Young Center Prospects to Consider

[Jamaaliver]

Recent Mock Draft ahead of the Final Four has us taking...

Pro Comparison: Brook Lopez

Though Kel'el Ware struggled during Indiana's finale and loss to Nebraska, he mostly had a strong last two months in terms of scoring and impact.

Narratives that point out empty stats or low-impact production have lost steam. He delivered more consistently in one-on-one situations around the basket while also flashing bonus shotmaking touch and range that create more offensive upside.

Ware is only going to look more enticing during workouts, where his physical tools, athleticism and shooting could push teams to ignore previous questions about inconsistency or motor.

[Jamaaliver]

Obvious indeed.

Thoughts on acquiring to *TWO bigs in this draft...or would that be overkill?

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[jayu70]

Obvious indeed.

Thoughts on acquiring to bigs this draft...or would that be overkill?

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Depends on what the plan is for OO...do we try to transition him more to the 4? I'm disappointed OO has not been able to supplant CC as the starter. He played well when CC was injured, then he himself got injured.
I think we need a big that's able to defend in space and switchable.

[Jamaaliver]

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[HMFFL]

I've heard whispers that Pistons may not be sold on him long term.

Any interest?

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I wasn't a big fan of him as a prospect but I like him a lot more as a pro. He just needs to lock into a role. Monty is elite at that. Duren wants to have elite success, just listen to Monty. He got Ayton paid

Monty is elite?
He seems to struggle as a coach except for being handed guaranteed contracts.

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[King Ken]

I've heard whispers that Pistons may not be sold on him long term.

Any interest?

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I wasn't a big fan of him as a prospect but I like him a lot more as a pro. He just needs to lock into a role. Monty is elite at that. Duren wants to have elite success, just listen to Monty. He got Ayton paid

Monty is elite?
He seems to struggle as a coach except for being handed guaranteed contracts.

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Monty has always had an excellent rep for being able to develop players into effective roles.

[Jamaaliver]

I'd absolutely be onboard with bringing in Duren to play alongside Trae/Jalen Johnson/Okongwu. That's a really strong, rugged front court to go with a bunch of finesse players on the perimeter. (Trae, Bogdan, AJ Griffin)

I'd be willing to offer them Capela and D Hunter to get that deal done. Might even swap in the SAC pick...if they'd sweeten the deal on their end.

And may I say, Jalen Duren's draft night 'fit...my favorite over the past 20 years. The kid has swag.

[Jamaaliver]

Great, all time matchup on Monday night. I hope the refs let both guys play and avoid calling questionable fouls...especially early:

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[Jamaaliver]

Grabbing this kid in the late 1st round really feels like a steal. Does everything on the basketball court except shoot.

Elite role player vibes.

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[Jamaaliver]

[Jamaaliver]

Observations regarding Edey in Tournament play:

• He's limited in scoring on the block. But his size/strength give him the advantage even in 1-on-1 matchups against other 7 footers. He'll feast on the block against most NBA undersized Centers.
• His teams tend to play slow and deliberate to allow him time to get down court and post up. This could run counter to the high pace that Hawks want to embrace.
• His presence in the paint is a clear deterrent (on defense), but he avoids careless fouls by NOT contesting every shot that comes through the lane. Meaning his rim protection isn't exactly dominant.
• He's in amazing shape and has solid stamina for a player his size. But i imagine he'll wear down over the years without frequent load management.
• Purdue had a really limited team and rudimentary offensive approach. That they made it to the Championship Game this year is almost totally a reflection of how dominant Edey was.

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[jayu70]

Observations regarding Edey in Tournament play:

• He's limited in scoring on the block. But his size/strength give him the advantage even in 1-on-1 matchups against other 7 footers. He'll feast on the block against most NBA undersized Centers.
• His teams tend to play slow and deliberate to allow him time to get down court and post up. This could run counter to the high pace that Hawks want to embrace.
• His presence in the paint is a clear deterrent, but he avoids careless fouls by NOT contesting every shot that comes through the lane. Meaning his rim protection isn't exactly dominant.
• He's in amazing shape and has solid stamina for a player his size. But i imagine he'll wear down over the years without frequent load management.
• Purdue had a really limited team and rudimentary offensive approach. That they made it to the Championship Game this year is almost totally a reflection of how dominant Edey was.

1. Indeed and how many post touches is he really going to get to make him effective?
2. Sometimes the timing is just not there for a contest due to his footspeed.
3. The pace that Purdue played helped his stamina, will be different in NBA.
4. Let Edy get his, keep everyone else in check.

