The 2024 NBA Draft Lottery is in the rear view window and the Portland Trail Blazers have emerged with the No. 7 and No. 14 selections in the first round. While the slide in the lottery is disappointing on the surface, the 2024 class offers similar prospect quality throughout the first 10 picks. Basically, the Blazers have a legitimate shot at the same caliber player for a cheaper price after landing at No. 7 in the lottery.
In this class, a wide range of prospects could hear their name called prior to Portland’s turn on the clock. Conversely, any player not named Alex Sarr could easily slide to No. 7 on draft night.
We continue our 2024 NBA Draft Profiles series with UConn center Donovan Clingan.
Donovan Clingan
- Height: 7’2”
- WT: 282
- Wingspan: 7’6.75”
- Shooting Hand: Right
- Position: C
- Age: 20
- Projected draft range: 2-9
2023-24 Statistics
- PTS: 13.0 | Per 40: 23.1
- REB: 7.4 | Per 40: 13.1
- BLK: 2.5 | Per 40: 4.4
- FG%: 63.9
- FT%: 58.3
Strengths
Clingan’s NBA potential is directly tied to his ability to alter shots on defense. Buoyed by his massive wingspan, Clingan swatted shots and struck fear into opponents throughout his time at UConn. His shot blocking prowess goes beyond just his massive frame. Clingan is rarely out of position on the defensive end. When operating inside drop coverage, he smothers pick-and-roll actions by maintaining his footwork and rotating correctly. At the rim, Clingan stays vertical to avoid foul trouble. He is a mountain of a player, which allows him to hold his ground when matched up against traditional bigs.
Offensively, Clingan is a guard-friendly target. He sets hard screens, rolls to the basket with purpose, and possesses soft hands that are capable of corralling passes in traffic. At the rim, Clingan keeps things simple and efficient with powerful dunks. During his second year at UConn, he displayed that his arsenal of low-post moves is expanding. Clingan showed that he has a developing drop-step move that opens up looks at the rim. As a rebounder, Clingan puts his length to good use and fights for proper positioning.
Weaknesses
Clingan’s lack of versatility lowers his ceiling as a top-level prospect. He hasn’t shown that he has the speed to play defense in space. When outside of drop coverage, Clingan struggles to play impactful defense on pick-and-roll actions. Among the centers at this year’s combine, Clingan finished last in the shuttle run, lane agility drill, and the three quarter sprint.
Lack of quickness aside, Clingan’s lack of shooting touch is a real issue. He was awful at the free throw line in both his seasons at UConn. That lack of touch is also apparent when Clingan is asked to attempt shots that go beyond dunking. Given his output in college, it is tough to envision Clingan developing into a player that garners defensive attention outside of the restricted area.
Overall Assessment
Clingan is a traditional center with the potential to bolster an entire defense with his rim protection and rebounding. Based on just those items, Clingan’s floor is higher than most of his lottery-projected peers. His ceiling is a slightly different story. Clingan played a modest amount of minutes in a highly-structured system during his time at UConn. At the next level, he must prove he can defend in space and step out to the perimeter when guarding pick-and-roll sets. If he fails to do that, he could find himself played off the court in several situations.
It is also worth noting that Clingan sustained two foot injuries in the past year. He suffered a right foot strain in the lead up to the season. In December, Clingan suffered a tendon injury in the same foot.
Overall Fit
Clingan’s rim protection, even in a limited role, could provide immediate help to the Blazers’ fledgling defense. However, Clingan feels more like a player that the Blazers should target once they have a foundation in place. At this point, Clingan has limited versatility on both ends of the floor. Clingan benefited from successful coaching and an effective scheme in college. As currently constructed, the Blazers don’t offer either of those things. Most importantly, it is likely that there will be other players with higher two-way upside available when the Blazers are on the clock.