Edey and Clingan

[Eds fix Clingan]. I'm not super excited about anyone at 7 or 14, especially with their fit in the roster. I'm starting to warm to the idea of maybe Clingan at 7 or Edey at 14 if that's the way it goes. I was looking at their head to head and stats this season. Both block about the same, but Edey has much superior rebounding, scoring and an edge in assists with both being decent passers. But, then I looked at their stats at the end of their sophomore years. When you compare them at the same age, rebounding and scoring is about the same, but blocks are much higher for Clingan. I just thought that was interesting. It also makes me wonder if Ayton could play the 4 with a Minne kind of lineup.

I'm still hoping someone better slips out of the top 6, but Clingan could be an interesting player.

 

I could see Knecht at 7 and Edey at 14.

 

Get the feeling someone will reach on Edey.

 

Why can’t they explore trading the 14 pick along with someone like Simons, Grant or Brogdon?

 

I have been saying in other threads that Edey has been extremely impressive with the way he has prepared for and has performed at the combine. You can tell he has been working on speed and agility and came in at 299 lbs. If I was 7'4 I'm sure i'd be closer to 330 lbs. As for blocked shots, i'm not looking at the number of. I am sure both Edey and Clingan will get their share of blocks. I care about the shots that are changed or never taken because a 7'4 monster is down there and athletic enough to grab the rebound. The fact that Edey ate Clingan's lunch in the title game offensively is very telling. If Clingan stays at Uconn two more seasons he will not come close to matching Edey's numbers. If Edey had another player on his team that could help him it would have been a much closer game. People were saying Edey was fading at the end of that game. Probably true. Big guys like that should not be playing 35+ minutes. But he stayed in, gave effort and did not bitch or moan after the game. He simply got back to the gym and started working on his weaknesses like any dedicated player should do, but many do not. Personally I am not afraid of taking him at 14. I do not want Clingan at 7 or 14.

 

100% accurate.
Edey at 14 is acceptable. (I'd rather trade down to ~20 and get either Edey or Holmes).
I wouldn't draft Clingan anywhere in the top 15.

When I watch their games, both are slow on defense. Neither one is 'switchable'. Clingan appears to have a slightly faster processing speed, but I wonder how much of that is due to playing 20-minutes a night instead of 40 (while being the offensive hub).

Offensively, I don't see anything that Clingan does better than Edey. I think so much of Edey's game was predicated on the role that Purdue wanted to run. In the NBA, both players will be asked to hit the 10-15 face-up jumper and to set screens. Edey is a much better screener & I have more faith that he'll be good in a face-up game.

 

I would be shocked if we drafted either Clingan or Edey.

I don't think Cronin or Schmitz value drop bigs.

Missi or Ware are MUCH more Cronin/Schmitz types. I could see us going for either at 14 and I'd be happy with either.

 

Missi is also getting some buzz so far.

 

I wouldn't be shocked about Edey, but I do agree that Missi or Ware are more logical for a lightning in a bottle type player. Finding the next Nic Claxton is probably the priority in Blazerland. A young big that is three years out. Edey is a player that can contribute now, defensively and in rebounding. Does Portland need that with Ayton?

 

I just don’t want to use 7 on a center. I think 14 is a good spot.

 

Portland shouldn't really factor Ayton into any roster decision making moves.

 

Except to understand that he may not be the right C with the direction they want to go.

 

Edey will be this years Walker Kessler.

 

They'll both be productive centers due to them passing various thresholds I've observed.

For example, Kevin Pelton's WARP predictions tend to find productive centers. Hence, Embiid-Capella-Nurkic-Jokic in 2014 as top 10 prospects under his system, similar with Kessler+Chet, Lively last year, and now, Edey and Clingan.

Additionally, they meet my "Freshman Centers" threshold where they average 12/8.4 per 28 minutes on great FG% (above 56%) as freshmen. That tiny list comprises of guys as low tier as Wendell Carter Jr and Robert Williams III to Cousins, KAT, Embiid, Hakeem, Robinson, Shaq, Chet as the higher end. Ayton, Oden, Kessler, Duren also on that list.

That they're around 60%....I've never heard of freshman centers who can demonstrate that level of efficiency, even in limited minutes, and not become Ayton level.

Of course, their impact also depends on where they go. With the Spurs, for example, if they acquire Trae Young or Reed Sheppard. Even if they were somehow convinced to trade the #4 for Simons, it just might be near impossible to defend both Edey (drafted at #8) and Wemby and the backcourt all at once.

I don't see either failing as NBA centers, especially since they pass the eye test too

 

Kind of my feelings, I doubt a team like Detroit is giving us something as high as #5 for any of Ant/Brogdon/Grant. I'd likely prefer to just flip our vets for something else, even protected picks in other drafts.

 

So guard at #7 is fine?

 

This is exactly what I have been thinking.

 

Maybe thats part of why I don't like the idea of either of these centers. We already have a dreadful roster to watch, I can't imagine being excited about lumbering drop bigs out there on the floor next season. At least with athleticism at the 5 we could see some excitement and running.

If we were a veteran playoff team looking for center depth or a guy that could be a temporary 5th starter it might be very different. But currently our roster might not be there until these prospects are on their next contracts.