After coming off a National Championship at Uconn, Center Donovan Clingan has high expectations entering his second year.
This is Donovan Clingan’s Year
Background on Donovan Clingan
Donovan has a unique story, as he did not begin with a passion for basketball. However, when his mom passed away, he devoted his love of basketball to her. In his Senior season, Clingan averaged an incredible 30.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 6.2 blocks.
He was a two-time Connecticut player of the year and led Bristol High School to a State Championship. At UConn, Clingan was a major factor off the bench for the Huskies. Donovan averaged 6.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in only 13.1 minutes a game in his first season. He also shot an efficient 65.5% from the floor. His production was impressive, and it would be expected he will do more with a bigger role this upcoming season.
Donovan’s Strengths
His Size
Donovan is one of the tallest players in college basketball. Standing at 7’2” and 265 lbs, his size makes a massive imprint on the game. His length allows him to block shots with ease, so it is hard for opposing defenses to find a rhythm. Clingan’s size helps him on the glass, as he is a terrific offensive rebounder. He helped Uconn greatly in this department, as they were third in offensive rebounding percentage this past season. They were also 8th in total offensive rebounds per game, which Donovan was a massive contributor to because he averaged 2.2 offensive rebounds a game. He is described as “being nearly impossible to stop once he gets position (in the paint).”
Donovan’s size allows for a lot of success at the college level and propels him into possibly performing as one of the best centers in the NCAA next season.
His Motor
Donovan has a high motor. He plays incredibly hard on both ends of the court for the Huskies. Playing hard as a big man is a luxury that some NBA-Big men struggle with their motor. He impacts the game by going for every rebound, posting up with high effort, sprinting into screens, blocking shots, and running the floor. All of these aspects produced wins and factored in the success of Clingan during his first year.
Clingan’s motor will carry success for the Huskies, as long as he can do it for 20-25 minutes a game next season.
His Weaknesses
Foot Speed
Donovan is not the quickest big laterally, and that could be an issue if he guards players in space. He plays pick-and-roll in a drop coverage setup or a hedge because of foot speed. Players can take advantage of him if they pull him away from the rim and give their offense more paint opportunities. Therefore, he must work on this area of the game to maximize his defensive potential.
Major Playing Experience
While Clingan was massively productive during his first year, the question arises about his ability to produce in a different role. Although he is in good game shape and possesses an excellent motor, some big men struggle to play 20-30 minutes a game. For example, Yao Ming struggled to play 33 minutes in the NBA, which led to his retirement after the 2011 season. This question only arises because of Clingan’s massive size.
The more pressing issue lies more in his game decisions. Clingan will play in closing moments, and he lacked experience in those moments.
How will Clingan respond when more weight is put on his shoulders to make the right play in clutch moments? Time will tell
Expectations for Donovan Clingan
Although people may seem concerned after reading about Donovan’s weaknesses, people expect Donovan to have an outstanding Sophomore campaign in Hartford. His size, skill, and motor will allow him to make a massive impact on both ends of the court.
People should expect Clingan to be one of the better bigs in college basketball next season.
