NBA Draft: Donovan Clingan Continues to Establishing Himself
On a team full of stars, the sophomore post continues to impress even as the lights get brighter.
Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan continues to make his case for being a top-10 selection in the 2024 NBA Draft by physically dominating opponents, displaying greatness reminiscent of a once bygone, but now resurging, era of post-oriented basketball.
In UConn’s Round of 32 victory over Northwestern, 75-58, Clingan nearly recorded a triple-double (no assists) – 14 points, 14 rebounds, eight blocks.
A true clinic.
The Ivica-Zubac-styled center moves well considering his 7-foot-2, 280-pound frame, and when playing the defensive end, simply erases attempts inside the lane – and when he’s not blocking shots, he is surely altering them, or at the very least, making smaller guards think twice about trying to finish at the cup.
He’s also shown the skill of closing out on shooters in the corners, and with his stature, he can typically contest the shots exceedingly well, even on guys with quicker releases. He’ll never be asked to defend wings or guards, nor would he be able to effectively, but he has such a vast impact on defense that expands beyond the simple duties of rim protection.
Clingan can do it from the strong side or the weak side, using not just physicality and wingspan, but impeccable shot-blocking timing. What may be even more impressive is the fact that the eight blocks came at the expense of just a single personal foul on Clingan in 27 minutes played.
This is truly generational post play, and that is not an exaggeration. Only six players ever have blocked more shots in a tournament game than Clingan did against Northwestern, and two of those guys were Shawn Bradley and Shaquille O’Neal.
That’s pretty good company to be keeping.
Clingan doesn’t just do it on the defensive end, however – he’s a surprisingly skilled offensive player whose knack for scoring breaks him free of the “defensive specialist” label.
In Sunday’s win, which landed the Huskies in their second consecutive Sweet 16, Clingan was an extremely efficient 5-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
He’s clearly shown himself as the best pro prospects amongst bigs in the college ranks this season, surpassing other candidates like Yves Missi and Zach Edey.
Though he could be limited in his role in the NBA due to a relatively low upside despite a high floor, there is absolutely a place for a player like Donovan Clingan. While he may not be the centerpiece of a championship team, he can certainly be a major impact player on a contender.
The ability to do a bit of rim-running, as well as his ability to set excellent screens, make his lack of an outside shot significantly more palatable – he’s not a stretch big by any loose definition of the word, but he is a player that is undoubtedly a net positive on both ends of the floor.
Depending on the right situation, Clingan could thrive and live up to pretty legitimate potential.
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