With the focus shifting toward the upcoming NBA Draft, is there already a clear favorite among the prospects for Grizzlies fans?

Maybe so. 

If you keep up with the general online Grizzlies universe, by now you’ve probably seen someone posting about UConn big man Donovan Clingan, nicknamed “Cling Kong.”

Clingan is a 7-foot-2 giant, physically imposing and gifted with skills on both ends of the floor. 

Just a sampling of what is out there:

“Grizzlies fans need to hope they get a high enough draft pick to be able to get Donovan Clingan. His impact won’t be as profound as it is in college but he’s the real deal.” — John Martin

“IF MEMPHIS DOES NOT DRAFT CLINGAN WE RIOT. (Not really but I’m running out of reasons for this guy to not be on the Memphis Grizzlies).” — Joe Mullinax

“Clingan and Jaren (Jackson Jr.) as the Memphis Grizzlies starting frontcourt could solidify the future of the team.” — Francis Carlota

“I think the Grizzlies could do a lot worse than taking Clingan if they get the opportunity. I realize their track record with UConn centers isn’t great (too soon?) but he’s special.” — Greg Gaston

“Donovan Clingan, welcome to the Memphis Grizzlies.” — Benjamin Ford

OK, not just yet. 

Offensively, the UConn center is an efficient around-the-rim player, and a key screen-and-role threat, but he doesn’t exactly stretch the floor with his jump shot. Defensively, he averages more than 2.5 blocks per game, sometimes single-handedly shifting the opponent’s attacking strategy. 

It doesn’t take much of an imagination to envision that skill set working in the NBA, particularly when his frame is already huge. You know, like former Grizzlies center Steven Adams. 

It’s also worth noting that Clingan plays on the most dominant team in college basketball, one that has often been nationally televised and is running through the part of the season that most fans take the time to intently watch. To be fair, we can acknowledge a little bit of recency bias could be in play. 

The Grizzlies staff also has connections to the UConn program, although none (or at least not yet known) to Huskies coach Danny Hurley. 

So of course Clingan is extremely popular among the Grizzlies fan base. He is the most visible player that fits the most obvious need. 

I hate to break it to you, Memphis: He’s going to be popular among a lot of others, too.

Right now, Clingan projects to go somewhere in the lottery (top 14), with different mock drafts pushing him as high as the top five. ESPN’s latest mock draft has him going third overall. 

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are likely to enter the lottery sixth or seventh from the bottom of the league, meaning that there are no assurances that they will have a pick high enough to select him. 

Three major questions

One of the first evaluation steps must always be a player’s injury history. 

Clingan, although back and in dominant form, did suffer a foot strain earlier this season that held him out for around a month and forced him onto a minutes restriction. 

For bigs, particularly ones who carry around a lot of weight, that is always something that should be considered. Would Memphis be comfortable with that?

Minutes, in general, are another question mark surrounding Clingan. 

When factoring in those limitations, he played just more than 22 minutes per game this season. Even in the Huskies’ most competitive games, he has maxed out around 30. 

Perhaps that’s a number the Grizzlies would be comfortable with, considering Adams played an average of 27 minutes during his two seasons in Memphis. 

For comparison, Purdue center Zach Edey is logging more than 29 minutes per game. Duke center Kyle Filipowski is playing more than 30 minutes per game. 

But the most important question of all is Clingan’s stylistic fit. Is this the type of direction that the Grizzlies want to go?

Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins noted in February that the team could look for an Adams “archetype.” It should also be noted that in the solo full playoff series that Adams played, the team went in a different direction, opting for the more agile and springy Brandon Clarke against Minnesota. 

If the Grizzlies are building for the postseason, it is imperative that they prioritize players they believe will be on the court when the season is on the line.

Would a 21-year-old rookie be ready for that starting role? Or could Memphis find more value in selecting a player who could help in other areas, while searching for a big in the trade market?

That’s for general manager Zach Kleiman to figure out. It may be the key question surrounding the franchise as we inch closer to the offseason. 

There’s still a long way to go in this process for the Grizzlies. 

And a couple of Final Four games to watch. 

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