Donovan Clingan is the perfect fit for the Houston Rockets.

What makes you think this?

All I see is a bunch of inconsistent athletes that can't shoot straight.

 

That lineup would struggle to score 75 points a game.

 

Even as someone who's not drinking the Reed Sheppard Kool-Aid, I would say if he's half as ready and half as good as people here think he is, then there's a good chance he will have rotation minutes next season. Amen for all his talent may still be treated as a forward next year due to his shooting. Ime has shown that he will bench Jalen on his crappy nights. And Cam's game is still really raw. If Sheppard balls in training camp he can easily take minutes as the best shooter on the team.

IMO that is probably why everyone wants him. Because he has the clearest path to contribute immediately.

 

Guard is where the minutes are at. Any drafted guard would probably be in a backup role. Any drafted big man outside of Sarr would be a 3rd string spot minute player being stashed for later.

 

Where we have Fred, Jalen, Amen, and Cam? Without factoring in if Holiday returns?

 

Amen and Cam are small forwards for now. Amen should be the starting SF. I think Sheppard’s only avenue to minutes are as backup PG. Even then he will have to ball out to get minutes there as long as we are in contention for the playoffs. As usual everything revolves around Jalen’s taking a step forward. if he doesn’t everybody on the roster will have a chance at some of his minutes.

 

Fred has one season left with the team
Jalen hopefully only has one season left with the team
Amen is more a point forward
Cam is the backup SG
Holiday is irrelevant AND not coming back.

So yeah, minutes at the backup 1

 

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14% 3pt shooting Amen Thompson's future is at a wing position and so is Cam. Neither have the handles to be able to operate as a lead or shooting guard in the NBA.

I'd venture to guess that any guard drafted with pick 3 would make Holiday expendable.

 

So a few things.

1. You guys keep using this argument that guys like Fred and even Jalen aren't part of the long term plans and so eventually minutes will open up for a guard. How is that not the exact same thing as these guys who are saying Steven Adams and Jock Landale aren't part of our long term plans? Seems like the same argument to me.

2. You guys keep talking about Fred not being part of the future as though there is zero chance that the Rockets opt to keep him. There is a chance. The beautiful part about the Fred deal is that it provided us with the flexibility to A.) have him set an example for the kids, provide veteran leadership and help Udoka instill a new culture. B.) Have the salary to trade for a max player should one become available in trade. C. Release his non-guaranteed salary should a superstar become available in free agency or D.) Resign him at cheaper amount when his deal expires should they wish to retain him. And why wouldn't they bring back a quality guard if they can afford to do so?

Right now he's the leader of the team. And I don't expect any of these children to overtake him in that regard over the next few years. So unless they need his salary to bring back a superstar or they need to release him to sign a superstar, I fully expect that they'll attempt to bring him back at a more manageable number.

As for Jalen, all speculation too. You guys don't have any more idea of what the front office is thinking on Jalen than I do.

To argue that Cam is just a small forward is dishonest. He'll need minutes at both the 2 and the 3 to get anywhere near 20 minutes a game.

And it's weird to me that people pose as if they 100% know how the team views Amen positionally. I expect he will continue to get minutes at both guard and small forward. Again, it's the only way to get him enough minutes.

And honestly, if we're to give Fred, Amen and Cam enough minutes (without even factoring in Jalen Green, much less Holiday), then there just aren't going to be minutes for a rookie guard. There aren't.

There are 96 guard minutes a game. Fred played 37 minutes a game last season. Jalen played 31 minutes a game last season (34 the year before). Assuming they average about the same (even if that means Fred's minutes come down a little and Jalen's go up a little), that leaves 28 back up minutes a game at guard.

At small forward, Dillon averaged 31 minutes per game. Presumably a healthy Tari will be getting his minutes backing up both Dillon and Jabari (who averaged 32 minutes a game). This leaves a combined 33 minutes a game in the back up small forward/power forward role. Jabari may still play some minutes at the 5 situationally, but with both Steven Adams and Jock Landale on the roster, I don't think he will play there much. So we are left with about 33 minutes of combined back up minutes at the small forward and power forward positions. I would think Tari is getting about 30 of those. This leaves 3 minutes for Cam or Amen?

Amen averaged 20 minutes a game over the course of the season, while obvlously playing himself into heavier minutes toward the end of the season. One would expect him to get about 30 minutes a game, right? If so, that means he's playing 100% of the back up minutes at guard and the 3 remaining minutes at small forward and power forward after Dillon, Bari and Tari get theirs.

