Washington Huskies Basketball: C.J. Wilcox drafted by the L.A. Clippers in the First Round

On Thursday night, former Washington Husky shooting guard C.J. Wilcox was drafted with the 28th pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Wilcox, had been projected by the majority of the mock drafts to be a late first round or early second round draft pick. This journey for Wilcox to evolve from a player that redshirted into a first round draft pick is a testament to his work ethic. It is also a testament to his ability to shoot the basketball at a high level which is a very hard thing to find in this day and age.

The fit with the Clippers for Wilcox is an interesting one as they have multiple guys who can hit outside shots. Which mostly likes means that the Clippers will make some type of move or moves to break any logjam at the shooting guard position.

Wilcox should benefit from playing with one of the best point guards in the NBA in Chris Paul. Paul, has shown an innate ability to spread the ball around to fuel a very effective Clipper offense. The ability to work well with Paul will be a huge asset for Wilcox right away.

The athleticism of Wilcox is also going to fit in well with the Clippers as they are one of the more athletic teams in the NBA. The veteran leadership of guys like Seattle native Jamaal Crawford to help Wilcox will also be a huge help. It will be a huge help in that Wilcox does not have to come in and be a savior.

Now, moving forward Wilcox is going to increase his strength and continue to get stronger on the defensive end. The ability to play defense consistently is going to be critical to getting playing time under Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. If Wilcox does not get it done defensively it won’t matter how well he shoots the ball because he won’t  play.

Overall, this is an intriguing fit for Wilcox and it will be fun to see what he does with the opportunity in Los Angeles without the pressure to be a savior.