Which ex-Gamecock has a chance to be a 'very good' NBA player? Alex English weighs in
Before a trio of former Gamecocks officially appeared in the 2018 NBA Summer League, the most accomplished of ex-USC players weighed in on their professional futures.
Alex English was a guest on 107.5 The Game on Friday afternoon. The eight-time NBA All-Star and 1997 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee is high on Sindarius Thornwell, P.J. Dozier and Michael Carrera.
Thornwell is the only one of the three above Gamecocks to become a regular at the next level. The 2017 SEC Player of the Year appeared in 73 games as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists. Thornwell's defensive prowess was often praised by LA coach Doc Rivers.
"Some teams, they need a stopper," English said. "They need a guy that they can bring in and say, ‘You go in and you guard this guy and you hold him down.’ I had guys on my team like T.R. Dunn, who was a great defender. He wasn’t a great offensive player, but was a great defender. Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, (Dunn) didn’t lock them down, but he kept their scoring down.
“So if there’s a defensive niche for (Thornwell), so be it. But you got to have some offense. And I think Sin has some offense. He’s very dedicated to his game and very determined to be in the NBA and be a contributing player. So I think he’ll be there.”
Dozier went undrafted after leaving USC following his sophomore season. He spent the majority of last year in the G League, save two appearances for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I might be a little selfish in that I wanted him to stay another year with the Gamecocks," English said, "but of the three players I think he’s got the skill and potential to be a very, very good NBA player. He’s got a lot of skills. He’s got length, he’s long. He can handle the ball. He sees the floor well. He’s improving his scoring touch.
"So I think he’s got the potential to be the better of the three.”
Carrera is going on three years removed since his last game in garnet and black. Still looking to make his NBA regular season debut, the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder is spending this summer as a Thunder teammate of Dozier's.
“Michael Carrera, I love too," English said. "He’s just hard-nosed. He’s learned to knock the 3 down. He works hard. He’s just a bit under-sized, sort of like Sin. But he can go in and give you energy.
“There’s a place for every player that has heart and energy on an NBA team."
Schedule for Thornwell and the Clippers
July 6: Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN)
July 8: Clippers vs. Sacramento Kings, 11 p.m. (NBA TV)
July 9: Clippers vs. Rockets, 11:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
July 11-17: League Tournament (championship is 10 p.m., July 17, on ESPN)
Schedule for Dozier, Carrera and the Thunder
July 6: Thunder vs. Charlotte Hornets, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
July 7: Thunder vs. Brooklyn Nets, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)
July 9: Thunder vs. Toronto Raptors, 4:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
July 11-17: League Tournament (championship is 10 p.m., July 17, on ESPN)