NBA Draft recap: A team that didn’t mess around
The LA Clippers entered draft night with pick No. 25. They left with picks 21, 33, and 51 and selected multiple players that fell in the draft.
To acquire pick No. 21, they traded pick 25 and a future second. With this pick, they selected Tennessee high flyer Keon Johnson, who jumped a draft combine record 48 inches (that is four feet up in the air, how is that even possible?) He figures to be a key piece in the Clippers’ backcourt next season.
Next, they were the indirect beneficiaries of that wild Knicks-Thunder trade, buying low on the 33rd pick for the second draft in a row. Last year, they traded a future second-round pick and cash and took Daniel Oturu. This year, they traded a future second-round pick and cash and took Jason Preston. Eerily similar.
Preston is a guard from Ohio known for upsetting major college teams and having a huge chip on his shoulder. He fits in with some of the other gritty Clippers guards Beverley and Mann who play knowing they need to prove the doubters wrong.
Lastly, LA took a flyer on Brandon “BJ” Boston, who slipped tremendously in this year’s draft. At only 19 years old, Boston has plenty of potential to grow and become an impact player for the Clippers.
Overall, the Clippers made some pretty savvy moves this draft and put themselves in a position to compete for a title, once again.