The Draft is almost upon us and that means studying up on all the amateurs you haven’t been paying attention to for years. But ClipperBlog is here to help. Leading up to Thursday’s Draft, we will be looking at the group of draftees that have worked out for the Clippers (in no particular order). Here is the second installment:
(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
PF Kenny Kadji (Miami), 6-foot-10, 242 pounds
Kadji is a stretch four that hung around the perimeter often for Miami, but his performance at the NBA Combine last month, when he showed off a 38-inch max vertical and a 7-foot-3 wingspan, demonstrated that he might actually have more than just a nice 18-footer in his arsenal. He has the body to guard NBA power forwards, but some question if he has the physicality to be a strong defensive player. That said, he’s a strong shooter that could make a name for himself as a four that can hurt you from the perimeter.
C Brandon Davies (BYU), 6-foot-10, 234 pounds
Unfortunately, Davies is best known for his 2011 suspension. But in reality, he’s been one of the better players in the West Coast Conference for the past couple of years. Like Kadji, Davies is a long big, measuring in with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. His issue with making it in the NBA will come on the athletic side. He’s a below-the-rim center that is decently skilled, but not overwhelmingly dominant in the post. He tends to be more crafty than explosive and that craftiness doesn’t always translate when making the jump from the WCC to the NBA.
C Mike Muscala (Bucknell), 6-foot-11, 230 pounds
Muscala legitimately improved in each of his four years at Bucknell. His post moves have gone from good to great, his rebounding has gone from subpar to elite, and even his range and quickness have picked up since his freshman season. His 21.0 percent rebounding rate was one of the best in the country this past season. And rebounding numbers tend to translate well from college to the NBA. Meanwhile, he is relatively strong going to both his right and left in the post. He hasn’t, however, faced off against many top-tier bigs in his collegiate years, which could be worrisome for some teams. That said, Muscala is a possibility for the Clips at 25.
PF Grant Jerrett (Arizona), 6-foot-10, 232 pounds
(Jae C. Hong/Associated Press)
Jerrett is an example of someone who may not have made the best decision by entering the NBA Draft. He was a top-10 recruit coming out of high school, but saw the floor for only 17.8 minutes per game in his first and only season at Arizona. Even with his height and size, more than half of his shot attempts were from three and though he was actually effective from long range, he still has plenty to work on with the rest of his offensive game. Like with Brandon Triche, there’s a chance Jerrett goes undrafted so this workout might have more to do with taking a look at a prospect to see how he’d do in Summer League.
PG Pierre Jackson (Baylor), 5-foot-10, 176 pounds
Jackson is one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft, mainly because he is so strong in almost every aspect of the game and yet, will most likely end up as a second-round pick. And that draft placement has to do with the fact that he (along with Missouri’s Phil Pressey) is the smallest player in the 2013 NBA Draft. All that being said, he could wind up as the Isaiah Thomas of 2013, miniature, but feisty enough and a good enough shooter to excel in the NBA. He’s surely quick enough to play point guard and he’s actually become an underrated passer because his scoring can be so prolific at times. His future might be as a Nate Robinson type – instant offense off the bench.
PF Jackie Carmichael (Illinois State), 6-foot-9, 241 pounds
Those who say that back-to-the-basket play is dead haven’t watched much of Jackie Carmichael. Most of Carmichael’s offense comes in the post and he doesn’t step out beyond that spot all too often. He is a decent finisher around the rim with enough athleticism and physicality to set a good screen and roll to the basket to create a shot. Like Muscala, though, he hasn’t been playing against elite competition for most of his career.
SG Carrick Felix (Arizona State), 6-foot-6, 203 pounds
Felix isn’t supposed to be drafted exceptionally high (if even at all), but he does have some admirable skills for an NBA player. He’s an above-average shooter that can move well without the ball. He’s also respectable once he gets to the rim. There are worse finishers out there. Where he struggles is the part before that, actually getting to the hoop. He isn’t a creative ball handler and often isn’t able to take guys off the dribble. Meanwhile, defense is what might push Felix off the draft board entirely. He’s athletic, but doesn’t always stay in front of his man.
SF E.J. Singler (Oregon), 6-foot-6, 215 pounds
Need a player comp for Singler? Make your way over to Detroit and take a look at his brother. Kyle is bigger, but their styles are actually pretty similar. Singler is a three-point shooting wing with good range. He likes to hang out on the perimeter and is a relatively low-usage, efficient scorer. Like plenty of college players though, he is plagued by the defensive bug. At only 6-foot-6, can he guard small forwards? Is he athletic enough to defend shooting guards? We might not see Singler’s name called Thursday night, but there’s a chance we’ll see him suiting up in Summer League.
In case you missed it, click here to read Part 1.
Fred Katz
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