Rockets select familiar target in new CBS Sports mock draft

The last time Donovan Clingan was in a meaningful basketball game, he was helping the Connecticut Huskies win the national championship. Clingan had 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the game, along with five rebounds, a block and an assist, although he struggled quite early in the game.

The 7-foot-2 center is hailed as a surefire top-three pick in next month’s NBA draft and reportedly has fans within the Atlanta Hawks front office, who have the No. 1 overall pick . However, in the majority of mock drafts, the Rockets select him with the third pick, provided he is still on the board when they are on the clock.

Unsurprisingly, CBS Sports’ latest mock draft also has the Rockets taking Central Connecticut with the third overall pick. The synopsis is below:

“Clingan has been one of the most impactful players in college basketball over the past two seasons, and he helped win UConn the title this past playoffs by becoming a star as a defensive monster. He plays with great anticipation and his length affects how teams attack inside, making him an interesting if slightly outside the box fit for the Rockets here, next to Alperen Sengun.

Clingan averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.5 assists, 63.9 percent from the field and 0.5 steals per game in his second season with the Huskies. When converted to NBA workload, Clingan’s per-36 numbers are even more impressive, averaging 20.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, 2.4 assists and a shooting percentage. actual shooting of 63.7.

Clingan drew comparisons to Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, who the Rockets ironically pursued during the offseason last year. Clingan possesses the ability to truly make a difference on defense, which has sparked comparisons, although he is a far cry from Lopez offensively, as he is not a shooter at all.

There is hope he can complement long-term as a floor spacer, as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said Clingan has been turning heads and making progress in the point’s pre-draft workouts. from a long-range shooting perspective, which would be a real game-changer, as it would make fitting next to Alperen Sengun much smoother.

Clingan could immediately serve as a defensive anchor and rim protector, even in the NBA, which the Rockets do not currently have on the roster. But again, there’s no guarantee he’ll fall to third overall against the Rockets.

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