Call-Up #10: Guillermo Diaz to the Los Angeles Clippers

Guard Guillermo Diaz of the Anaheim Arsenal signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers today, making him the 10th D-League call-up of the season. Diaz played in 14 games for the Arsenal this season with averages of 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He will attend the team's practice today already. The Clippers also released Richie Frahm, whose contract was scheduled to become guaranteed for the rest of the season on Thursday.

The 52nd pick of the 2006 draft by the Clippers, Diaz spent last season playing in both the Czech Republic and Greece. The 23 year-old guard signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Clippers after playing for their summer league team in 2007, but he was released before the start of the NBA regular season. After deciding to join the D-League, Diaz was allocated to the Arsenal under a new rule that gives the rights of a waived NBA draft pick to that team’s D-League affiliate.

Diaz started the season strong for Anaheim, showing great quickness off the dribble and the ability to finish at the rim. The rookie started to struggle with streaky play in mid-December, and an elbow to the face on the 21st kept him out of action until the 4th of January. In two games since returning, the rookie looked to be regaining his form from early in the season while leading the team to two much needed wins.

To carve out a long-term NBA career, Diaz must prove he can effectively run a team. The lack of size in the D-League allowed him to play off the ball, but his height and length will force him to at least see spot minutes at the lead guard spot with the Clippers. With Anaheim, the scoring guard produced the majority of his points at the rim, but he must use his mid-range game more effectively at the NBA level. In pre-draft workouts Diaz used a very effective floater to score off the dribble which he has taken only a handful of times in the D-League. He was known as a deadly shooter in college, something the Clippers sorely lack, but has hit only 31% of his 3-point attempts this season.

Diaz becomes the second D-League player to receive a 10 day contract this season. Of the 10 call-ups from the NBA’s Development League this season, 8 of them have played the point guard or shooting guard positions, with Jelani McCoy being the only power-forward or center to receive an NBA look.