As one of the youngest players in the draft, Noah Clowney had a successful freshman year as a one & done big man prospect, earning All-Freshman honors in the SEC. As a freshman, Clowney averaged 9.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.9 BPG, and 1.3 TOPG on splits of 49/28/65. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Noah Clowney
Height/Weight: 6’10/210
Wingspan/ standing reach: N/A
Hand size: N/A
Position: PF/C
Pre-Draft team: Alabama
Tools: Upside, rebounding, intelligence, two-way rim presence
Pros:
- Excellent feel for the game; consistently knows where to be
- High motor
- Good rebounder
- Good finisher at the rim
- Soft hands; catches any and everything with a wide lob radius
- Good athlete that can finish above the rim
Cons:
- Still a growing shooter with an up and down shooting season
- Needs to get stronger and add weight
- Straight line driver; could add a move or two on drives
- Subpar perimeter defender
- Lacks much playmaking ability; negative assist: turnover ratio
Swing Skills:
- Jump shooting efficiency
Summary:
Noah Clowney has all the makings of being a modern NBA big man. While his jump shot rode a wildly inconsistent wave as a freshman, his form and release are workable, with a high release that makes him difficult to fully contest.
Almost everywhere on the court, scouting Clowney as a process-over-results prospect is the best way to clearly see the upside: he gives maximum effort every play, he knows where to be, he’s generally mistake-free, he has good athleticism, and as he adds strength to fill out his long frame he should be able to be a dominant defender, particularly at the rim.
In relation to his motor, he doesn’t hang his head on mistakes, and will immediately get back to his assignment on the other end, being quick to forget negative plays. He also embraces the mismatch, and likes playing the underdog on court, whether that is on a switch on an island against a quicker guard, or against a stronger post-oriented big man.
Clowney has almost no habits that lead to toxic or detrimental play on the court. A good portion of his turnovers stem from either being young (he turns 19 after the draft) or lacking strength and losing the ball on contact. As he adds strength and physically matures, his game should develop into an even more positive player. With added strength, he will be able to score better against contact at the rim and be able to defend more successfully at the rim by winning physical plays.
Look for Clowney to get drafted higher than most projections. Teams will love Clowney on a rewatch because of his processes, even if the results currently are lagging. Given his age and raw talent, teams will be more enamored with the processes and knowing what to do, instead of holding his negatives over his head as a young big man, which is often a position that young players have long learning curves to adapt to.
Similar to/shades of: Serge Ibaka, Brook Lopez, Jusuf Nurkic
Projected draft range: 14-22
Expected role: Rim presence with rebounding, floor spacing, and room to grow overall as such a young player for his age and a body that he still has yet to grow into.
Unplayable if: He gets exposed on islands against switches, making him unplayable in the playoffs as a defensive liability on the perimeter.
Exceeds expectations if: Perimeter defense improves and jump shooting becomes consistent.
Miscellaneous Synergy Stats:
Catch & shoot 3s: 34-117 (29.1%)
Half-court at rim FG%: 49-71 (69%)
Half-court at rim defensive FG%: 25-69 (36.2%)
Videos:
Shot chart:
