NBA Draft 2019: 5 targets for the Boston Celtics
1. Brandon Clarke, Forward, Gonzaga
If it wasn’t for Zion Williamson, we’d be talking about Brandon Clarke as the most dominant player in college basketball this past season. After two seasons spent in relative obscurity at San Jose State, Clarke redshirted his first season with Gonzaga, then emerged as one of the most efficient players in the nation on both ends of the floor, and became the leader of the 33-win Bulldogs. Only Williamson posted a better BPM than Clarke’s +18.9.
Physically, Clarke draws comparisons to Warriors’ center Jordan Bell as an undersized hyper-athlete at the center position, but he is much more than that. Clarke is one of the most cerebral players in college basketball, a diverse and efficient scorer and a massively prolific shot-blocker, especially off the weak side. He didn’t hit many threes in college (just 26 percent), but his midrange jumper was very good and he improved his free throw shooting from 57 percent in his final season with San Jose State to 70 percent with Gonzaga, so there’s reason for optimism in that regard. In an NBA that values versatility above all else, it’s not a coincidence that analysts have taken to Clarke so strongly — his all-around game would fit basically anywhere.
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While the Twittersphere generally loves Clarke, indications are that lottery teams aren’t quite so bullish on him. He’s old for a lottery pick at 22, and he lacks the traditional size that teams value from frontcourt players. It seems unlikely that Clarke gets picked in the top ten of this draft, and the potential exists for him to slip as far as pick 14. If that happens, the Celtics will have lucked into what might end up being one of the absolute best players in this draft class.