammate of the Year.”

Outlook for 2016-17: Bass’ year with the Lakers will likely work as a good preface for what he is going to do with the Clippers. Playing behind a (hopefully healthy) Blake Griffin, Bass will be asked to support the team off the bench, along side pick-and-roll loving guards like Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers.

And, of course, Bass is familiar with Head Coach Doc Rivers, so that should help his ability to fit in with the group. It is worth mentioning that Bass, while getting more playing time than any other part of his career, had his best scoring and rebounding seasons under Doc.

So, what should we expect from Bass? A player that does not really limit what the team can do with him on the floor, can step in when teams want to Hack-A-DJ, and will anchor down a more focused second-unit than what the Clippers had this time last year.