Leaves no minutes whatsoever for Cam. Leaves no minutes whatsoever for anybody we draft at guard or wing.

Now I realize there will be injuries. There will be situational minutes. There will be games guys rest. But still, explain to me how there are enough minutes at guard or the wing for a Sheppard or Risacher or Dalton Knecht or whoever they make take. Without an injury, I don't see it. And even with an injury, I expect both Cam and Amen will be first in line for those minutes.

 

I think the fact that Amen can't shoot makes him better suited to have the ball in his hands ala Westbrook than off ball. But we'll see.

 

I think having a pass first wing that is a beast on the boards and plays tough D is a good thing. Watching Amen try to dribble around defenders and use that aspect to break down a defense was sort of shocking in how bad he was at it. I sort of expected a player lauded as a point guard to be naturally comfortable with the ball in his hands, but he definitely did not seem comfortable. Time is in his favor. Lets see how he looks this year, but worst case his size makes him versatile enough to move around.

 

You are right. Holiday and Brooks have to go and still the only minutes for any rookie this year will have to be an injury or if very surprisingly our new rookie forces his way into the lineup or Jalen is moved. We have absolutely no room as the roster is currently constructed for any rookie in this draft to crack the rotation unless Brooks and Holiday are moved and one of the starters sh*ts the bed.

 

A Clingan pick means Sengun is out of here.

DD

 

Clingan only played 22 minutes?!

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2024-nba-draft-prospect-rankings-final-big-board-underrated-and-overrated-players/
I like what Clingan can bring to the floor with his size, IQ and how he can impact the game defensively as well as the idea of what he could theoretically become on offense. However, I still have questions with his limitations as a scorer but the biggest questions to me are with his durability and his mobility to play significant minutes in an up-tempo, spaced-out and athletic NBA as a guy who played 21.8 minutes a game in Big East play this season. Talking around the industry between NBA scouts and coaches that have competed against him, I've learned I am not the only one with those same concerns regarding a potential top 5-10 prospect. -- Branham


https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...overall-bronny-james-goes-to-lakers-at-no-17/
1. True or false: Donovan Clingan is worth the No. 1 pick?

Finkelstein: In this draft? True. Clingan is certainly worth exploring and the Hawks are doing just that. The two-time national champ has been in to Atlanta and supposedly had a good workout, which has led to speculation that Atlanta could explore trading down to take him, and picking up another asset in the process. That was essentially Boston's move back in 2017 when everyone thought Fultz should go one, but they liked Tatum. Indiana did something similar last year when they wanted Jarace Walker and moved back a spot to take him, again picking up another asset in the process.

Boone: True. If I'm Atlanta I'm not 100% sure he'd be my pick, to be clear. In fact, I view his teammate Stephon Castle as a higher upside swing worthy of being the top pick ahead of Clingan. But the floor and ceiling case for Clingan is obvious: he's an anchor on the back end of your defense who can change the complexion of how your team defends and plays. Worst-case he's a starting center. Best-case he might be some iteration of Rudy Gobert. With some questions about other top prospects and how their games might fit in the NBA, Clingan presents safety and upside.

Salerno: False. While Clingan is in contention to be the top selection alongside Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, I don't think he's worth it. Clingan doesn't have the upside of Sarr. The Hawks would be foolish to pass on him. Could Clingan be the No. 1 pick when it's all said and done? Maybe. He's closer to the mid-lottery on my big board because of his lack of versatility. He's a defensive-first big, which is fine if you want to take him in the middle of the lottery (I had him No. 7 in my first mock draft this cycle) but he's not worthy of the top pick.

 

When it comes to FVV... that 44 million dollar option is unlikely to be picked up, he's a bandaid.

As to Green, he's got one season left and he's been terrible for 3 years this far, it's unlikely the Rockets sign on for more years of awful unless he's really good this season... and IMO that's extremely unlikely.

Minutes will be tight this season unless moves are made, but with so many starters about to be gone, it's best to prepare for the future.

A guy like Sheppard comes in and gives you a FVV for the future.

 

The only way I see them not picking up that option is if there is someone better available in free agency. Letting quality players leave in free agency without getting a return for them is just bad business. My suspicion is that if there isn't a superior free agent available (and I honestly don't think there is) or a trade in which his salary is required, then he'll be brought back and he will eventually get extended at a considerably lower price. Guys like him can play in the league for a very long time. See Mike Conley.

 

DC will not be there at 3.

Book it.

 

Hogwash.

 

Inside information or just your intuition?