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MU back to 5 former Tigers in the NBA
Posted on: October 27, 2023 at 12:51:20 CT
FIJItiger MU
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https://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/5-former-mizzou-players-to-watch-in-nba-this-year/article_2aa71c42-7281-11ee-a6b7-ab1f2a4f9b51.html
When the 2023-24 NBA season tips off this week, there will be more former Missouri players in the league than there have been in well over a decade. The five Mizzou products who will take to the court range from a reigning champion to two well-regarded rookies.
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz’s rebuild means there’s plenty of opportunity for Jordan Clarkson to get backcourt playing time. The 31-year-old guard played the most he has in his 10-year professional career, averaging 32.6 minutes for the Jazz across 61 games last season.
Clarkson’s scoring — 20.8 points per game — increased alongside his shooting volume. The return of guard Collin Sexton and emergence of guard Talen Horton-Tucker might cut into Clarkson’s opportunity this year, but he should remain solidly in the rotation and may crack the starting lineup.
Salt Lake City is Clarkson’s third stop in the NBA after stops with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. He spent one season at MU: 2013-14. Clarkson played a heavy role in that team, logging 35.1 minutes per game, 17.5 points and a program-leading 3.4 assists.
Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
Mizzou’s newest NBA champion was back in Columbia for the Tigers’ Sept. 16 football game against Kansas State. Despite playing only three games during his injury-riddled college career, Michael Porter Jr. has settled into the starting lineup of one of the NBA’s best teams when healthy.
As the Nuggets’ starting small forward, Porter posted 13.4 points per game in the playoffs alongside 8.1 rebounds. He has established himself as a standout perimeter player, shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season.
Porter is likely to play around 30 minutes a night for Denver, getting a dozen or so shots.
He played at MU during the 2017-18 season, scoring 30 points in a total of 53 minutes in black and gold.
Dru Smith, Miami Heat
Guard Dru Smith cracked the Miami Heat’s roster after his third preseason with the Florida franchise. After going undrafted in 2021, Smith played with the Heat’s G League team and on a two-way deal before sealing a partially guaranteed contract this season.
The Heat have a reputation for developing undrafted players, which suggests the 25-year-old guard could be next in line for a rise to contributing in the NBA.
“I think that they give you real opportunities no matter what your name is, no matter where you came from,” Smith told the Miami Herald. “I think that they truly evaluate talent and evaluate how you affect winning. If you’re doing that in a positive way, then you’re going to get a chance to play.”
He averaged 6.5 points and 5.3 assists during four preseason games en route to earning a contract.
Smith will mix with RJ Hampton and Tyler Herro as Miami’s point guard depth options when starter Kyle Lowry isn’t on the field.
In two seasons at Missouri, from 2019 to 2021, Smith started all 57 games he played in, averaging 13.4 points and 3.9 assists. He drained six 3-pointers in his final Mizzou game, an NCAA Tournament loss to Oklahoma.
Kobe Brown, Los Angeles Clippers
After emerging as a star over four years at Missouri, Kobe Brown landed in the pros when the Los Angeles Clippers chose him with their first-round draft pick.
Brown was a unanimous All-Southeastern Conference pick after his fourth season with the Tigers. He averaged 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during the 2022-2023 campaign, shooting 45.5 percent from 3 as he took a considerable developmental leap under MU coach Dennis Gates.
At 6-7, 250 pounds, Brown will move to a wing role with the Clippers. Playing time will likely be sparse early on in his career when he’s behind the likes of Kawhi Leonard in the depth chart. Brown’s primary competition for a spot in the Clippers’ rotation seems to be Amir Coffey, KJ Martin and Robert Covington.
D’Moi Hodge, Los Angeles Lakers
D’Moi Hodge, a 6-4 guard who followed Gates from Cleveland State to MU, landed with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-way deal after going undrafted over the summer.
That means he’s poised to play mostly for the G League’s South Bay Lakers, though a shot at NBA minutes isn’t out of the question if Austin Reaves or LeBron James miss time and the Lakers need depth.
Hodge averaged 10.5 minutes per game during the preseason, scoring 4.5 points and a steal per game.
