Milos Teodosic is exactly the floor general the Los Angeles Clippers need

Milos Teodosic showed in his NBA preseason debut that he is exactly the floor general that the Los Angeles Clippers need.

Following the Chris Paul trade, the Los Angeles Clippers knew that they needed to bring in a true point guard. Acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Houston Rockets in the Paul trade was a step in the right direction, but the signing of Milos Teodosic in free agency was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Los Angeles played its first preseason game and came out with a 121-113 loss. Despite the loss, the Clippers saw exactly what they needed to see from Teodosic. He didn’t make a single shot, but the game he played showed that he is a perfect fit for quite possibly the biggest need that the Clippers have.

Paul was the floor general and leader for the Clippers’ offense. Beverley is an excellent defender and an underrated point guard, but Teodosic showed that he can make the passes and run the offense the right way.

In the 25 minutes that he played off the bench for L.A., Teodosic dished out eight assists. Not only did he dish out eight assists, he only turned the ball over twice and looked like an elite passer while doing so. Whether his passes led to alley-oops or open jumpers, he showed the ability to make the right pass at the right time.

Teodosic immediately became a fan favorite with his style of play and ability to make flashy plays under control. Tony Xpteras of UProxx.com went so far as to write an article with the headline of “Milos Teodosic Proved He’s the World’s Best Passer In His Debut with the Clippers” following the game. That is one opinion, obviously, but it shows just how quickly Teodosic showed his star potential.

There will be a need for Teodosic to improve his offensive output, as he shot just 0-for-5 from the floor and scored one point from the foul line. That won’t be a problem for the Clippers. Even though his offensive game struggled in his debut, he has shown throughout his career that he is a more than capable scorer.

During his career in Europe, Teodosic knocked down 44 percent of his shots from the floor and hit 38.5 percent of his 3-point attempts. Those numbers should translate into much better offensive performances in the NBA in the future.

Not only did Teodosic show off his flashy passing skills, he also came away with a surprising two steals. He is not known for defense, but if he can play the passing lanes like he did, it would be a major plus for the Clippers.

Most importantly, however, the Clippers may have found their floor general. There is no telling what kind of role he will have to open the regular season, but Doc Rivers has to be considering a starting role. If he isn’t now, Teodosic will force him to consider starting him if he continues playing the way he did against the Toronto Raptors.

It may be too early to begin crowning Teodosic as a future star, but his debut certainly gives fans that hope. He certainly looked like he belonged on the NBA floor and played with a high level of confidence all game long.

Los Angeles may not have a new Chris Paul, but they may very well have their point guard of the future. Teodosic and the Clippers will play their second preseason game on Wednesday night in a rematch with the Raptors.

Next: Top 10 candidates for the 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year Award

Make sure to tune in and see if Teodosic can produce another highlight reel of his passing ability.