LOS ANGELES – Missouri's Michael Porter Jr. was available. Oregon's Troy Brown Jr. was available. Texas Tech's Zhaire Smith was available. Miami's Lonnie Walker IV was available. Even Texas A&M's Robert Williams III, who had visited them twice, was available.
So why did the LA Clippers, immediately after trading for Kentucky point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, choose to take Boston College shooting guard Jerome Robinson? That's the question everyone wanted to know the answer to, and by the end of draft night, both Robinson and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank delivered answers that should put some ease in the Clippers fanbase.
“Jerome is a guy we targeted early on in this process,” Frank explained to ClutchPoints after the Draft. “[He’s] probably one of the more gifted all around offensive players in the country. He goes to Boston College, the leading scorer in the ACC, one of the top scorers in the conference and he just grinds and he works. Very impressive as a young man, very high character, and very bright.
“I think what you'll see with both these guys is its the character, the competitiveness, the toughness, and we have guys like that here and that's who want to attract. We're really excited with how fortunate we were.”
A three-year guard with the Eagles, Robinson averaged 20.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 three-pointers per game on 48.5 percent shooting from the field and 40.9 percent from beyond the arc in his junior year. Simply put: he's a bucket-getter with 90 games of college experience, and that's why he believes he can contribute right away at the next level.
“I'm NBA ready and somebody that can contribute right away,” Robinson told ClutchPoints following the Draft. “I think that's one thing that made me really attractive in the Draft.
“I can bring being a shot maker at three levels, a playmaker, a guy that can guard, and play multiple positions. I think the NBA is going really versatile and that's something that I am.”
On Sunday, June 17th, just four days before the NBA Draft, the 21-year old Robinson was a member of the Clippers' final public workout session of the pre-draft process. In addition to Robinson, five other shooting guards in Lonnie Walker, Josh Okogie, Maverick Rowan, Devon Hall, and Elijah Brown attended, with each player being pushed to their respective limits. Together, the guards competed in front of a large Clippers contingent that included head coach Doc Rivers, Consultant Jerry West, Lawrence Frank, as well as members of the coaching and front office staff.
Ultimately, the mix of personal characteristics and talent that Robinson possessed were among the things that made him a very attractive prospect for the Clippers with their 13th pick. So attractive, in fact, that teams like the Denver Nuggets (14th pick), Washington Wizards (15th pick), and Milwaukee Bucks (17th pick) were all reportedly considering selecting him with their respective picks.
“Jerome's just such a high IQ player,” said Frank immediately after the pre-draft workout. “With the way the game is going now where you need as many guys as you can who can make decisions and plays with the basketball… In Boston College, they ran one of the best offenses in the county, so you saw all the action he could do off the ball. What was good with him on the ball was just to see his decision-making, ability to create his own shot, and his passing game.”
One man whose interest was particular piqued by Robinson's game was NBA legend Jerry West, who told him he loved both his game and the style in which he plays.
“I felt like they really liked me,” said Robinson. “Talking with Jerry, talking with Doc, they thought my game really fit them well. I thought Jerry, he said he loved my game and the way I play. I feel the same way with Doc. I think his style of play and things that he does really translates well with my game.”
Going through photos of the last LA #Clippers Pre NBA Draft workout, and realized I took this one of Jerry West and Jerome Robinson (@Rome_Coldbucks1) speaking right after the workout. pic.twitter.com/UQ83BWsuHX
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 24, 2018
While Jerry West and the Clippers organization was high on Robinson, fans have already expressed their concerns about drafting Robinson not only because it may have been too high of a pick, but also because there may have been better players available at positions of greater need. This isn't the first time Robinson has heard concerns about his game, however.
A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Frank told a story of Robinson having a good friend whose father was head coach Mark Gottfried over at North Carolina State University. Despite that, NC State did not offer a scholarship to the hometown kid out of Broughton High School, which is a five minute, one mile drive away from the University.
While it hasn't been publicly stated, one can only imagine how much added motivation that gave Robinson. In the third-to-last game of his college career, Robinson was able to get the last laugh. His 26 points and five assists led Boston College to a 91-87 victory over NC State, eliminating them from the ACC Tournament.
“It's been a crazy journey…,” said Robinson. “It's been something that I just kept working at and, even with the doubters, just kept pushing myself to try to be great, always believing in myself, and never really letting that waver. All my hard work and belief really got me here. I never let it waver. I just always put the work in and I knew that one day, it would come up for me. That's really how I feel like I got here.”
The Clippers took note of the chip on Robinson's shoulder, and he's exactly the type of guy they wanted.
“You just look at their improvement curve and that's the other thing that Jerome embodies as well,” added Lawrence Frank. “When we were talking about Jerome and interviewing other players from the conference, we would say, ‘who was the hardest guy to guard?' and it was always one guy. It was always Jerome Robinson. And you think about the ACC, they're not a bunch of chumps. Jerome has that chip on his shoulder that wants to prove to everyone, ‘Yeah, I'm pretty good too.'”
Now, after spending three years in the Northeast, most of his life on the East Coast, going through months of workouts around the country, and finishing it off with a gratifying NBA Draft result, Robinson is more than ready to head out West for the new chapter in his life.
“Oh man, I'm excited I can leave my coats in storage,” Robinson quipped to ClutchPoints when discussing the move from Boston to Los Angeles. “That weather is amazing and I definitely won't be complaining about anything. I know they got a lot of good restaurants out there. [Looking forward to] kind of just exploring L.A. and just taking it all in. It's going to be my new home for a while and it's exciting.”
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