Re-drafting the 2021 NBA Draft — 21. Joshua Primo, Clippers
There’s plenty to be excited about with Joshua Primo, who is the youngest player in the NBA right now. He started 16 games for the Spurs’ by season’s end, and while that was mostly a developmental choice, Primo stepped up to the plate and delivered on some of his promise.
He’s still a long-term project — the Clippers can’t expect Primo to give real minutes in a potential Finals run — but he’s a promising 3-point shooter who flashed impressive shot-making off the dribble in the G-League and, at times, in the NBA. The whole point of drafting a player so young is that he has time to grow. For Primo to make strides in year one is a promising sign of things to come. He put in the work.
The 6-foot-6 Primo still needs to add some muscle defensively, cut down on turnovers, and become a more reliable finisher at the rim. He’s an enticing athlete and he makes some eye-popping plays, but there is still a lot of youthful ignorance to his game. He’s mistake-prone and has a tendency to go cold. The Clippers would hope steady progress in year two.