Doc Rivers Commends Terance Mann for Handling Big Assignments in Bubble
There weren't a lot of bright spots in the LA Clippers' 129-120 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. After all, LA got handled by a much worse team and hardly showed an ounce of effort until the second half. By then, it was too late.
Kawhi Leonard did have a terrific performance — he went for 39 points, six assists, four steals and two rebounds in 37 minutes — but it's never really a surprise when he gets going like that.
What was more surprising was Terance Mann's big night. The rookie swingman recorded 14 points and three rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench and had one of the best plus/minus numbers on the team.
After the game, Doc Rivers commended Mann for his play so far in the NBA restart, praising his maturity and ability to rise to the occasion.
"Terance hasn't played a lot with us this year, but he played great tonight," Rivers said. "He played a great game the other night. Just very happy for him... We're asking him to do a big job going from a two and a three guy in college to a point guard in the pros. It's a big ask, but he's doing it."
Mann's averages don't show it — he's logging just 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in LA's seeding games — but he's been impactful when on the floor.
It's not just his offense, though. One of Mann's strengths is his defensive versatility. He can effectively guard the one to the three, and his long arms help him collect loose balls and block shots every now and then.
It may be a while before Mann is a constant in the rotation, but he's got the tools to become a solid role player in the near future. On top of that, it's hard to find better mentors than Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley, who can all help Mann reach his potential on both ends of the floo
