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Clippers Select Trey Thompkins with the 37th Overall Selection and Travis Leslie with the 47th Overall Selection in the 2011 NBA Draft

The Los Angeles Clippers selected a pair of players from the University of Georgia in the 2011 NBA Draft, held this evening at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Clippers took forward Trey Thompkins with the 37th overall selection and Travis Leslie with the 47th pick.

A versatile big man with a soft shooting touch, Thompkins, 21, averaged 16.4 points per game and 7.6 rebounds during his junior season. Thompkins was named a First-Team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and Second Team by the media. The 6-foot-10 inch, 245 pound Thompson led the Bulldogs with 50 blocks last season, the most by a Georgia player in 15 years.

As a freshman in 2008-09, Thompkins was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after a stellar high school career at Wesleyan High in Norcross, Georgia.

During his three-year collegiate career, Thompkins appeared in 89 total games and averaged 15.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 46.9 percent from the field. During his junior season, Thompkins shot 31.1 percent from 3-point range, going 23-for-74.

Thompkins becomes the second Norcross, Georgia product on the Clippers roster, joining the Clippers 2010 first round draft pick Al-Farouq Aminu.

The Clippers selected another University of Georgia product with the 47th pick, adding the 6-foot-4 Leslie. A super athletic guard with explosive leaping ability, Leslie was named Second Team All-SEC following a successful junior season that saw him average 14.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. During the 2010-11 season, Leslie ranked second in the SEC in offensive rebounding average (3.2).

In his three-year career at Georgia (2008-11), Leslie averaged 12.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 90 games.

Clippers.com

Gary Sack Post Draft Interview

Director of Player Personnel Gary Sacks discusses the team's preparation that went into the draft selection process.

Neil Olshey Post Draft Interview

Vice President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey discusses the value of the team's picks.

Strengths:

* Good face-up game
* Can score in the post
* Can put the ball on the floor
* Good passer and comfortable facilitating offense
* Solid shot blocker

Weaknesses:

* Questions about toughness
* Needs to rebound the ball on a more consistent basis


NBA projection:
There's no guarantee Thompkins will be taken in the first round, but he's got NBA offensive skills and a big upside. Injuries limited his effectiveness in college, so he'll have to prove he's durable.
...

Reminds me of:
Lamar Odom. Similar size, similar ability to score with a face-up game.

Strengths:

* Big-time athlete
* Highlight-reel dunker
* Great rebounder for his size

Weaknesses:

* Doesn’t have prototypical two-guard size
* Needs to become more consistent with his perimeter shot


NBA projection:
Leslie is all in after originally saying he was only testing the waters and then deciding to sign with an agent. He's undersized for an NBA two guard, but his athleticism has impressed scouts and he's going to get drafted. Whether it's late in the first round or early in the second depends on individual workouts. There's no doubt that Leslie has the athletic ability to play in the NBA.
...

Reminds me of:
Shannon Brown

jflipclip wrote:Stop making it sound like Willie Warren has done something so significant that we dare draft another guard. And even though Foye exceeded expectations last season, he's not exactly the most consistent guy on offense or defense.

Either way, these guys just look like solid prospects. Hoping for a luck-of-the-draw sleeper... both of 'em. =p

Blake & DJ talk about their new teammates

Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan discuss the team's draft selections.

2011 NBA Draft Grades

Draft Grade: A-
Two very good value picks. Thompkins is a top 20 talent who due to a perceived lack of a motor fell all the way to 37 on draft night. He is a polished/skilled power forward that can play inside or out. He adds a nice contrast to Blake Griffin, whom he'll be backing up. Leslie is a stunning athlete with a lot of defensive potential. If he can add a consistent jump shot (easier said than done) then this pick becomes a real steal. Overall, the Clippers did well with the picks they had and found two players that could become quality players down the road.

Mike Misek, NBADraft.net

Clippers hold for better opportunity

"Travis Leslie is an elite athlete," said Neil about the Clippers 47th pick. "He can be a lockdown defender. He's an improving jump shooter. He's getting better with the ball in his hands. We want to make sure Blake Griffin competition in the dunk contest next year."

Both picks played together for Georgia, coincidental the team insisted.

"We think we found two guys that add to our culture," said Olshey. "We've got one guy with an incredibly high skill ratio that's a night counterpart to what Blake gives us as the four (Thompkins)."

"I think that Trey is a great compliment to Blake. He brings a lot of things that we need on this team. He has a high IQ. He shoots the ball. He's a willing passer. He plays within flow and structure. He understands schemes and coverages."

"With Travis, you just wind him up and put him out there and things are going to happen," continued Olshey. "He's probably the 6'3" DeAndre Jordan in this class . . . probably the best athlete in this draft."

Eric Pincus, HoopsWorld

thanumba2clippersfan wrote:Ranma where did you get those position rankings from, I'd be curious to know. I don't completely agree with the rankings, but I'd like to know where they come from.

Travis Leslie, Georgia: Leslie just doesn’t have the scorer mentality that has been necessary for successful SGs. He doesn’t score often enough and his efficiency is also kind of soft. His only strength is that he’s an incredible rebounder for a player of his height. That’s not a bad thing in itself, but it will hardly find him a niche in the NBA where the market for 6’4” rebounding specialists just isn’t there. Any team drafting Leslie will be taking him based on his athletic ability and upside.

donemilio21 wrote:There is no way, Thompkins is 6-10. 6'8 maybe.

madmaxmedia wrote:Maybe he's not 6' 10", but if he's a roughly NBA 6'9" then he won't be undersized.

Staying Connected

As the draft moved on, Thompkins was hit with a completely different emotion when he heard the news:

“With the 47th pick in the NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Travis Leslie from the University of Georgia“.

“I almost cried to be honest with you,” Thompkins said.” I called him around the 45th pick because I heard he might be coming to the Clippers too. He basically just answered me and said, ‘Hey, I think I heard the same thing.’ “

Both players could not have been caught more off guard. When the two junior standouts declared for the draft, they thought they would be leaving everything about the University of Georgia, well, in Georgia. Little did they know, their connection was not going to end just yet.

“I’m very glad that we’ll be playing together,” Leslie said. “It seems like we can’t separate. At Georgia, we were always together. And now we’ll be playing in the NBA together. It’s a great feeling.”

“I think I have a chance to contribute immediately,” Thompkins said. “I have guys on the team that I’ve known for years.”

Wait a second. Guys? As in multiple people?

“Al-Farouq (Aminu) and I went to middle school together,” Thompkins said while laughing. “We were actually the reason that we both started playing ball. He was tall, I was tall, and we got together and told each other we’d play on the same team in middle school. We definitely built a relationship at a young age.”

“Right when I got picked by the Clippers, Farouq texted me and said, ‘Wow, small world.’ “

Small world doesn’t even begin to describe it. What are the chances of college teammates ending up on the same team in the pros? What are the chances of middle school teammates reuniting in the NBA? It all seems pretty unique, and everyone from coach to player thinks it can be an advantage for the young Clippers going into next season.

DJ Foster, Clippers.com

Grading the 2011 NBA Draft

Los Angeles Clippers: B+. With only a pair of second-rounders on hand, the Clips got two guys with first-round talent, forward Trey Thompkins and athletic guard Travis Leslie.

Sean Deveney, Sporting News