Scouting Journals for Donovan Clingan

You do not get a true feel for how big Donovan Clingan is until you stand in his vicinity. It is at that point you get the full understanding of what 7-foot-2, 280 pounds with a 7-foot-7 wing span truly looks like. Why he has jumped so high in this draft largely because of what he showed he is capable of during UConn’s NCAA Tournament run. Clingan protects the rim with his size, but he also showed that he could move his feet in an effective way, namely in drop coverage making it difficult for guards to attack him with any type of clear path to the basket. Clingan will need to improve the shooting and he lacks base strength which allows him to get knocked off his spots on the block. However, Clingan showed intriguing flashes with his feel as a passer. He passed away from the help as UConn gave him the freedom to make reads in post-up and elbow situations. Clingan is not a finished product, but there has been a recent success with rim-protecting bigs who can process with the ball in their hands.

Big. Has long arms and just a hulking frame. Great hands with touch over both shoulders. Can score with back to the basket. Good pace, good patience on the block. A great passer from multiple spots in the half-court can run some actions through him. A good shot blocker with natural timing, both hands. The athleticism and lack of pop are the questions. Can he get caught defensively out on an island? Can pick and pop out to 18-feet. A good rebounder in his area. Productive. Competes.