NBA Draft: Noah Clowney’s Two-Way Upside Intriguing Fit for Oklahoma City Thunder
One of the questions that has been circulating around the Oklahoma City Thunder since their season ended — and before — is how they intend to upgrade their frontcourt rotation.
Sure, there are some interesting talents on the roster already, but it’s difficult to feel all warm and fuzzy about the rotation headed into next year beyond the highly anticipated return of Chet Holmgren.
The Thunder could look to free agency, but the options aren’t very enticing to an organization that prides itself on drafting and developing talent to build a sustainable future. General Manager Sam Presti echoed that sentiment, exclaiming in his exit interview, “shortcuts cut long runs short.”
Assuming free agency isn’t in Presti’s plans and he wants to continue to draft and develop, one prospect that might make the list for Thunder draft targets is Alabama’s Noah Clowney.
Clowney, at just 18 years old, helped to anchor one of the very best defenses in the NCAA as a freshman while averaging 15.4 points and 12.5 rebounds per 40 minutes while posting a healthy 1.3% steal rate and 3.4% block rate.
Listed at 6-foot-10 and boasting what is widely thought to be a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Clowney has the size and length to be bothersome to fours and fives and also has also shown the care factor and footwork to slide with wings and some guards on the perimeter.
And though he gets beat off the dribble at times, he shows the hustle and effort to stay with the play and bother shots from behind.
Offensively, Clowney is less polished but displays a ton of upside, particularly as a shooter and driver, offering true two-way potential to franchises looking for a more modern solution at the center position.
Although he only shot 28.3% from beyond the arc this year, his relatively smooth mechanics, compact form, and level of comfortability he displayed as a freshman at Alabama suggest that he can be significantly better in time. Clowney also flashed the ability to put the ball on the ground at times when attacking closeouts, using his long strides to get from the perimeter to the basket in just one dribble.
At 210 pounds, Clowney does need to add weight to bang on the interior and to better absorb contact in general and clean up other areas of his game, but his youth, versatility as a defender, and upside as a shotmaker and play finisher at his size could have Presti cashing in some assets to position the Thunder to land him in July’s draft.
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