Donovan Clingan

[The Moose]

No, he's every bit of over seven feet. The guy is a giant, just like Edey.

This is a great article on Clingan, albeit quite long.

https://www.nhregister.com/connecticutmagazine/news-people/article/donovan-clingan-uconn-men-s-basketball-18424508.php

But within it, it says Clingan has grown and measured at 7'3 barefoot this summer.

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We also have this from 3 years ago, when he was 16 yrs old and measuring at 7'2

7' sounds about right. Definitely not 7'2" or more though. I've seen him next to several bigs like sub 6'9" Timme, and supposed 7' guys like Ware and Dickinson to know he's very comparable, maybe a little bit taller. My guess is if they play Purdue in the final you'll see that Edey is easily a few inches taller. It won't be a mystery much longer. Combine is coming up!

Yeah, honestly I don't believe the 7'3 barefoot rumor at all. That would put him at Edey's height, and he isn't that size.

To me he's basically the same height as Kalkbrenner, when they matched up recently they looked pretty close to identical height. Kalkbrenner was at the combine last year and measured 7'0.75 barefoot. If I had to put money down, I would bet Clingan measures between 7'0.5-7'1 barefoot

[hickfromfrenchlick]

His FT form is still very poor. He's going to get hacked a lot at next level.

His percentage isn't good but it doesn't seem possible that anybody who can see would say that his form is "very poor." That's an objectively bizarre statement. Maybe there's a semantics issue here. His form is very good for a 7-footer. The results just haven't matched it. He usually back-rims the first one. But he's got a good form and good rotation and the ball is straight-on 100% of the time.

He makes 3s in practice (and has made them in games) and I'm sure he'll continue to work on his shooting, at both lines.

As for his overall projection, he's got a pretty high floor. His defense and rebounding are clearly translatable. He's fluid and springy even though he doesn't dunk the ball very much for some reason. I'm not sure what his ceiling is. I don't see him an all-star. Because even if he can stretch the floor I just don't see him ever scoring more than 12-14 ppg. He'd have to develop some skills that I haven't seen any hints of.

For those who think Edey's a better prospect, you're entitled to your opinion and maybe you're right, but 99% of NBA scouts disagree with you.

[TheSuzerain]

Is there precedent for a sub 60% FT shooter becoming respectable?

[NYPiston]

I understand the defensive impact he has but I can't imagine a team using a top 5 pick, even in an awful draft like this one, on a player who gives you virtually no offense from outside of the paint and is a poor free throw shooter to boot. Maybe somebody will bank on him being the next Gobert, but Rudy is a very rare case of a big man who can change the game without doing anything outside of cleaning up garbage on the offensive end.

With that said, I'd certainly take him even as limited as he is offensively over a player like Cody Williams who has the prototype that every team covets but doesn't have the game to match.

[TheSuzerain]

What's Clingan's wingspan?

The Rudy Gobert comparison seems way too rich to me. Like you can be a great defensive anchor prospect without sniffing Gobert's talent there. That seems to me what Clingan is.

[dorkestra]

His stats look pretty solid, especially his rebounding game, which seems top-notch. Comparing him to Kessler and Edey, he's definitely holding his own in terms of production. Kessler's defense really made him stand out, and now we're seeing that translate in the NBA.

[Felixians4]

His FT form is still very poor. He's going to get hacked a lot at next level.

His percentage isn't good but it doesn't seem possible that anybody who can see would say that his form is "very poor." That's an objectively bizarre statement. Maybe there's a semantics issue here. His form is very good for a 7-footer. The results just haven't matched it. He usually back-rims the first one. But he's got a good form and good rotation and the ball is straight-on 100% of the time.

He makes 3s in practice (and has made them in games) and I'm sure he'll continue to work on his shooting, at both lines.

As for his overall projection, he's got a pretty high floor. His defense and rebounding are clearly translatable. He's fluid and springy even though he doesn't dunk the ball very much for some reason. I'm not sure what his ceiling is. I don't see him an all-star. Because even if he can stretch the floor I just don't see him ever scoring more than 12-14 ppg. He'd have to develop some skills that I haven't seen any hints of.

For those who think Edey's a better prospect, you're entitled to your opinion and maybe you're right, but 99% of NBA scouts disagree with you.

Not seen much game, but would say this is top recap. .

[hickfromfrenchlick]

Is there precedent for a sub 60% FT shooter becoming respectable?

Dunno. Is there precedent for anybody improving their FT percentage?

I'm gonna guess that everybody in this thread complaining about his FTs has collectively watched 5% of his minutes that I've watched. This is the classic "tell me you don't know about X without saying you don't know about X." He's not Shaq looking like he's shooting a tennis ball one-handed. It's a smooth stroke.

[TheSuzerain]

Is there precedent for a sub 60% FT shooter becoming respectable?

Dunno. Is there precedent for anybody improving their FT percentage?

There is plenty of precedent. But seems to me there is a practical cap on how much one can improve.

And if your starting place is 55% then even successful improvement probably ends up with that player as a bad to mediocre FT shooter.

[hickfromfrenchlick]

Is there precedent for a sub 60% FT shooter becoming respectable?

Dunno. Is there precedent for anybody improving their FT percentage?

There is plenty of precedent. But seems to me there is a practical cap on how much one can improve.

