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The 2018 NBA Draft is just three days away, and things are starting to get increasingly tense. Rumors and trade talks are swirling, and nobody is quite sure what is a smokescreen and what isn’t. Nevertheless, here are the players being mocked to the Clippers by some of the industry’s finest.
12: Lonnie Walker IV
13: Robert Williams
No explanation was given, but this would be an iffy draft for me. I like Williams, but drafting for need (DeAndre Jordan replacement) isn’t what the Clippers should be doing. He has a nice floor, but a questionable level of upside. Walker is also a guy who could be really good, but isn’t the surest bet, and just doesn’t seem to be one of the best prospects still on the board.
12: Robert Williams
13: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Robert Williams is here being labeled largely as a DeAndre Jordan replacement, a center who can run the floor, throw down lobs, and protect the rim on defense. Gilgeous-Alexander is described as a nice scoring and defensive guard who would fit well with the Clippers, but without much given as to his potential place within the franchise. I like Shai as a pick a lot, but again, drafting Williams on a “need” basis just does not seem to be what the Clippers are about.
12: Miles Bridges
13: Troy Brown
I would love this draft for the Clippers. Bridges is, as the Ringer guys said, a player with a relatively high floor and an immense ceiling. If he’s available at 12 and the Clippers don’t pick him, I think it will come back to haunt them. Troy Brown is a bit of a reach, but he’s smart, he plays defense, he can pass, and he just does a lot of things right on the basketball court. Also, Miles’ fantastic shooting could make up for Brown’s deficiency in that area.
This is another interesting set of mock drafts, as this time, only one player is picked by more than one outlet as going to the Clippers: Robert Williams. We have profiles on all these guys already up on Clips Nation, and I linked to each of them above. The Ringer’s draft is by far my favorite, though I don’t truly dislike any of the picks that were made.
Still, the only thing that remains clear about the Clippers in this draft is that nobody really knows who they might select.