Potential lottery draft pick Donovan Clingan recently showed off a massive improvement in his shooting after the 2024 NBA Draft Combine. The 7-foot-2 former Huskies slotman was recorded in a workout outside of the Combine, showcasing what looks to be a more comfortable shooting stroke.
A video of Donovan Clingan`s workout was shared on X by Evan Sidery of Forbes:
Clingan`s stroke looked fluid and effortless in the 15-second video. It showed him working on a bit of his lane agility as well, with him scoring close before popping back out for a quick catch-and-shoot three from the corner. After that, he comes off a screen handoff and receives another pass for a similar shot from the top of the key, which he also makes.
The former UConn center was never known for his outside shooting while at Storrs. His overall role was to hold down the paint, protect the rim, get rebounds and guard the opposing team’s best.
This was clearly shown during the Huskies’ national title matchup against Zach Edey and Purdue, where Clingan held his own against the two-time National Player of the Year in the second half to help keep the Boilermakers at bay.
One could argue that settling into his role under Dan Hurley’s system is the main reason why he’s a prized commodity in this year’s draft. As such, his apparent shooting improvement is just a bonus for NBA teams at this point.
Most recent mock drafts put Clingan as a consensus lottery pick. Bleacher Report puts the center at the sixth overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets. Defense will be the main reason for the Hornets picking Clingan up.
Will shooting be critical to Donovan Clingan’s potential success in the NBA?
The main reason why Donovan Clingan is a projected high draft pick this year is his defense. He averaged 2.1 blocks in his two seasons at UConn and his season-high in 2023-2024 was an insane 8-block performance in the Sweet Sixteen against Northwestern University.
But shooting could be the biggest differentiator in his offense if he wants to get more minutes in the pros. Sure, there are old-school, point-blank scorers in the NBA that are defensive anchors as well, like Minnesota`s four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert.
For his first few years in the league, Donovan Clingan would need to prove that he isn’t a liability on offense to get his first chunk of playing time. And shooting will be one of his biggest assets if he can get consistent with it.
