2019 NBA Mock Draft: When simulating the lottery gets wonky
. F/C. Gonzaga. Brandon Clarke. 10. player. 125
Thinking more about the playoffs, it has been fascinating with the upsurge of big playmakers like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ben Simmons and even Nikola Jokic to see how teams adapt round to round in how they defend screens. Some, like Milwaukee, are restricted by personnel and have to be smart to play to their strengths. Others, like the Celtics, possess weapons that allow them to change coverages in an instant.
Clarke’s value is in the adaptability he provides with his unique combination of quickness, length and IQ. He is the only college player who could compete with Zion Williamson in terms of reaction time recovering out to contest opposing players off the catch. Williamson filled highlight reels with close-out blocks, but Clarke did it more consistently as the center for Gonzaga.
Many NBA teams use drop coverage, which allows them to stay at home on shooters who are spacing the floor and defend the pick-and-roll with primarily two guys. Others are more aggressive, hedging out or switching with trust for their back-line rotations to protect the rim. Clarke would be a tremendous piece for either system. That’s why he’s so special.
Clarke blocked his share of jumpers this year and maintains the quick reaction time and foot speed necessary to corral ball-handlers headed toward the rim. The Bulldogs had few prototypical defenders but still finished fourth in the country in defensive efficiency, in large part thanks to Clarke.
With a defensive-minded assistant coach at the helm and someone like Clarke in the middle, the Hawks’ long-term outlook on that end of the floor would improve dramatically with just this one pick.