Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Clippers still have plenty of time to worry about the June 27 NBA draft.
But the Clippers should start giving serious consideration to Kansas’ 7-foot, 222-pound senior center Jeff Withey.
The good news for the Clippers if they take Withey, is that he’s ready to play. He’s 23 and had four years of college experience and had developed into a tough aggressive player. He’s expected to go no higher than 18 in the draft but others disagree, thinking he could be lower.
The Clippers should take him if he’s available. Granted, a big player like this might not fit the mode of the Clippers. But he has too many impressive skills for the Clippers to turn him down in a draft. The Clippers need power and strength inside and Withey will give it to them. He’s going to get better every year for a quality team like the Clippers
Withey averaged 30.9 minutes a game with the Jayhawks last season and had 13.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks a game. He shot 58.2 percent from the floor and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line.
What NBA experts like about Withey is that he is a good shot blocker, can convert shots around the basket and has good mobility. Ben McLemore was the big name at Kansas but Withey actually did as much damage to the opposition as anyone else on the Kansas team.
There’s debate on if Withey can be a standout scorer in the NBA. Maybe not but he’s definitely going to be a great shot blocker and defensive rebound. Those two aspects make him very valuable.
