Sindarius Thornwell takes the next step in his NBA career

Sindarius Thornwell is now a starter in the NBA.

The rookie from South Carolina replaced an injured Patrick Beverly in the Los Angeles Clippers lineup on Friday evening at Oklahoma City and has remained among LA’s first five for the two games since.

Thornwell, who took SEC Player of the Year honors last season as a Gamecock, scored a career-high 10 points against the Thunder. The second round pick followed with seven against New Orleans on Saturday and seven against Philadelphia on Monday.

Thornwell, a 6-foot-5 guard, is averaging 4.6 points and 1.2 rebounds this season.

“I see myself growing a lot, especially on the defensive end,” Thornwell told the Los Angeles Times. “I take pride on the defensive end, getting stops and being able to slow guys down. I take pride in that, but also offense. I want to contribute on the offensive end.”

The Clippers are in Charlotte this Saturday to face the Hornets.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Sindarius Thornwell takes the next step in his NBA career."