2019-20 Clippers Report Card: Terance Mann

Key information:

Name: Terance Mann

Age: 23

Years in the NBA: 1

Key stats: Mann made 41 appearances for the Clippers in his rookie season, starting six games in all. He averaged 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds and assists each per game, a tight 8.8 minutes per appearance.

Future contract status: He’s under contract to the Clippers through the 2021-22 season, with a team option for 2022-23.

Summary:

Mann was one of the up-and-comers on a veteran-laden team this season with the Clippers. The Florida State product was a second-round NBA Draft pick who made the grade and earned a contract, and became a player who mostly saw time spelling the stars while they rested and in late game mop-up duty.

Mann also spent time with the Agua Caliente Clippers in the G League, averaging 35 minutes a game and 15.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists across 20 games this season.

His best game as a pro to date came in the finale of the seeding games just before the playoffs, when the regulars were rested and Mann went off, scoring 25 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in 41 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yes, it was a glorified scrimmage in many respects, but that showing gave an indication that when the Clippers were looking for a deep bench player to run the show, Mann stepped up and could fill up the stat sheet in a win.

As far as evaluating the season that was, given the relative lack of playing time and game states, it’s hard to really go too in depth on the advanced stats for Mann. But a sign of potential for him was getting into about half the NBA Clippers’ games on the season, even with the G League stint.

Strengths:

Every team needs a spark and Mann has Energizer Bunny energy when he’s on the floor. While that can hurt his game at times, he adds a wild card element to the five on the court and some unpredictability to the Clippers lineup. You truly can’t tell what he’s about to do much of the time, and players either have that ability or they don’t.

There are also glimpses that he can fill up the stat sheet, with his rebounding numbers in limited action particularly promising for his position. A guard/forward who can do a little bit of everything is someone who can play their way to more time on the court.

Weaknesses:

Mann’s energy ranges into chaos at times, and he resembled a rookie coming to grips with the NBA game when he was given a longer run. Shooting 35 percent from 3-point range is something he’ll need to work on if he wants more playing time, since his 3-point percentage was also weak in the G League. Ultimately, he will need to make a step up all around in his game and decision-making to crack the core rotation on the team, but there is some raw potential to work with.

Future with the Clippers:

Notably, while this is an offseason of transitions for the Clippers, with Doc Rivers gone and Tyronn Lue hired to be the next head coach, early indications are that Mann is expected to be in the team’s plans moving forward and given a bigger role. The front office reportedly expects Lue to help develop the games of youngsters like Mann to see their contributions increase moving forward. So unless he becomes a makeweight on a trade, expect Mann to be suiting up for the Clips next season.

Overall grade: B

Considering his role, Mann probably has the most upside among the deep bench players that we saw this season. His energy can boost the team and throw opponents off a bit, and he can do a lot of things on the court. But he needs to hone his game and play some sustained minutes moving forward in order to crack the second unit. Having said that, it appears he’ll have the chance to show what he can do next season.