Getty Jerome Robinson of the LA Clippers poses for a photo at the team's 2019 media day.
Make no mistake about it — things have been less than awesome for the LA Clippers recently. The team has been smashed by injuries; Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, Marcus Morris and Jason Preston are all out for the team’s November 1 bout with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But that’s definitely not all that has gone wrong in Clipper-land
Still, after the team reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in half a century of hooping last season, it’s probably safe to say the good old days are actually now for Clippers fans.
As such, pinpointing recent moves that had long-term negative effects on the organization is a difficult task. But that’s exactly what Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes attempted to do in a recent piece identifying the one move from the last five years that is “still haunting” every team in the Association.
Where the Clippers are concerned, the team’s big misfire should probably leave fans feeling pretty good about their squad.
Drafting Jerome Robinson Was the Big Blunder
As Hughes sees it, the Clippers’ decision to select Boston College standout Jerome Robinson with the 13th pick in the 2018 NBA draft is the one that still haunts them. However, he did concede that the move didn’t exactly doom the franchise.
It’s not like the No. 13 pick comes with some massive expectation of success, and the Los Angeles Clippers haven’t exactly fallen on hard times since grabbing Jerome Robinson at that spot in 2018.
But they missed the mark on that selection by an egregious degree—and not just because maxed-out superstar-in-waiting Michael Porter Jr. went with the very next pick.
Robinson never displayed lottery talent during his tenure with the team, which only lasted a season and a half. Among the 56 players who saw court time after being selected in 2018, Robinson is tied for 51st in career win shares.
LA isn’t the only team kicking itself for missing out on MPJ. The Denver Nuggets forward had the look of an elite offensive player last season, averaging 19.0 points on 13.4 field goal attempts per contest. His career effective field goal percentage checks in at an incredible 61.4.
It’s hard to knock the Clippers too much for this one, though. Every team in the league has a slew of big-time draft misses and this club is still sitting at the contender’s table. Moreover, Robinson was part of the three-team trade that netted them Morris, who has been a difference-maker for the Clippers.
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Robinson Struggled Pretty Hard, Though
During his brief run with the Clippers, Robinson appeared in a grand total of 75 games, putting up 3.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per contest. He also struggled from the floor, connecting on just 36.6% of his shot attempts and 29.8% from three-point range.
That’s a far cry from the player that once had a 46-point game as a collegiate and was an Associated Press honorable mention All-American.
Although his scoring picked up with the Washington Wizards, his actual shooting numbers did not. In April, they opted to waive him after he had appeared in just 38 games for the team. As of this writing, Robinson is not on an NBA roster.
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Are the Clippers ‘Haunted’ by Recent Draft Bust?