In his most recent Draft Watch column at ESPN.com, Chad Ford appraises the talent pool at the wings in the upcoming draft:
While there is some talent, the field doesn’t appear to have the next Dwyane Wade or even the next Danny Granger in the mix.
When you take a look at the Clippers’ organizational chart, it quickly becomes apparent that the team needs some depth at the wings, something we discussed a couple of weeks ago. Problem is, I’m not certain there’s a guy on the list outside of James Harden who offers immediate help. DeMar DeRozan’s freshman campaign has been DeFlating. If there were ever a shooting guard who could use another 30 games at the collegiate level to bolster his credentials as a bona fide NBA starter, it would be DeRozan. Work your way further down the list, and you’ll be hard-stretched to find a player who will be a stronger pro than Al Thornton, which says a lot more about the collective talent of this draft class than it does about Thornton’s skill set.
You can construct a scenario in which Al-Farouq Aminu develops a crisp NBA game as a physical small forward, but in recent weeks, he’s looked like nothing more than a beefier Joey Graham. Earl Clark offers flashes of potential but, as Ford aptly puts it, “He reminds me a lot of the Hornets’ Julian Wright: a talented athlete without a real position or a definitive game. Chances are Clark will declare for the draft this year. And if he does, someone will take him between the 10th and 20th picks.”
The Clippers are fortunate on a number of fronts. Their personnel needs run counter to most of the league, where size is at a premium. The teams likely to pick above them are deep at the 2/3 and will likely be looking for size. Additionally, the Clippers might decide that the best pool of wing talent to draw from exists on current NBA rosters. If that’s the case, the Clippers can deal one of their frontcourt assets for a nice perimeter piece, then draft the best talent on the board irrespective of need.
