Shaun Livingston could have been the big man on campus on perhaps the biggest basketball campus of them all, could have been the dynamic freshman point guard who led Duke to the NCAA championship.
Instead, this is how Livingston’s season went: sitting, with a broken kneecap, watching Marko Jaric at point guard for the Clippers. Then sitting with a bum shoulder, watching Rick Brunson.
Frustrating? Yes, absolutely. What player wouldn’t be torn up inside to lose 52 of his first 65 games to injuries?
But regrets? Livingston has none, especially now that he’s playing again.
“It’s been tough, but I can’t worry about what might have happened,” said Livingston, 19. “I’m here now, and I’m going to make the most of it. I’m thankful to be out there.”
As Livingston’s recent play has shown, it’s not too late for him to make a solid first impression.
In his first NBA start Wednesday, he had 11 assists against Milwaukee in 25 minutes. When the Bucks charged late in the fourth quarter with Livingston on the bench, he returned and stabilized the Clippers. Not bad for a guy who was getting ready for the prom a year ago.
By entering the draft out of high school in Peoria, Livingston took a risk, and so did the Clippers. NBA fortunes can be fickle, but he looks like a keeper.
“He shows leadership, good decision-making, vision and creativeness,” coach Mike Dunleavy said. “He’s already got a lot of respect . . . he’s got that command about him.”
