Jason Preston, Brandon Boston Jr., and Moussa Diabate are all set to headline the 2022 NBA Summer League roster for the LA Clippers.
The Los Angeles Clippers officially announced their 2022 NBA Summer League roster on Friday, with assistant coach Shaun Fein serving as head coach for the following 14 enlisted players during the 11-day competition in Las Vegas.
Full announcement by the LA Clippers of the Summer League roster. The Clippers will be coached by Shaun Fein, the team’s assistant coach and player development guru. pic.twitter.com/8iwYxBKOzr
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) July 1, 2022
The Clippers are scheduled to play a total of five games. The first four games will be played against the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Utah Jazz in that order. And based on the team’s record, the Clippers will be assigned their fifth opponent and maybe be given a shot at playing in the championship game (the top two teams from the first four games will play in the championship game on July 17th).
Of the names that were listed on the team’s roster, a few of them stand out: Jason Preston, Brandon Boston Jr., and Moussa Diabaté.
Second-year Clipper Preston, despite showcasing his upsides as a competent playmaker in last year’s Summer League, missed the entirety of last season due to a right foot injury. In turn, his much-anticipated debut for the Clippers was postponed for another year, and this year’s Summer League will be the much-needed preview to the movie we’ve all been dying to see. The former Bobcat averaged 9 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in last year’s showcase.
Alongside Preston, a more familiar name in Brandon Boston Jr. is also expected to take part in the summer games. The 20-year-old participated in 51 games of the Clippers’ 2021-22 campaign, averaging 6.7 points, 1 assist, and 2.2 rebounds.
His stats don’t tell the entire story, though. In the two games in which he played more than 30 minutes, the guard averaged a more impressive stat line of 18 points shooting 46.7% from the field, 3.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds — simply put, give him minutes, he’ll give you buckets. In a close game against the Celtics, the Kentucky product went 9-of-13 from the field and poured in 27 points to secure the win.
Last but not least, the eyes of the front office will naturally gravitate to the team’s pick-up in this year’s draft: Diabaté. Especially after hearing all Lawrence Frank’s words of praise about the Frenchman’s high ceiling, it should be exciting to catch the No. 43 pick in action against tougher competition under more pressure.
The NBA’s annual summer showcase has always been a place to display the talents of the up-and-coming players — for the players to show what they can do and, more importantly, demonstrate they can survive in the world’s most prestigious basketball league. That is especially the case for a star-stacked team like the Clippers: for the players that think they deserve to make their way into the Clippers’ regular season locker room, this is the time to show the world why.