His defense paved the way to a Missouri record for steals in a season, with 91.
When the 2023-24 NBA season tips off this week, there will be more former Missouri players in the league than there have been in well over a decade. The five Mizzou products who will take to the court range from a reigning champion to two well-regarded rookies.
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz’s rebuild means there’s plenty of opportunity for Jordan Clarkson to get backcourt playing time. The 31-year-old guard played the most he has in his 10-year professional career, averaging 32.6 minutes for the Jazz across 61 games last season.
Clarkson’s scoring — 20.8 points per game — increased alongside his shooting volume. The return of guard Collin Sexton and emergence of guard Talen Horton-Tucker might cut into Clarkson’s opportunity this year, but he should remain solidly in the rotation and may crack the starting lineup.
Salt Lake City is Clarkson’s third stop in the NBA after stops with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. He spent one season at MU: 2013-14. Clarkson played a heavy role in that team, logging 35.1 minutes per game, 17.5 points and a program-leading 3.4 assists.
Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
Mizzou’s newest NBA champion was back in Columbia for the Tigers’ Sept. 16 football game against Kansas State. Despite playing only three games during his injury-riddled college career, Michael Porter Jr. has settled into the starting lineup of one of the NBA’s best teams when healthy.
As the Nuggets’ starting small forward, Porter posted 13.4 points per game in the playoffs alongside 8.1 rebounds. He has established himself as a standout perimeter player, shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season.
Porter is likely to play around 30 minutes a night for Denver, getting a dozen or so shots.
He played at MU during the 2017-18 season, scoring 30 points in a total of 53 minutes in black and gold.
Dru Smith, Miami Heat
Guard Dru Smith cracked the Miami Heat’s roster after his third preseason with the Florida franchise. After going undrafted in 2021, Smith played with the Heat’s G League team and on a two-way deal before sealing a partially guaranteed contract this season.
The Heat have a reputation for developing undrafted players, which suggests the 25-year-old guard could be next in line for a rise to contributing in the NBA.
“I think that they give you real opportunities no matter what your name is, no matter where you came from,” Smith told the Miami Herald. “I think that they truly evaluate talent and evaluate how you affect winning. If you’re doing that in a positive way, then you’re going to get a chance to play.”
He averaged 6.5 points and 5.3 assists during four preseason games en route to earning a contract.
Smith will mix with RJ Hampton and Tyler Herro as Miami’s point guard depth options when starter Kyle Lowry isn’t on the field.
In two seasons at Missouri, from 2019 to 2021, Smith started all 57 games he played in, averaging 13.4 points and 3.9 assists. He drained six 3-pointers in his final Mizzou game, an NCAA Tournament loss to Oklahoma.
Kobe Brown, Los Angeles Clippers
After emerging as a star over four years at Missouri, Kobe Brown landed in the pros when the Los Angeles Clippers chose him with their first-round draft pick.
Brown was a unanimous All-Southeastern Conference pick after his fourth season with the Tigers. He averaged 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during the 2022-2023 campaign, shooting 45.5 percent from 3 as he took a considerable developmental leap under MU coach Dennis Gates.
At 6-7, 250 pounds, Brown will move to a wing role with the Clippers. Playing time will likely be sparse early on in his career when he’s behind the likes of Kawhi Leonard in the depth chart. Brown’s primary competition for a spot in the Clippers’ rotation seems to be Amir Coffey, KJ Martin and Robert Covington.
D’Moi Hodge, Los Angeles Lakers
D’Moi Hodge, a 6-4 guard who followed Gates from Cleveland State to MU, landed with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-way deal after going undrafted over the summer.
That means he’s poised to play mostly for the G League’s South Bay Lakers, though a shot at NBA minutes isn’t out of the question if Austin Reaves or LeBron James miss time and the Lakers need depth.
Hodge averaged 10.5 minutes per game during the preseason, scoring 4.5 points and a steal per game.
His defense paved the way to a Missouri record for steals in a season, with 91.
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MU back to 5 former Tigers in the NBA - FIJItiger MU - 10/27 12:51:20