NBA Comparison: Jakob Poeltl/Walker Kessler

Strengths: Clingan is a colossal 7’2 265 lb C with plenty of length and reach as well as good body control and fluidity for someone with his size … Is already hard to move, and has the frame to add on 10-10 lbs of muscle with ease … Knows how massive he is and does a good job of using his size to his advantage on both ends of the court … Arguably the best interior defender in this draft class; size allows him to cut off driving angles and negate the spacing necessary to get off shots, and he must be located at all times by offensive players when he’s on the court … Makes players apprehensive when looking to get to the paint and score, and was an intimidating presence for even some of the best offensive players at the college level … Nearly impossible to score over … Excellent rim protector who can block shots at their highest point (2.1 BPG for his career, 2.5/G as a Soph.), and does a very good job of being straight up when defenders try to get to his chest to neutralize his length to get shots at the rim, as to avoid unnecessary fouling (career 1.9 FPG) … Has a nice basketball IQ, and shows plenty of signs of instinctive play that allows him to be effective defending in screen and roll situations, where he can use his size and mobility to contain dribble penetration without crowding his match up but also contest and block/disrupt shots and some passes in space  … Negates the mistakes of teammates; great player to have in the backline of the defense when your guard gets beat off the bounce … Adequately moves his feet and isn’t a college big who camps out in the paint all game … Effective rim runner who can easily seal and convert, especially when at the front of the basket…Will get his fair share of points via putbacks (career 2.4 ORPG) and can keep plays alive after missed shots … Plays through contact and will convert above the rim through and over defenders at times..Establishes position and seals defenders often, while giving players a big target to feed in the post … A safe bet to convert in close due to his size and soft touch (64.8 career FG%), being able to throw in jump hooks with his right hand and a dropstep that he converts much more often than not within 5 ft …Has the type of soft hands needed to grab passes away from his body with ease … More of a pick and roll player than a back to the basket post; sets good screens and knows how to make himself available for dumpoffs from guards … Pretty unselfish and usually makes timely decisions with the ball (1.5/0.8 A/TO); dropped off a good amount of well-timed passes to players cutting to the rim during his career … Has the footwork to add more moves to his post arsenal in time; may have some untapped potential offensively that can be realized in time … Shows a mean streak and aggressiveness that you don;t usually find in big men …

Weaknesses: Though he’s more mobile than your typical mammoth-sized big, he isn’t a true standout athlete due to a lack of explosive foot speed, leaping skills and quickness … Misses some shot opportunities in close by taking too long to gather and rise, which could allow more athletic and physically gifted NBA bigs the split second needed to contest more of his attempts … Not as productive a rebounder as you’d expect for someone with his physical tools, particularly on the defensive glass (7.4 RPG, 6.5 career RPG) … Pretty solid at rebounding his own misses but won’t snag many boards that aren’t right in the paint on either end of the court … Isn’t terribly raw or unpolished in the post but isn’t exactly full of moves either; still growing his arsenal down low during the rare instances that his sheer size isn’t enough to get up a good shot … Jump shot is a work in progress; the touch is there to give him something to work with, but not enough instances of range in live action … Shot less than 60% from the FT line both of his college seasons (57 FT% as a Soph. compared to 51 FT% as a Fr.), further intensifying questions about his ability to extend his range and his true shooting potential …Willing to slide and move on defense, but could have some instances of trouble against the quicker guards the next level has to offer in space due to his own lack of quickness and the high center of gravity he plays with at times …

Overall: Donovan Clingan was a consensus 4-star recruit from Bristol, Connecticut who stayed in-state to play for UConn after an extremely productive HS career … He earned limited minutes but was a key reserve and “per-minute” stat extraordinaire (7 PPG, 6 RPG and nearly 2 BPG in 13 MPG) as a Fr. on UConn’s national title team and really became a player to keep an eye on in draft circles during the teams dominant NCAA tournament run, where his eye-popping physical tools intrigued … As a Soph. he dealt with a foot injury that kept him out for a month of the season, but upped his production across the board (13 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2 BPG) while delivering on the promise he showed as a Fr. defensive stalwart, gradually boosting his draft stock and anchoring a UConn team considered to be the odds-on favorite to repeat and win it all again … Standing 7’2 with a ridiculous standing reach, nice mobility and a strong 265 lb body that’s still capable of adding muscle, it’s no doubt that Clingan has the tools and instincts to be a defensive anchor at the next level as well…He also is a highly efficient offensive player who plays smart, has underrated passing skills and is well aware of his size and how to use it to his advantage, as both a screener and finisher … He may not yet be the some of his parts offensively, given his still developing back to basket post game and lack of shooting range currently, and his just mediocre rebounding production may be worth monitoring, though it’s important to note that UConn has been a collective team rebounding unit this season which may skew his numbers a little … He likely will never be a top option offensively but he should be reasonably productive even without things running through him on that end just off his ability to convert in close, screen and roll, offensive rebound and rim run … His defensive presence would be very useful for a team in the first round of the 2024 Draft class, with the production he provides offensively being icing on the cake …

Jorrye Nixon 4/2/24