As we get closer to the 2024 NBA Draft, which players does center Donovan Clingan compare to?
With the 2024 NBA Draft quickly approaching, teams are gearing up to restock and reload with some of the best young prospects worldwide. While a lot can change in the next week and change, most of the projected lottery prospects will likely fall right around there.
One very appealing prospect who is set to be drafted is UConn center Donovan Clingan. As a winner with the UConn Huskies, winning back-to-back championships, Clingan proved to be a force during the 2023-24 season.
Now, he will be making the jump to the NBA. Recently ESPN compared him to Minnesota Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert. In a recent mock draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected him with the 7th overall pick. Here’s what they had to say.
High end: Rudy Gobert and late-career Brook Lopez
Low end: Walker Kessler
Clingan’s advocates around the NBA view him as a potential top-flight defensive center in the realm of Gobert, presuming he can stay healthy and continue to improve his body. His elite measurables give him a unique physical presence at 7-foot-3 in shoes with a nearly 7-foot-7 wingspan. Even if he doesn’t reach those heights on defense, Clingan projects to be a more versatile offensive player than Gobert, and if his 3-point shot develops, he could function somewhat like Lopez, who turned himself into a quality floor-spacer and top defensive center midway through his 16-year career.
Despite him going seventh to the Trail Blazers, Clingan is ranked as the third-best prospect in the draft. The comparisons to Rudy Gobert should make Donovan Clingan a very appealing prospect to most teams in the league, as Gobert has been a Defensive Player of the Year, and is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the NBA.
In addition to his ability on the defensive end, Clingan also played a big role in UConn’s motion offense. Clingan proved to be a good passer from the top of the key and is working on his three-point shot as well.
Size certainly won’t be an issue for Donovan Clingan as he translates to the NBA, and he should be able to have a very nice career at the next level. His stock is on the rise as we get closer to the 2024 NBA Draft.
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