Pistons Draft Crush - Donovan Clingan?
What would the Detroit Pistons be getting in the Connecticut big man at No. 5 overall?
7’2 Big
20 Years Old (Turns 21 NEXT February)
Bristol Central HS, Currently Playing for Connecticut
13.0 PPG - 7.4 RPG - 1.5 APG - 0.5 SPG - 2.5 BPG - 0.8 TOPG (22.6 MPG - 35 GP)
64% on 8.3 FGA - 2/8 3PA - 58% on 4.0 FTA
My Draft Position - Top 10 Pick
*These are my raw, and condensed, scouting report notes from watching multiple games throughout the season*
ARCHETYPE/POTENTIAL ROLE
This is your true play finishing and rim protecting big with a crazy amount of size and “better than you would think” mobility to go along with it. He can run the floor in and put pressure on the defense in transition along with all of the half court necessities of dunker spot, OREB and Pick-and-Roll finishing. He is a good passer but not a “hub of the offense” type of passer and not the post up presence of someone like Zach Edey. The biggest value is what he will be able to bring on the defensive end of the court as a ball screen defender and rim protector. As mentioned, he moves better than you might think for his size and his sheer size does allow him to be a consistent rim deterrent. I have questions about the amount of minutes he plays throughout a game (something that he did more of in the Final Four) and how that translates to the next level but this may not be as big of a concern for NBA teams. While not one to one players, a comparison you will often get is Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz.
OFFENSE
One of my biggest question marks in terms of the value he gives an NBA team is how can I buy him as a top 10 pick when I never see him play more than 5-6 minutes at a time
How does that translate to the NBA?
Maybe this is fine, very well could be
PLAYED 5 STRAIGHT MINUTES TO START 2ND HALF
Played well BUT by the end he has a ball screen drop possession where he just doesn’t have the juice to recover to the lob and ends up fouling and giving up the and-one
Minutes have increased from last season but still less than 23 a game
Do we get conference or NCAA tournament games where he plays closer to 30?
He is in this Big East title game and it’s exactly what I was hoping to see to give me more confidence
Averages 30 MPG in the two Final Four games, 31 minutes vs Marquette in Big East Championship
Only four games this season with 30+ minutes and 11 games with less than 20 minutes
Was this simply injury/conditioning related?
THIS WAS MY PRESEASON NOTE
My biggest questions is if the production can stay with the increased minutes
5.7 fouls per 40 (WENT DOWN TO 3.6 per 40 THIS SEASON), he was fouling almost 2 times per game in just 13 minutes
This changes your mindset, especially defensively, when you are needed for 30 minutes as opposed to just 10-15
The only thing production wise that didn’t stay the same or jump was actually the rebounding
OREB, Dunker, PnR
DOES HE GET OFF THE GROUND THAT QUICKLY?
This doesn’t matter at this level (size) but greatly impacts his ceiling at the next
I do think it is something he will have to continue to grow
Karaban DOESN’T throw him a lob in transition and he can’t finish one that is thrown to him
Lack of elevation, lack of hands, or just random?
There are games where I didn’t think the touch around the rim looks very good AND THEN
Seems to have good hands and a nice touch around the rim (notes from a different game)
Probably means it is somewhere in the middle with definite room for growth
He looks solid running the floor in a straight line
Could see him being a real threat in transition
He does do a decent job moving from one action to the next
PnP into DHO, screen into re screen, etc.
SOME PASSING
Had a really nice short roll backdoor bounce pass to Karaban
Continuing to really show this in post season play
NOT JOKIC/SABONIS/SENGUN run the offense through the hi post stuff but solid passer with really good assist to turnover numbers
DEFENSE
Drop Coverage
I think the movement is enough that he can be a very good drop coverage ball screen defender
He does end up turning his hips too much for my liking which forces him to turn all the way around when he has to recover
Has had some good recovery possessions which is good to see (recovering to the roller)
Seeing him do some of this stuff late in the season is one of the biggest reasons I moved him back into my top 10
I have a few questions about whether he will be able to backpedal and elevate to take away lob passes to really good rolling bigs
I like his overall movement but this isn’t easy for someone his size but something he will have to be able to do against ELITE level rim finishing bigs
They have him almost playing at the level which I don’t like but is impressive to see him hold up in
Maybe this lends itself to him being able to do more than just deep drop
Recovers on a contest of a drive and then back to block Ware
Has another drop where he is able to recover and meet Ware at the rim
HE RELEGATED WARE TO A JUMP SHOOTER
I think his movement ability AND reaction in these “away from the action” plays is where he really stands out for me
First defensive possession vs Bama in the Final Four is a great example
*SINCE THEY ARE GOING TO GET COMPARED A LOT*
Clingan (This Season - Sophomore Season)
13.0 PPG - 7.4 RPG - 1.5 APG - 0.5 SPG - 2.5 BPG - 0.8 TOPG (22.6 MPG - 35 GP)
64% on 8.3 FGA - 2/8 3PA - 58% on 4.0 FTA
Edey (Two Seasons Ago - Sophomore Season)
14.4 PPG - 7.7 RPG - 1.2 APG - 0.2 SPG - 1.2 BPG - 1.7 TOPG (19.0 MPG - 37 GP)
65% on 8.8 FGA - 0/0 3PA - 65% on 4.7 FTA
FOR THE PISTONS
A couple weeks ago I wrote “full stop, I think this would be a pick if you are sure you eventually move on from Jalen Duren. Alex Sarr only makes some sense to me because there are multiple paths to play out when drafting him and one is he and Duren playing together. If you draft Clingan then you are either investing two lottery picks over three years into 48 minutes split at the center position with both being complete non floor spacers OR you don’t plan on both being on the roster for too long of a stretch of their careers.” While I still believe that eventually you move on from Duren (is he more valuable to the Pistons longterm as backup center behind Clingan - assuming Clingan is what we are discussing here - or moving in a trade?) I have warmed up to the idea of having both on the roster early in Clingan’s career. Minutes and stamina have been a question for the massive big man and it might be better for him to play in the 20-24 minutes a night range for the first couple years of his career, whether starting or coming off the bench. I am fully bought into his defensive value which is something this Pistons team desperately needs and especially in the paint. I do pushback on those who are quick to say “maybe he eventually spaces the floor like Brook Lopez” as that seems much more of an outlier trajectory than something we should reasonably expect (Lopez shot almost 80% from the FT line - on high volume - his sophomore year at Stanford, Clingan was at 58% this season). That limits his upside and doesn’t help space the floor for Cade (and company) but he should be an elite screener, roller, play finisher AND I think his passing is one of his most underrated values.