And if your starting place is 55% then even successful improvement probably ends up with that player as a bad to mediocre FT shooter.

He's at 57% on the season, 65% since the Big East final. Obviously bad numbers and as a UConn fan I wouldn't want him taking critical FTs, but if I was an NBA team drafting him I would not be looking at his FT shot as broken at all.

If he's a 70% shooter, which seems like a pretty attainable goal and is fine on low volume, there's no hack-a-thon, which means he can be on the court at the end of games.

[BlazersBroncos]

His form from the line is not that bad - one thing I have noticed is his wrist flick is sorta ends with his hand flailing about. Thin simply cleaning that up could be huge.

[Diop]

Is there precedent for a sub 60% FT shooter becoming respectable?

Dunno. Is there precedent for anybody improving their FT percentage?

I'm gonna guess that everybody in this thread complaining about his FTs has collectively watched 5% of his minutes that I've watched. This is the classic "tell me you don't know about X without saying you don't know about X." He's not Shaq looking like he's shooting a tennis ball one-handed. It's a smooth stroke.

is it that I'm old that I immediately thought of Karl Malone. (controversy noted)

He is the poster child for improving free throw shooting. Starter at 48% for his first year, ended up shooting in the high 70's for most of his career.

Also my favourite player Shawn Bradley was about 60% at first but ended up automatic, spending a year shooting 92% free throws at Dallas

[FarBeyondDriven]

FT is the least of my concerns. One game he hit a three and the announcers were discussing how he was making them in practice and Clingan said it's part of his repertoire he'll be bringing to the NBA. If he can pick and pop from the FT line and keep defenses honest with a couple three attempts a game it'd change my opinion on him. I hope he shows more of this at the combine. His measurements and times will be very telling as well.

[JMAC3]

FT is the least of my concerns. One game he hit a three and the announcers were discussing how he was making them in practice and Clingan said it's part of his repertoire he'll be bringing to the NBA. If he can pick and pop from the FT line and keep defenses honest with a couple three attempts a game it'd change my opinion on him. I hope he shows more of this at the combine. His measurements and times will be very telling as well.

There is a difference between being able to hit a 3 here or there and being a real NBA three point shooter. Maybe by like year 4-5 he could be a Jusuf Nurkic type of 3pt shooter if he is lucky. But there is just no real world where he is going to be a good NBA shooter sporting 55% from ft for 2 years.

The best 3pt shooters for bigs in the NBA are the best FT shooters. The correlation is extremely high.

[FarBeyondDriven]

FT is the least of my concerns. One game he hit a three and the announcers were discussing how he was making them in practice and Clingan said it's part of his repertoire he'll be bringing to the NBA. If he can pick and pop from the FT line and keep defenses honest with a couple three attempts a game it'd change my opinion on him. I hope he shows more of this at the combine. His measurements and times will be very telling as well.

There is a difference between being able to hit a 3 here or there and being a real NBA three point shooter. Maybe by like year 4-5 he could be a Jusuf Nurkic type of 3pt shooter if he is lucky. But there is just no real world where he is going to be a good NBA shooter sporting 55% from ft for 2 years.

The best 3pt shooters for bigs in the NBA are the best FT shooters. The correlation is extremely high.

nobody is suggesting he'll ever be a "real NBA three point shooter". What is suggested is, he might be capable of shooting well enough from outside to keep defenders engaged with him on the PnR and prevent them from dropping off and clogging driving lanes. Just enough to spread the floor and keep shot blockers out of the paint is the goal. AD was at his best for a five-year period when he was able to do this. Sabonis shoots just a single attempt from three and 1-2 fifteen foot jumpers a game and that's really all that is necessary.

All I'm saying is if Clingan can prove capable of this it elevates him in my eyes big time. I currently have him ranked as a slightly better Walker Kessler, potentially end of round 1 maybe early round 2 because I haven't seen proof of this. He could end up being in my lottery (Big Board AND Mock draft) if he can.

[Rafael122]

I'm going a little back and forth with folks on the Wiz. IDK...he isn't the modern day NBA center, but if you look at the Ringer's latest mock draft, out of the top 10 he has the least amount of questions. Yes, free throw issues are a concern but it jumped from 51% to 58% freshman to sophomore year. It just seems like he's ready to play day 1, and I'd probably prefer that over non-shooting guard/wings in Castle, Dillingham, etc.

[BigGargamel]

I'd take him in the 7-12 range. Who knows if he'll ever be better than a Jakob Poeltl offensively but you're getting a good rebounder, shot blocker and no doubt starting center. Can do much worse in this draft.

[Chi town]

I'd take him in the 7-12 range. Who knows if he'll ever be better than a Jakob Poeltl offensively but you're getting a good rebounder, shot blocker and no doubt starting center. Can do much worse in this draft.

Yep. I’d take him outside top 10.

Like Mark Williams better but similar players. Williams gives you way more offense. I think DC will work and eventually have a little offense. He reminds me of a rich defensive Zubac but with way less offense.

[Kalela]

The only real concern for Clingan is his foot injuries. His floor is Zubac.

[NO-KG-AI]

Is there precedent for a sub 60% FT shooter becoming respectable?

Karl Malone is the big one off the top of my head. 48%, to right at 60%, to 70% by year 3. Pretty solidly a 76%ish guy from there on, getting up to right around 80.