With an entrenched starter in 21-year-old Alperen Sengun, many have questioned if the Rockets would use an asset as premium as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft on another player at that same position. But it appears they’ll at least do their due diligence.
Per Bryan Kalbrosky of USA TODAY’s For The Win, Connecticut center and two-time NCAA champion Donovan Clingan will visit Houston as part of his pre-draft interview and workout circuit.
Now 20 years old, Clingan averaged 13.0 points (63.9% FG), 7.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 22.6 minutes last season, and he was viewed as perhaps the top defensive anchor in college basketball.
The 7-foot-2, 280-pound big man hopes to eventually add a 3-point shot to his arsenal, which could potentially make it easier for him to play alongside another center — such as Sengun.
But until Clingan consistently makes those shots in a game setting, it remains an ambition, rather than an expectation.
Similarly, Sengun would like to improve his 3-point shot, but he made below 30% last season on an average volume of less than two attempts per game. Thus, he isn’t currently respected as a floor spacer.
So, for the time being, both Sengun and Clingan are seemingly limited to a position where Houston can only allocate 48 minutes per game, and there’s also veteran backup Steven Adams to consider.
That might make it less likely for general manager Rafael Stone to invest a pick as high as No. 3 on a center, unless the team is confident in one or both players eventually developing enough perimeter skills (on both offense and defense) to play at power forward.
With all that in mind, it remains to be seen if the Rockets would actually select Clingan when the first round arrives on June 26. But it appears they want to at least learn more in the pre-draft process.
For my latest NBA mock draft, I've included all the latest rumors and intel I have heard about the top prospects.
We also have quotes from projected first-rounders like Rob Dillingham, Devin Carter, Tristan da Silva, Tyler Kolek, and Kyle Filipowski.https://t.co/kWXhPV0rz5
— Bryan Kalbrosky (@BryanKalbrosky) June 13, 2024
