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Donovan Clingan could be drafted anywhere from #2 to #10 due to his size and skills.
Clingan’s game is compared to Walker Kessler’s, emphasizing his shot-blocking ability and future impact.
Clingan’s potential resembles Brook Lopez as a strong rebounder and developing three-point shooter.
It’s difficult to predict where certain prospects will land once the 2024 NBA Draft takes place. There’s a fair share of players with a wide range in regard to where they might get picked. Chief among them is former UConn center Donovan Clingan, who could land anywhere from #2 to #10 on draft night. At 7’3, Clingan fits an immediate team for any team searching for a rim protector in the lineup.
Though the center position has adopted various styles over the last 5-7 years, Clingan’s current game resembles a lot of 7-footers from back in the day: he prefers to patrol the paint and make a difference on both ends. However, Clingan is also adapting his style with a budding three-point game that could do wonders for his longevity in the league. Perhaps one of the safest picks in the Top 10, which NBA players does Clingan share similar traits with?
Clingan’s Floor: Walker Kessler
Kessler Made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2023
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is the most automatic comparison to Clingan. Both of them are over seven feet tall and excel as shot-blockers. In college, Kessler flashed an outside game as well, but it has not translated to the NBA thus far. Clingan is in a similar boat, though it’s likely that whichever team drafts him won’t have him prioritize a three-ball during his first season.
When Kessler was a rookie, he eventually captured Utah’s starting center spot after a strong Summer League, preseason, and regular season performances. Not every team in the Top 10 directly needs a starting center, but there’s a feeling that Clingan will make the same sort of impact once fully integrated into his new squad’s rotation.
Walker Kessler Career Statistics
Season
MPG
PPG
RPG
BPG
FG%
2022-23
23.0
9.2
8.4
2.3
.720
2023-24
23.3
8.1
7.5
2.4
.654
In fact, it might be more suitable for him to come off the bench initially, as he only played 22.5 minutes per game in college. In “limited action,” his numbers were pretty impressive: Clingan averaged 13 points/game, along with 7.4 rebounds and a staggering 2.5 blocks.
That’s an incredible production for someone who did not start. While the NBA game features better athletes, the backup center position has gotten progressively smaller over the years. Like college, Clingan should put up nice numbers as a second unit big: his size advantage and interior defense should quickly lead to a redeemable role.
Clingan’s Ceiling: Brook Lopez
Lopez Won An NBA Championship With the Bucks in 2021
Though Clingan’s game does not directly resemble Brook Lopez’s at the moment, he projects as a future All-Star center with staunch rim protection if everything goes right in his career. Clingan and Lopez had completely different skill sets entering the NBA.
Lopez came into the league as a very talented post player with a shooting touch of about 18 feet. Clingan, on the other hand, is more of a “catch and finisher” offensively, rather than dominating the lane or from downtown. However, he is embracing the three-point line earlier than Lopez did. Lopez did not start shooting from downtown with high frequency until he landed with the Milwaukee Bucks a few years back.
It remains to be seen whether Clingan will enter the NBA shooting a nice volume of triples. It will come down to what his coach, and team, prioritize from him. That said, his willingness to shoot it leads me to believe his adaptability at the next level. If he can eventually approach Lopez’s production, Clingan could become one of the league’s most feared centers someday. In addition, Clingan projects as a much stronger rebounder than Lopez.
Brook Lopez Statistics • Last Two Seasons
Season
PPG
RPG
BPG
FG%
3PT%
2022-23
15.9
6.7
2.5
.531
.374
2023-24
12.5
5.2
2.4
.485
.366
His 7’3 frame enables him to snatch up boards and make a huge dent despite not playing a full workload yet. The main similarity between both players is their ability to limit shots on the inside. In almost 31 minutes/night in 2023-24, Lopez averaged about the same number of swats (2.4) as Clingan did during his sophomore season with the Huskies. Though Clingan’s sample size is smaller, Lopez did not average two or more rejections until he broke through as an all-star with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013.
In this age, shot-blockers are at a premium: any offense that Clingan provides early on is simply icing on the cake. Though his draft projection is still up in the air, it is extremely encouraging for GMs to know that Clingan’s floor (Walker Kessler) is still a very productive, and valued, rotation player. If his offensive development improves at a nice pace, there’s no cap to his potential.
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Publish date : 2024-05-23 18:00:00
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