The last time Donovan Clingan played in a meaningful basketball game was when the Connecticut Huskies won the national championship. Despite getting into foul trouble fairly early in the game, Clingan finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, along with 5 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 assist.
The 7-foot-2 center is considered a surefire top-three pick in next month’s NBA draft and reportedly has some fans within the Atlanta Hawks’ front office, who have the No. 1 overall pick. But most draft mock projections project the Rockets to select him with the third pick, provided he’s still available when the Rockets get their hands on the pick.
Not surprisingly, CBS Sports’ latest mock draft also projects the Rockets to select the University of Connecticut center third overall. Here’s the rundown:
“Clingan has been one of the most impactful big men in college basketball over the past two seasons, starring as a defensive monster in last season’s playoffs and helping the University of Connecticut win a championship. He plays with a lot of anticipation and his height will impact the team’s interior attack, making him an intriguing, if somewhat unconventional, fit for the Rockets to pair with Alperen Sengun.”
In his second season with the Huskies, Clingan averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.5 assists while shooting 63.9% from the field and 0.5 steals per game. When translated into an NBA game load, Clingan’s per 36 minutes numbers are even more impressive, averaging 20.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, 2.4 assists and a 63.7% true shooting percentage.
Clingan has been compared to Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and, ironically, Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, who the Rockets targeted last offseason. Clingan has the ability to be a real difference-maker on defense, which is what sparks the comparison, but he’s nowhere near Lopez offensively, as he’s not much of a shooter at all.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony noted that Clingan made notable strides in his long-range shooting during pre-draft workouts, and there’s hope he can be a long-term floor spacer, which would be a real game-changer as it would make his fit next to Alperen Sengnen much more seamless.
Clingan could quickly become a defensive anchor and rim protector in the NBA, something the Rockets don’t currently have, but then again, there’s no guarantee he’d fall to the Rockets at No. 3.
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