2018 NBA Draft

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2018 Rookie Photo Shoot | 6/25/18

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Clippers Introduce 2018 Draft Acquisitions

The LA Clippers have acquired the draft rights to University of Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, from the Charlotte Hornets, in exchange for the draft rights to Michigan State forward Miles Bridges and two future second round picks.

The Clippers selected Bridges with the 12th overall pick in the draft.

“We have been tracking Shai all year and grew more and more impressed with him. He quickly became a priority for us,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “What you will see right away is his character, competitiveness and toughness. We have guys like that here, and that’s who we want to attract.”

“I'm a play-making guard, pass-first point guard, who likes to get teammates involved,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I'm really just willing to do whatever the team needs me to do to win and cannot wait to get started with the Clippers.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, 19, played one collegiate season at Kentucky, where he appeared in 37 games (24 starts), averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.7 minutes. The 6’6”, 180-pound guard shot 48.5 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point range as a Wildcat. A native of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), Gilgeous-Alexander was named to the Second-team All-SEC and the SEC All-Freshman Team, and was named the MVP of the SEC Tournament.

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LA Clippers Acquire Draft Rights To Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The LA Clippers have selected Boston College guard Jerome Robinson with the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, held this evening at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“Jerome is someone that we targeted early on in this process. [He’s] one of the more gifted guys in this draft,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank.

“If you study the DNA, he just grinds and he works harder than most. He is very impressive as a young man and he is now a Clipper”
“Going to the Clippers is a dream come true,” said Robinson. “It's exciting to be in L.A., being drafted by the Clippers, and having the chance to learn from a coach like Doc Rivers.”
Robinson, 21, played three collegiate seasons at Boston College, where he appeared in 90 career games (all starts), averaging 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.6 minutes.

The 6’5”, 188-pound guard shot 45.0 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range in his Boston College career. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Robinson was named All-ACC First Team as a Junior.

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LA Clippers Select Jerome Robinson With 13th Overall Pick In 2018 NBA Draft

Celeste Mendez

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Photos: NBA DRAFT 2018

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Photos: Draft Workouts - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

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.

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.

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T Minus 24 Hours

As this year’s draft prospects walk into the L.A. Clippers Training Center in Playa Vista, surrounding the court are key evaluators and decision- makers including Head Coach Doc Rivers, President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank and Chairman Steve Ballmer. However, the man running the workout and explaining the drills is Director of Player Programs and General Manager for the Agua Caliente Clippers, Dee Brown.

Prior to joining the Clippers, Brown served as Director of Player Development for the Denver Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings and he was an assistant coach under Michael Malone with the Detroit Pistons. His ability to cultivate talent is informed by his own experiences as a player, having spent 12 years in the league playing for the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic.

Throughout the season Brown’s role entails developing players both on and off the field, but in preparation for the draft he is tasked with, as he says, helping “identify the best players for this basketball team.”

“We want a certain player that fits the Clippers characteristics that Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank and Doc Rivers [have] addressed to us. [These are] the characteristics that we want of our guys: hardworking, selfless, being about the right things, all about the team and understanding their role... You have to have these types of traits. Running, jumping and dunking, we can work on that stuff, but the DNA characteristics of being a Clipper, we are trying to establish that.”

The Clippers are growing closer to selecting their 12th and 13th picks in Thursday’s draft, and what will set these highly-skilled players apart is whether they have the heart of the Clippers. By creating situations in which these prospects need to think on their feet, interact with players that they’ve never met before and perform at a high level, Brown and the rest of the front office are better able to assess the quality of player that they see.

Given Brown’s extensive experience in the league and proven success in his first year as General Manager for the Clippers’ G-League team, he is an invaluable asset in evaluating the intangibles of potential future Clippers.