- On Monday afternoon at Playa Vista, the Clippers introduced Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe, their first-round draft picks. Both Aminu and his agent Raymond Brothers expressed genuine satisfaction that the 6-9 forward landed with a team that can use his services immediately. Clips’ general manager Neil Olshey hammered home again that the team “has been disguising 2s as 3s” for too long. Aminu’s 7-foot-4 wingspan will come in very handy for a team whose wings have been getting killed on the boards the past few seasons.
- Eric Bledsoe made a very interesting decision by committing to Kentucky over Memphis as a high school senior. In doing so, the young point guard resigned himself to playing out of position a good amount of the time alongside John Wall. On Monday, Bledsoe said that the scheme at Kentucky ultimately helped his game because he got a ton of experience playing off the ball. But when asked which position he prefers to play, he unequivocally said point guard. “I like the pressure,” Bledsoe said.
- General manager Neil Olshey has become fluent in the art of press conference management. For the second time in five days, Olshey reiterated the organization’s message about Aminu addressing a strong need and Bledsoe’s value at No. 18. The organization’s principals took a victory lap for a draft that most observers feel the Clippers nailed on Thursday.
- David Thorpe on Aminu: “The Clippers (and Aminu himself) see him as a 3, but I like him more as a 4. Either way, he’s going to get lots of floor time at both positions. He has the skills and size to immediately impact games. I often say that, in the NBA, the first guy to get to the ball wins the rebound. Aminu, who was drafted No. 8 overall, has the game to be that guy. A lot.”
- In Dwane Casey-Vinny Del Negro head coaching vacancy final, Casey is picking up endorsements. Fanhouse’s Sam Amick strongly backs Casey: “The current Dallas assistant coach is a forgotten gem in the NBA, a heralded assistant during 11 seasons in Seattle who coached in Japan for five years with Pete Newell and whose long-awaited head coaching opportunity in Minnesota just so happened to coincide with the dismantling of the Timberwolves’ roster … His story is a reminder of what’s too often forgotten in this league, that coaching is, in fact, a learned profession and prior experience should be factored in far more than it seems to be. Too often it comes down to the politics: who knows who and whose agent holds more sway.”
- ESPN Dallas’ Jeff Caplan wonders if the Clippers deserve Casey: “[Casey]‘s a great guy, a respected coach around the league and he deserves another shot … Does such a shabbily run franchise that plays second-fiddle to Kobe Bryant deserve a man like Casey? … Even with owner Donald Sterling still in control, there is hope. And Casey deserves a shot to harness it.”
- CBS.com’s Ken Berger sees the Clippers as a viable landing spot for Joe Johnson. “One person with ties to Johnson suggested a possible reason why he is 1) in L.A., and 2) in no hurry to entertain visitors. Don’t be surprised if his strong connection to Clippers GM Neil Olshey explains why Johnson is conveniently ensconced in L.A. for the purposes of signing a max deal with the Clips. As a trainer for Tellem when Johnson was entering the draft, Olshey worked with Johnson and has maintained a strong relationship with him.” A max contract for Johnson would cost $15.77M annually, with $1.26M increases each year — a hefty price.
