The Clippers’ First Round Explosives On Their G-League Debut.
For a team like the LA Clippers, which has a large percentage of its salary cap tied to two Superstars, getting draft picks can be a huge advantage.
Getting helpful turnover level players for rookie ladder deals really does wonders for filling up a bank when faced with the luxury tax or cap.
Case in point: Terance Mann, who retired an 11-6-3 line as a former 48 at 21-22. Elsewhere on the list, the Clippers hope to get another bargain on their pick at No. 21 in the 2021 NBA Draft, Keon Johnson.
However, a non-Covid illness limited Tennessee’s product to just 41 seconds of action in the first three weeks of the campaign.
However, on Wednesday, Johnson took his first big step toward Los Angeles by making his debut for the team’s G League daughter, the Agua Caliente Clippers. It gave the red and blue believers a lot to be excited about.
Agua Caliente gave advice for their ’21 -22 campaign against G League Ignite. And while Ignite’s roster includes several likely NBA draft picks for 2022, it was Johnson who finally found himself in the limelight.
In 26 minutes of play, the 19-year-old scored 24 points on 10 of 14 shots with a three-point cube on his account.
Johnson also added seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a blocked shot in the game, which the Clippers won 115-101. You were over 18 when he was on the floor.
Perhaps what is more exciting than the number of points Johnson earned in the game was the myriad ways he did it.
At various points he bullied himself tired and ended the contact. He was also adept at dribbling and taking down some catch-and-shoot Js.
Most of the damage occurred in the center area, where he performed a series of pull-ups and extended the free-throw line.
It remains to be seen if he can fire those shots to the next level, or if the Clippers even want him to take them.
In any case, its level of activity and crude production were very encouraging for a first try.