Clippers sign LA product Hamilton for rest of season

Jordan Hamilton has found a home with the Clippers. They signed him for the rest of the season on Friday.  

Hamilton, a Los Angeles product who played for Compton Dominguez High, is a forward who filled in and started for the injured Matt Barnes. Hamilton then sprained his ankle on Sunday against the Rockets and had to be helped off the court. He was walking the next day in practice and was available to return on Friday against the Wizards.

"It was nothing serious," Hamilton said. "I've hurt my ankle worse before and come back earlier. I had some time to recover."

He made faster progress in his recovery than expected, and the Clippers made the decision to keep him for the remainder of the season. 

"I think they looked at it and might have thought the injury was probably worse than it actually was," Hamilton said. "It wasn't that bad of a sprain."

Hamilton doesn't have to wonder about his future, but Doc Rivers would like to see him continue to improve.

"I think  he can play. It's funny, he's been in the league for a while and you forget that he's only 24 years old. He's a young kid," Rivers said. "Very good kid, high-character kid. Clearly can score the basketball in our league. He's proven that. Now what we want to find out is if he can do all the other stuff and be a winning player, and I think he wants to be that."

Added Hamilton: "You've just got to seize the moment and do everything the coaches want (you) to do and work extra hard. Show these guys I can play. They want me to get better on the defensive end, and that's what Im doing."

And doing that in his hometown is a bonus. 

Hamilton tweeted: "Happy to finally be a @LAClippers! Nothing like putting on a jersey every night for your #HomeTownTeam!"

Hamilton has played in eight games for the Clippers and started two. He's averaging 4.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, .3 assists in 9.6 minutes per game. 

Hamilton's brother, Isaac, plays basketball for UCLA, which just won its round of 64 NCAA Tournament game against SMU in a controversial last-play on Thursday. 

Jordan lost his grandmother earlier this month and after being signed tweeted: "I know my Grandmother is smiling from Heaven!"

Hamilton was unsigned for several days until Friday. He'd already signed two 10-day contracts, and the Clippers either had to sign him for the rest of the season or not. 

"I wasn't really thinking about what was going to happen in the aftermath," Hamilton said. "I was just thinking at the time that (my ankle) hurt really bad. I'm good now."