Culver City Observer -

The Clippers draft didn't high enough to obtain the highest ranked players in last week's NBA draft but Coach Doc Rivers said he's happy with the outcome.

"Drafttng 25th. Brice Johnson was the player we wanted," said Rivers. "In the second round we moved down seven places from 33 to 39 and 40 trying to land two other players we wanted. We got them both."

The Clippers moved down by making a trade with New Orleans.

Johnson, a 6-10 power forward who was a senior at North Carolina, is a good rebounder and he averaged 17 points per game last season while shooting 61 percent. But he didn't attempt a three-point shot all season.

At 39 the Clippers chose 6-foot-4 French point guard David Michineau. At 40 they selected 6-10 Maryland center Diamond Stone.

The Clippers hope the 6-10 Stone can contribute a lot on offense but according to scouting reports he needs a lot of work on defense.

Stone played only one season of college basketball but was honored as the top newcomer in the Big Ten Conference.

How will these newcomers fit into the Clippers' plans in the upcoming season? Johnson the most experienced, has the best chance of making an immediate impact. The others probably will take longer but most likely will compete for playing time as the season progresses.

Playing time will likely be available since veteran forward Paul Pierce may retire.