INSIDER: CLIPPERS LOADED WITH DEPTH ON THE WING
A few minutes after the Clippers concluded their first 2013 Draft workout, Director of Basketball Operations Gerald Madkins forecasted exactly where the team was likely headed in the offseason.
He talked about areas the front office was taking a long look at with a mont
h remaining before the Draft and more than six weeks before any free agent signings could be made official. Becoming more versatile on the wing sounded as though it was more than a priority, but a necessity. He wanted more athletes, more defensive-minded perimeter players, and more depth.
Two months later, in early August, the Clippers have just that.
With the No. 25 pick, they nabbed Reggie Bullock, a 3-point shot-maker who hit 188 3-pointers in three years at North Carolina, eighth most in school history.
“I feel like I’m going to be a spot-up, knock-down shooter,” Bullock said.
When the Clippers selected Bullock, Head Coach Doc Rivers aptly summed up the former Tar Heel. “[He has] size, can play the small forward position, can shoot it on the catch and can defend,” Rivers said. “Those were all the things we had targeted and we got.”
But the Clippers did not stop at Bullock.
They moved swiftly when free agency opened to lock up superstar Chris Paul, but the priority of getting deeper on the wing remained. They dealt prized young point guard Eric Bledsoe and veteran Caron Butler for J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley.
Both are 3-point shooters and while Redick is considered an underrated defensive player, Dudley is thought of as a classic 3-and-D guy. He can serviceably guard any of three positions, has dogged tenacity and should thrive as a starter alongside Paul and Redick or off the bench with Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison.
That’s the beauty of what the Clippers built on the wing. They have an immediate Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Crawford already in the fold, brought back Matt Barnes, who was an integral member of last season’s best defensive lineup and scored a career-high 10.3 points per game, and added Dudley, Redick and Bullock. They are versatile. Crawford and Dudley can handle the ball. Dudley and Barnes can play either forward position and Bullock, at 6-foot-7 can seamlessly alternate between a 2 and a 3.
Lineup-wise, they could use Barnes and Dudley together at times. They could play Redick and Crawford together with Barnes or Dudley sliding up to the 4-spot. They could stick to the traditional rotation of Barnes for Dudley and Crawford for Redick. And that’s not counting Bullock, who looked ready to contribute in his five-game stretch in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Here is a glance at each player the Clippers can utilize on the wing:
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Jamal Crawford Highlights: Key stats from 2012-13: |
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Matt Barnes Highlights: Key stats from 2012-13: |
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J.J. Redick Highlights: Key stats from 2012-13: |
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Jared Dudley Highlights: Key stats from 2012-13: |
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Reggie Bullock Highlights: Key collegiate stats from 2012-13: |


8/13/13 | Eric Patten 






