reflections
June 28th, 2008 2008 NBA Draft Grades: Los Angeles Clippers


By: Dustin Chapman

Transactions

  • Selected Eric Gordon 7th overall.
  • Selected DeAndre Jordan 35th overall.
  • Traded a 2009 second round draft pick to Portland for the rights to Mike Taylor (55th overall).

The Clippers were put in a terrific situation at #7, where they had the option of choosing between Eric Gordon and Jerryd Bayless. The bottom line is that heading into this draft, the Clippers needed to get a high-potential guard. They got just that in Eric Gordon, who is a dynamite perimeter scorer with a strong body and long arms. He’s got ridiculous shooting range, a lightning quick release, and a second gear off the dribble when he wants to explode to the bucket. He’s not going to turn himself into a point guard, but he is a big time scorer with star potential despite his size. Could LA regret passing on Bayless down the line? Possibly, time will tell. But he isn’t quite a prototypical point guard, himself.

Coming into the draft, it seemed as though everybody was low on DeAndre Jordan, and rightfully so. Let’s be honest – he’s a great athlete, but he’s got a long way to go before he can be considered a good basketball player. Teams were not willing to take the risk on him in the first round, which is understandable. However, the Clippers being able to snatch him up in the early second round (35th overall) was fantastic. At that point, he is no longer a risk. At 35th overall, that is a low-risk, high-reward scenario; that’s all you could ask for with a prospect like Jordan.

Grade: B+

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