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NBA draft: Clippers select Missouri wing Kobe Brown with first-round pick

June 23, 2023

PLAYA VISTA — The Clippers selected Kobe Brown, a strong wing player out of Missouri, with the final pick of the first round (No. 30 overall) of the NBA draft on Thursday night then added Miami guard Jordan Miller in the second round (No. 48 overall).

At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Brown not only can score but is an effective rebounder, having averaged 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Tigers last season. The first Missouri player to be drafted since Michael Porter Jr. in 2018, he also shot a career-best 45.5% from 3-point range.

Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, said Brown is an experienced forward who is agile for his size and expects him to fit in well with the team.

“He checks all the boxes the Clippers are looking for with his mental toughness,” Frank said.

New Clippers general manager Trent Redden said both players “share high basketball IQs. They both got to play a good amount in their systems in college, so they’ve served as glue guys and connectors already.”

Brown and Miller are both expected to see significant time with the Clippers’ Summer League team, which will be coached by assistant Dahntay Jones.

Brown has been compared to Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors because of his versatility, size and shooting ability. His size gives the Clippers a player who can score and defend, having been one of just four players in SEC history to post at least 500 defensive rebounds, 100 steals and 50 blocked shots.

With a bevy of wing players on the roster, Brown is unlikely to be much of a contributor during his first season in Los Angeles. His defensive presence, though, could make him a valuable end-of-the-bench player.

Miller played a huge role in Miami’s run to the Final Four this spring. The 6-7, 195-pound left-hander averaged 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 37 games while shooting 33.3% from behind the arc and earning a reputation as a solid defender.

Redden said he likes Miller’s decision-making and called him “a winner on all levels.”

Miller, 23, played five years of college basketball – three at George Mason and the final two at Miami, making him one of the oldest players in this draft.

The two young players join a veteran group led by All-Star wings Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who Frank said they want to build the team around.

Leonard had a “clean-up procedure” earlier this month on his torn meniscus, which cut short his season. Frank said the two-time NBA Finals MVP is expected to be 100% by the time training camp begins this fall.

“It went terrific,” Frank said. “He feels great. It’s an eight-week recovery from the date of surgery back to playing basketball.”

Miami guard Jordan Miller, 23, played five years of college basketball, three at George Mason and the final two with the Hurricanes, making him one of the oldest players in this year’s NBA draft. The Clippers selected him in the second round (No. 48 overall). (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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Orange County Register

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NBA draft: Clippers select Missouri wing Kobe Brown with first-round pick

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