As I continue with these scouting reports, the first players I cover will be college players who I have been able to see constantly on TV. The center position has a clear upper tier in this draft, and there is one college player pushing for that number one spot: Donovan Clingan.
From: NBA Getty Images
What I Like
Clingan's best asset is his size. At 7'2", the UConn big man has elite size for the next level. Not only is he big, but Clingan is also pretty mobile for a 7 footer. He has a high level of endurance, playing heavy minutes for the Huskies throughout the tournament. Another trait that excites me at the next level is Clingan's defense. The second year center blocked 2.5 shots per game, and had teams scared of entering the paint on him. There were teams who were stupid enough to challenge him (I'm looking at you Illinois), where he consistently stonewalled opponents at the rim. Offensively, he doesn't provide much, but the traits he does possess are near the top of the class. Clingan is an effective screener, and a dominant lob threat. If you let him get position by the block, it is close to an auto bucket.
What I Don't Like
With Clingan's dominant defensive presence, he does have some drawbacks offensively. Clingan does not provide much from outside the paint, and there are not a lot of signs that he's going to get better at shooting. He did not hit free throws or three pointers at a high rate. I have doubts that he could develop that part of his game, but in the NBA, anything can happen at this point.
Pro Comparison
Look, while centers are getting better at spacing the floor, there are still people who have been able to carve out a role grinding on the glass. Players like Ivica Zubac and Walker Kessler are two bigs who I can compare Clingan to. Clingan's defense and rebounding projects into a similar role at the next level as Zubac and Kessler.
Conclusion
In a weak big man class, Donovan Clingan is my clear number two in this class. He has elite size and agility for a big man. Clingan has the potential to be a defensive anchor at the next level, and projects to be an efficient lob threat on offense. In the NBA, Clingan is not a player you want to build your offense around. However, a contending team like the Thunder could value Clingan due to his elite defense and rebounding.
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