Clippers’ rookie C.J. Wilcox ready to compete

C.J. Wilcox is ready for the competition he’ll encounter with the Clippers.

Wilcox was drafted in the first round at 28 on Thursday by the Clippers, and he plays at
the shooting guard position that the team already has two very good players holding down.

The Clippers start J.J. Redick at shooting guard and bring Jamal Crawford, who won the NBA’s
sixth man of the year award last season, off the bench.

“I’m just going to take it as a challenge,” Wilcox said Monday when he was introduced to
the media at the Clippers’ practice facility. “I’m going to come in every day
and work hard and squeeze my way in.”

Wilcox, 23, averaged 14.4 points on 43.3% shooting, 38.9% on three-point shooting, over his
four-year career at the University of Washington.

“I think the neat thing for C.J. is that he has two really good guys to be taught under,”
Clippers Coach and president Doc Rivers said. “Learning the stuff from Jamal and how he scores and then learning the way J.J. moves without the ball, if you can combine those two things into your game, then your playing time probably will not be a problem. But it is a competition.”

At 6-5, Rivers said Wilcox has good size to play his position.

Rivers said Wilcox can shoot the basketball and play good defense, a rarity in the NBA.

“Yet he has proven he can do both,” Rivers said.

“I know everyone is committed to defense,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox said he watched the Clippers play during the playoffs and he also worked out with
All-Star point guard Chris Paul last May in Southern California.

Paul stopped by the Clippers’ facility on Monday and talked with Wilcox before the rookie
met the media.

“Coming to L.A. for your first team is pretty exciting,” Wilcox said. “I think it’s all the
excitement around the Clippers. Being kind of the team of L.A. now is pretty
exciting and I’m really excited to get started with all these All-Stars on the team.”

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter:@BA_Turner