Looking Out For: Tony Snell?
Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 7:47 pm
Okay, so there's no real news on whether the Clippers have interest in Tony Snell. You might be saying to me, "You just newsfaked us," but here me out.
1. Local guy. Snell was born in Los Angeles. Clippers already have six players who are L.A. natives (Leonard, George, Harden, Westbrook, Miller and Powell), so adding Snell feels like a no-brainer.
2. Clippers go after high character players. Snell has had a polarizing career: efficient on one game, invisible the next; he even recorded a stat line of zeros in all five categories in 2017 (played with Bucks, result was a loss to Jazz). But he is an okay role player from what I've seen of his play. He's also never been ejected from a game (Clippers are one of ten teams without one as of this writing), making him a good fit with one who excels in composure management.
3. Bigger than basketball. So Snell is a rollercoaster stats guy who has the qualities of a Good Samaritan Spur. He may not be great, good or decent (again, the zero stats game), but he plays for a bigger purpose: his family. Snell needs to be with a team by Friday to complete his 10 years of service and qualify for a retiree benefits program. Back to the high character quality, Clippers have prioritized the off-the-court material over his talent, skills and X-factor potential (ie. if he has a winning record vs. Wolves, Thunder, and Nuggets, the top three teams in the west right now); how he interacts with the team in the locker room and team morale. Given how the Clippers are a very emotional team that lets their losses get to them hard, they don't want to bring in any knuckleheads, malcontents or troublemakers who could jeopardize their nice-guy image. This is a franchise that just put out a request for jerseys from all high schools in California (Artesia, stand up!), who gives back to the community. They are the Good Samaritan Spurs 2.0.
And there may be a reason why Snell could make it. Rumor has it the Clippers, in their attempt to ship out P.J. Tucker, may be forced to include Bones Hyland as compensation for the lack of valuable draft picks.
I want more intel on Snell. Is he a good player? Can he actually help the Clippers?