Reggie Bullock is going to Los Angeles.
The Clippers have taken the Tar Heel junior 25th in the NBA Draft making Bullock the 14th first round pick in the Roy Williams era and UNC's 45th overall. With his selection in the top 30, Bullock's gamble pays off, literally as the Tar Heel junior will receive a guaranteed contract.
Bullock will also be going to a good situation with the Clippers and that might be the first time in history someone has typed that sentence. The Clippers, coming off a franchise record 57 wins just hired arguably one of the best coaches in the NBA right now with Doc Rivers moving from Boston to Los Angeles. The hiring of Rivers all but ensures All-Star point guard Chris Paul will return to the team. Throw Blake Griffin into the mix along with the other personnel the Clippers have, this should be a good situation for Bullock to grow.
And like Danny Green in San Antonio, the quality of the coaching cannot be overstated nor can the fact the team is already well positioned to win. Bullock simply needs to play a specific role and has some time to get acclimated. There is pressure to produce but if he can find his niche, it should work out well for him.
So congratulations to Bullock who is a great kid and continues to be a great representative for the University of North Carolina.
UPDATE: Statement from Roy Williams:
“I am thrilled, just absolutely thrilled for the young man," Williams said. "I’m as ecstatic as I could possibly be. I spoke to Reggie just moments after he was selected, and he’s so happy and excited. He really did a great job throughout the pre-draft process with his workouts and interviews, especially with the Clippers.
"Everyone knows by now that I was a bit scared initially about his decision to enter the draft because the NBA people that I spoke to said he was a borderline first- or second-round pick. Most of them told me they thought he would go in the top of the second round, including the NBA evaluation committee. So that was the cause of my concern for someone I care so much about. But the Clippers selecting Reggie in the first round shows everyone how well he performed under pressure in the pre-draft workouts. I take my hat off to him. He earned that first-round pick."