Last month, Oshae Brissett was being looked at as a riser among draft boards and a possible second round pick. He wasn’t selected during last week’s NBA Draft.
Instead, Brissett has hooked up with the Los Angeles Clippers’ Summer League squad. He’s got a tough road ahead to make the roster.
HOW BRISSETT CAN MAKE THE CLIPPERS
Brissett will need to develop into a solid “3-and-D” player.
Brissett (6-foot-8) has decent size and strength for an NBA forward, so the ability for Brissett to get in the paint will serve him well in the NBA ranks. But the main question around Brissett was his ability to knock down shots, and he will have to hit open looks when he gets them.
And Brissett’s ability to grab eight rebounds per game in his two seasons at Syracuse will have to translate to the NBA level.
THINGS WORKING AGAINST HIM
In two seasons at Syracuse, Brissett shot 30 percent from beyond the arc. Brissett was making an impression on NBA scouts at the G League Elite Camp during the pre-draft process because he was able to convert open looks.
» Related: Syracuse stars Tyus Battle, Oshae Brissett go undrafted
That will need to continue for him to get a look from Doc Rivers and the Clippers.
Of course, he will also need to adjust to playing man-to-man defense, something all Syracuse players go through.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
In L.A., Danilo Gallinari and Montrez Harrell already occupy a couple roster spots at forward. Sindarius Thornwell figures to factor into the roster somehow.
The team also drafted fellow ACC players Mfiondu Kabengele and Terance Mann (both from Florida State).
But, the Clippers are going big-game hunting in free agency this summer, trying to lure the likes of Kawhi Leonard, most notably. So, before the summer is over, Brissett will fall lower on the ladder of forwards on L.A.’s roster.
OVERALL OUTLOOK
As an undrafted player, Brissett already has an uphill climb to claim a roster spot in the NBA next season.
On top of that, the Clippers were a playoff team last year and should be better, assuming they land a big free agent or two. That means that they’ll likely be making a strong push for the playoffs instead of focusing on player development, which is what most lottery-bound teams do midway into the season.
Still, even if Brissett ends up on a difference roster, don’t expect him to be anywhere close to the contributor he was while on the SU hill.
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