Donovan Clingan Scouting Report

Clingan is the best rim protector in the draft, but how can he overcome some of his pitfalls?

Rich Stayman

May 19, 2024

Name: Donovan Clingan

Birth date: February 23, 2004

Height/Weight: 7’2/282

Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’6 ¾/9’7

Hand size: 10 ¼

Position: Center

Pre-Draft team: Connecticut

Tools: Two-way interior dominance, rim deterrence, feel for the game

Background: Famously strong work ethic, always in the gym. Two time NCAA Champion. Maintained good grades and comes from an athletic family. Two time Gatorade Player of the Year in Connecticut in high school.

Season Stats: 13 PPG 7.4 RPG 1.5 APG 0.5 SPG 2.5 BPG 0.8 TOPG on 64/25/58 in 22.5 MPG

Pros:

Has a monster drop step that college defenders struggle to defend
The top rim deterer in the country; Intelligent second line of defense controller
Sets outstanding, physical screens
Strong defender
Great work ethic
Gets long & strong box outs to help him win rebounds; can move weaker box outs with ease
Goes vertical well and can quickly turn good defense into rebounds
Very low turnover rate
Sees the floor well and can do damage with both DHO through hard screens, and with fake DHOs to see cutters and shooters
Outstanding feel for the game; constantly makes good decisions
Huge frame with combination of strength and length

Cons:

May struggle to consistently stay with isolation drives; not bad, but not consistent
Needs to add a bit more lower body strength. Can get pushed around slightly (Providence game)
Can find himself in foul trouble a bit too much
Doesn’t explode off the ground; struggled with athletic testing at the Combine
Not a shooter at the moment

Swing Skills:

Team fit will determine how his lack of shooting impacts his team
How well will he scale up to larger minutes? Played in the low 20 MPG range
Can he shoot? Shot convinced some scouts at the NBA Draft Combine

Summary:

Donovan Clingan dominates the paint on both ends of the floor, deterring drives on defense while punishing mismatches offensively. His ability to make teammates better on both ends as a big man makes everyone’s job easier, giving him a high upside in the NBA to be a valuable glue piece as a bare minimum outcome.

Defensively, Clingan is a true intimidator and deterrence from entering the paint. Players are scared of him and his humongous frame, forcing them to surrender on plays more easily than against slightly smaller players. While there are some concerns regarding his mobility, testing poorly at the Combine and not dominating perimeter drives throughout his time in college, this is not a death wish for Clingan. There are many successful defenders that have thrived as a drop defender by winning with intelligence when put in uphill battles. The way he can dominate the paint will outweigh perimeter woes, assuming he is properly used in a competent defensive system. His ability to defend multiple plays near the paint at once is rare, and will immediately improve a team defensively. Clingan’s upside on the defensive end is to compete for Defensive Player of the Years and be on All-Defense teams. How this scales up to the playoffs is the big question, but he will not be a liability in the regular season.

As a rebounder, Clingan is tough to move and hard to sneak up on and steal a rebound from. With strong hands, wide box outs, and great timing on reading balls coming off the rim, Clingan’s rebounding awareness is sharp. Throughout the year, opposing bigs settled to get back to defense instead of trying to win a contested rebound over Clingan, which speaks volumes to his intimidation on the glass. On top of this, he moves well into rebounds after strong defensive plays, often rotating into opposite sides of the paint, going vertical, then grabbing the contested rebound over the shooter. These types of plays translate, and rebounding is generally considered the most 1:1 translation from college to NBA, which bodes well for Clingan.

As a playmaker, Clingan sees the floor well and is intelligent in taking advantage of defensive miscues by finding holes in the defense. His just about 2:1 assist:turnover ratio exemplifies how he minimizes mistakes and doesn’t take unnecessary risks, while being able to use his height to see over defenses to find cutters and shooters. Additionally, his dribble handoffs are strong, setting tight screens and rolling hard, and he leads his shooters well on handoffs, which is an essential trait for big men in DHOs beyond simply handing the ball off. Clingan’s ability to use his body to make his teammates better as a passer is another way he thrives as a screener. Clingan’s combination of size and playmaking/mistake-free brand of basketball is rare. Since 2010, there are only 8 big men (6'10+) to have 10+ AST% and <10% TO% by year. Donovan Clingan is one of 2 in the last 7 years.

While not a shooter, Clingan’s shot did convince some scouts at the Combine that he could extend his range one day. I am not entirely convinced, but rather think his sub-60% free throw mark is something that could be improved to a more respectable percentage. Overcoming his lack of shooting and maximizing other areas will be key to playing big playoff minutes. Additionally, fit will matter a lot for Clingan. If he goes to Houston, his upside changes drastically compared to if he went to Washington as the main big.

Overall, Clingan’s work ethic, already dominant paint presence, and feel for the game make him a center that can change a defense if placed next to a two-way franchise changer. Clingan profiles well as a two-way rim presence that complements his top-end teammates. He can also score by using a dominant drop step against non-centers or score out of the P&R. Clingan should be an easy double double threat that can eventually anchor a top 10 defense. As he develops his body even more to add muscle, he will become even greater on defense to play 30+ minutes per game.

Projected draft range: 2-9

Expected role: Interior force that can play mistake-free brand of basketball

Unplayable if: Combination of floor spacing woes and lateral mobility concerns make him exploitable, a la Ivica Zubac in prior playoff series

Exceeds expectations if: Free throw shooting takes a jump and defensive mobility concerns get negated by a high winning percentage at the rim