[Jamaaliver]

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[King Ken]

Observations regarding Edey in Tournament play:

• He's limited in scoring on the block. But his size/strength give him the advantage even in 1-on-1 matchups against other 7 footers. He'll feast on the block against most NBA undersized Centers.
• His teams tend to play slow and deliberate to allow him time to get down court and post up. This could run counter to the high pace that Hawks want to embrace.
• His presence in the paint is a clear deterrent (on defense), but he avoids careless fouls by NOT contesting every shot that comes through the lane. Meaning his rim protection isn't exactly dominant.
• He's in amazing shape and has solid stamina for a player his size. But i imagine he'll wear down over the years without frequent load management.
• Purdue had a really limited team and rudimentary offensive approach. That they made it to the Championship Game this year is almost totally a reflection of how dominant Edey was.

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1. I disagree
2. The Hawks suck when playing with pace. They are better when they value their possessions. And I do believe you can play with pace with Edey but you aren't doing much posting up if you so.
3. I agree
4. That's a strange 2nd take. The 1st one was good though. I disagree with the 2nd one.
5. It's not basic. I've watched over 32 full Purdue games. It's not basic at all. Just not a fan of two bigs posting up but PPP in college is far different than in the pros

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

I'm officially removing Ulrich from lottery consideration.

There sounds like a ton of overlap with Okongwu and Mo Gueye at only 6'9".

Hopefully, he takes a year (or two) in college to further develop his game:

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[Jamaaliver]

I'm so tired of seeing opposing bigs get these types of numbers against us.

If we add Edey or Clingan next season, interior defense and rebounding would no longer be an issue.

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[King Ken]

I'm so tired of seeing opposing bigs get these types of numbers against us.

If we add Edey or Clingan next season, interior defense and rebounding would no longer be an issue.

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We gotta end up with one of them

[Jamaaliver]

Never forget that Usman Garuba, defensive specialist at the forward position, was on this roster last summer.

And then traded to OKC for the rotting corpse of Patty Mills in a cost cutting move.

He would have been hugely useful this year.

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[Jamaaliver]

Unpacking Donovan Clingan vs. Zach Edey

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NBA teams couldn't have asked for a better ending to the NCAA tournament than seeing 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan match up with 7-4 Zach Edey -- a clash many around the league were hoping to see. Edey filled up the box score as usual, with 37 points and 15 rebounds while playing nearly all 40 minutes, but UConn wore Purdue down and made his life difficult throughout. Clingan battled foul trouble but used his length and size to limit Edey's easy looks and finished with 11 points and five rebounds in helping the Huskies repeat.

Clingan put his stamp on March, shifting the conversation around him as a prospect and making him a lock for the lottery. He looked healthier and more mobile, which took his individual defensive play to a different level and helped reframe how NBA teams discuss his upside. UConn allowed Clingan to play Edey straight up for much of the game, trusting him to tackle college basketball's toughest assignment while his teammates worked to take away Purdue's supporting cast. As Givony laid out, Clingan's recent strides will make him a consideration for teams at the top of the draft, and the intangibles he's displayed help his case as a potential defensive anchor in the frontcourt.

Most nights in the NBA, Clingan's assignments will be much different than trying to slow down a pure post player such as Edey, a rare true center with a distinct size and strength advantage over him. While Clingan could only do so much in one-on-one situations, that decision proved effective, as he was able to bother Edey with his length to consistently contest shots. Clingan will be tasked with guarding in space and moving his feet away from the basket much more in the NBA, so this matchup wasn't a true test of what will translate, but he at least reaffirmed his toughness and competitive mettle.

Spoiler:

It's certainly hard to knock Edey for his production this season, and it would also be difficult to fault him for Purdue not winning this particular game. However, UConn's size advantage on the perimeter essentially took away his teammates and forced Edey to exert maximal energy, particularly early in the game, when he scored 11 straight points during a stretch. Those tactics paid off in the second half, when Edey wore down and the Huskies pulled away. The Boilermakers' lack of a reliable backup center to relieve Edey for extended spurts ultimately hurt them against a UConn team that triumphs by dictating pace and forcing opponents into uncomfortable situations.

Edey's remarkable season has firmly solidified him as a first-round pick, but he didn't necessarily help himself in the title game, despite his production. His dominance at this level wasn't news. While he handled the matchup with Clingan, there were moments in the second half where the pace and speed of the game visibly took a toll on Edey. He was forced to keep up with UConn's frenetic energy, and it ultimately made him look human after a hot start. When he establishes position, he's tough for anyone to defend, but when forced to pursue and chase 50-50 balls and play vertically, it's not always easy for him to keep up. To his credit, he's in good shape to consistently play heavy minutes at his size is remarkable in itself.

As teams ask themselves in the coming weeks whether a player as specific and uncommon as Edey can fit into their plans, his body of work will matter much more in the end. Still, the UConn game served as a reminder that certain elements of the game will constantly test Edey's mobility and ability to dictate flow of play on the interior, rather than react. How he holds up in that regard, particularly on defense, may be the ultimate determinant of his eventual NBA role.

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