Branden Dawson: Sneaky-Good Pickup For Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers entered Thursday night’s draft without a pick. They did not leave without one. Instead of sitting out the draft as they were scheduled, the Clippers bought the rights to the 56th draft pick used to select Michigan State forward Branden Dawson, which could be a sneaky-good pickup for the LA Clippers.

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According to the Lansing State Journal, Dawson announced his intentions in a phone interview shortly after being sent to the Clippers:

"“I can’t wait to get with coach (Doc) Rivers and get started, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to help them win. I’m gonna be relentless. This is my livelihood now.”"

Dawson spent four seasons under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, the last of which Dawson averaged 11.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Dawson’s 9.1 rebounds per game led the Big 10 despite Dawson being only 6’6″. His unorthodox playing style and lack of size were the biggest knocks that caused Dawson to last until the 56th pick, where the chances of carving out an NBA career are slim-to-none.

Dawson, however, can last in the NBA and could provide minutes for the Clippers as a rookie if need be.

Dawson is a textbook example of a “tweener.” He’s got skills typical of a power forward but the size of a small forward. We’ve seen those type of guys wash out in the NBA. Guys like Anthony Bennett, Thomas Robinson, Derrick Williams, Michael Beasley and countless others haven’t been able to make the impact at the NBA level that most thought they’d be able to make.

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The transition for young players who have had great physical advantages for their entire lives but now must face guys who are bigger or more skilled down low is a tough one to make.

What makes Dawson different? He doesn’t need the ball to be effective. In fact, he’s better off without it at this point. Dawson’s also a really good athlete who hangs his hat on being a versatile defender, excellent rebounder and great teammate. He’s a four-year player under one of the toughest and smartest coaches in the nation. At age 22, Dawson’s game could certainly improve (we’ll get to that), but he’s closer to a finished product than a lot of the players drafted Thursday night.

Who can Dawson be at the next level? He’s not as skilled with the ball as fellow former Spartan Draymond Green, who he’s often compared to, but other than that and his shooting, the comparison is pretty valid. Like Green, Dawson can defend multiple positions. You might see Dawson defending a wing player one possession and a center the next in the right matchup. This type of versatility is a highly valued skill in today’s NBA, as evidenced by what we saw the Warriors do in the NBA Finals.

Dawson plays bigger than his listed height of 6’6″. While his athletic numbers at the combine didn’t help him much, Dawson is more explosive in games. His 6’11” wingspan measurement before the draft did help his cause, as his explosiveness and length will help him play with the big men he’ll be faced against in the NBA.

In the Big Ten, Dawson shot 58 percent from the field and never shot below 53 percent in his college career, a great sign that he can finish despite frequently being smaller than his opponents.

Dawson has great ability and skill as a rebounder. He’s the first player under 6’7″ to lead the Big Ten in rebounding since 1991. His 3.0 offensive rebounds per game show that he’s relentless at attacking the boards and the tape shows that he’s aware of his height disadvantage, a positive sign that his rebounding can transfer to the NBA.

With his awareness of his disadvantage, Dawson doesn’t try to out-jump opponents for rebounders and instead fights for position and boxes out his man. There’s a difference between being a skilled rebounder and a person who’s tall and plays near the paint so they collect rebounds. Dawson belongs in the former group.

If Dawson does have an offensive speciality, it’s in transition. Throughout his college career, he was a devastating finisher in transition. With his size and ability to run the floor, Dawson is a freight train in transition. With his ability to finish in transition, he won’t have any issues fitting in in Lob City.

If Dawson finds himself on the edge of making the roster, not a guarantee for late picks like Dawson, his maturity and professionalism should help his cause. As a four-year player under Tom Izzo, he’s gotten a first class education on the intangibles. Dawson is a tough-minded player who is regarded as an excellent help defender. These type of skills and his youth would make it hard for Doc Rivers to cut as an end-of-the-bench player with potential to join the rotation.

The big questions for Dawson other than his size are his ball skills. He improved his shooting stroke and surprised a few doubters with a solid, confident jump shot from midrange and even from deep in workouts. At Michigan State, Dawson was rarely seen playing on the perimeter and didn’t do much with the ball when he was in those situations. If Dawson wants to have a meaningful NBA career, he’d be well-suited to follow the footsteps of Draymond Green and work on his jump shot until he’s a threat to shoot it from deep.

The Clippers made a good move to take Dawson with the 56th pick. Worst-case scenario, he doesn’t work out and misses the roster. Still, it’s not exactly like the Clippers gave up much, if anything for his draft rights. His versatility on defense, rebounding ability and overall tenacity make him a great candidate to be a cheap young player who helps fill out the roster for Doc Rivers. Best-case, he can slide in immediately in limited minutes and help the team’s lack of depth.

The Clippers had no draft pick and no cap space going into the draft. Adding an NBA-ready player like Dawson in exchange for no tangible assets is a low-risk, moderate reward that might help the franchise going forward. It’s an interesting move and Dawson’s a player for the Clippers faithful to keep an eye on in Summer League.

Next: NBA Draft: Best Player Ever Selected in all 60 Spots

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