Did Donovan Clingan find a perfect fit in Portland?
Yahoo Sports’ Isis Young, Krysten Peek, Lamar Hurd and Tom Haberstroh react to the 2-time national champion from UConn being selected by the Trail Blazers.
Video Transcript
Well, the Portland trail blazers reach out to Donovan Klingon and pick him up at number seven, Lamar.
We're gonna get to you because we know that's the home quad.
We're starting off KP.
How do you feel about this pick?
And who does Klingon remind you of?
I love it.
I, and the fact that he is a top three, top five talent and he fell perfectly to Portland.
They didn't have to trade up.
They were looking for help in the front court.
The fact that he's 7 ft two and he runs the floor very well.
He reminds me a lot of Squawker Kessler and what he can bring in his inside out game.
He's got the pick and pop potential and he's a winner.
He helped anchor that defense for that uconn team that went back to back and when healthy, he was the best center on the floor apart from Zach for college basketball.
So I'm happy for Portland.
I think they have to be static with this pick.
What do you think Lamar?
I think they are thrilled because ever since chauncey Billups came in as the coach defense was the number one thing they talked about and there have been flashes throughout the last three seasons where the Blazers creep up into the top 15 defense, top 10 knocking on the door, but it was always short lived and then they finished in the bottom portion of the league.
This draft pick right here is the start of really trying to change that and add that along with the other young talent that they have exciting times.
Ok.
Right up.
How about you, Tom?
Any thoughts?
Yeah, this is one of my favorite stats of the draft is that, uh when Donovan Klingon was defending the post up this season, the the score was shooting 25% on post ups.
Ok.
So around the basket when he's there, he is a law.
He is unbelievably big.
He runs the floor well and he's just coming into the conditioning.
You need to be at the NBA level, but this guy is a winner through and through both ends of the floor.
People say, hey, Rudy, he reminds you Rudy Gobert much better offensive game than Rudy Gobert at the same age.
I love this pick.
Ok. Well, we were on our Yahoo Sports app with reactions.
It'd be three or four fire emojis going up, clinging goes number seven overall.
Very good pickup for the Trail Blazers.