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T Minus 24 Hours

There is a little less than 24 hours before the unofficial start to the 2018-19 NBA season. At 7:00 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT the NBA Draft airs, bringing in a new wave of young raw talent and kicking off what will prove to be an exciting offseason.

The Clippers hold the 12th and 13th picks in this year’s lottery and their Front Office, led by President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank, has been dedicated to seizing this opportunity and finding the prospects that will enable this team to have sustained success.

Excitement around the draft is running deep within the organization and its fans. Even though no one truly knows what will happen come Thursday, history seems to be giving the Clippers plenty to be excited about. As Team Consultant Jerry West says, “If you go through basketball today there [are] maybe four or five superstars…and some of them haven’t come from the top picks in the draft.”

So let’s take a look at some of the top sleepers in previous drafts, some of which landed all the way down at the 12th and 13th spots.

1972 | Julius Erving

Drafted12th

Warriors

Career

4X MVP | 3X scoring titles

1985 | Karl Malone

Drafted13th

Jazz

Career

2X NBA MVP | 14X All-Star

Previous year

John Stockton

Jazz

1996 | Kobe Bryant

Drafted13th

Hornets

Career

2X Finals MVP | 18X All-Star

Same year

Steve Nash

Jazz

2011 | Kawhi Leonard

Drafted15th

Pacers

Career

NBA Finals MVP | 2X All-Star

2013 | Giannis Antetokounmpo

Drafted15th

Bucks

Career

2X All-Star

2015 | Devin Booker

Drafted13th

Suns

Career

NBA All-Rookie First Team

2017 | Donovan Mitchell

Drafted13th

Nuggets

Career

NBA All-Rookie First Team

With two lottery picks the Clippers hold a unique edge on their competition. Two top prospects means double the chances of landing an immediate impact player, or one that can shape the future of the franchise.