LAS VEGAS — Anybody who watched the NCAA Match is aware of former UConn large man Donovan Clingan is a feared rim protector. Each hoops fan is aware of Clingan as an old-school large man who depends on his 7’2″ body to dominate.
Nonetheless, these issues hit totally different while you see him play in particular person — he’s enormous and an intimidating drive within the paint who can attain a degree solely a handful of different gamers within the NBA can match. Clingan’s protection was every thing as marketed throughout his Summer time League debut and he completed with 5 blocked photographs (together with one on school teammate Stephon Fort).
Additionally correct from the pre-draft hype was Clingan’s want to enhance on offense, the place he was 1-of-8 capturing, together with 0-of-3 from past the arc.
“I want I nonetheless… protected the rim a bit higher, I used to be capable of shoot the ball higher. I simply wasn’t capable of finding my shot immediately,” Clingan mentioned.
Clingan’s strengths — protection and on the glass — make him useful to Portland proper now. He’ll come off the bench behind Deandre Ayton at first and offers the Path Blazers an enormous heart mixture.
Nonetheless, for Clingan to achieve his true potential, he’ll want improved offense and higher conditioning (he was gassed at factors Saturday). The conditioning ought to come shortly, however the offense will likely be a undertaking.
His first Summer time League outing ought to give Path Blazers followers hope — there’s a good, perhaps nice, participant in Clingan. One who may be half of what’s being constructed within the Pacific Northwest. He may be the middle of the long run, he is simply received some work to do.
Listed below are another notes from Day 2 of the Las Vegas Summer time League.
• Miami virtually set the file for many factors in a Summer time League recreation.
The file is 120 factors, shared by the 2022 Grizzlies and 2007 Nuggets. Miami beat the Celtics in essentially the most entertaining recreation of the day, 119-114 — it was only a pure shootout. The Warmth had an opportunity on the finish of the sport however could not convert it to set the file.
One fast query for the Warmth: Why is Jaime Jaquez taking part in? He racked up 29/11/5, however what’s he gaining from being right here? It is time to shut him down for the summer time.
• Identical query to Charlotte: No person might work out why the Hornets despatched Brandon Miller to Summer time League. He would not should be right here, he had 23 factors and eight rebounds, plus shot 5-of-10 from 3. Come on Hornets, shut him down.
• Bulls draft choose Matas Buzelis confirmed flashes, however — like all the excessive draft picks in Las Vegas this 12 months — he is received quite a lot of work to do. Buzelis confirmed off the handles to create house, however his capturing is a piece in progress (as was a priority earlier than the draft). He completed with 15 factors on 4-of-15 capturing and 0-of-4 from 3. He clearly did not belief that shot, he most well-liked attacking a closeout to capturing the three (he did get to the road 11 instances.
• The Knicks could have one thing in second-round choose Tyler Kolek out of Marquette. He has implausible court docket imaginative and prescient and sufficient handles to get to the spot to make the cross, plus only a good really feel for the sport. He completed with seven assists — and would have had much more with teammates who might end (welcome to Summer time League, Tyler) — to go together with seven factors and 7 rebounds. It was simple for stretches to see him as a second-unit level guard.
The questions on the draft, the rationale he fell to the second spherical (No. 34), had been about his protection. He received blown by just a few instances on this recreation, and if that retains occurring Tom Thibodeau just isn’t about to place him on the court docket. He is received a assured contract so Kolek will likely be on the Knicks this season and we’ll see if he can carve out a job.
• Hornets No. 6 choose Tidjane Salaun was as marketed —he’s an extended, fluid athlete, and you may see the potential upside on a few of his drives and the boldness he performs with. He has the bodily items you’ll be able to’t train.
It is also clear how far he has to go, for instance capturing 0-of-3 from 3 (however 3-of-4 contained in the arc). Salaun is a long-term play however seems like a man definitely worth the roll of the cube by the Hornets.
• Dunk of the day goes to Bucks second-year participant Andre Jackson Jr., who anticipated the MarJon Beauchamp miss and timed the putback dunk completely.
• Until this late-game breakaway dunk by the 76ers tops it:
• Pistons second-round choose Bobi Klintman could possibly be a second-round steal. It is one Summer time League recreation, however he impressed with 13 factors (3-of-7 from 3), plus 5 assists and 5 rebounds.
“I convey quite a lot of versatility,” Klintman mentioned. “I can guard a number of positions, play at a number of positions, knock-down capturing, can transfer off the ball, make others higher on the staff.”
The fluid athleticism was on show in Vegas, as was the maturity of a man who performed in opposition to males in Australia final season and never school — he dealt with the velocity and physicality of Summer time League properly.
Let’s have a look at how that interprets in future video games and in coaching camp, nevertheless it was a promising begin and you may see why the Pistons signed him to a four-year, $8 million contract (the primary two years are assured).
