2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 2.0, Atlanta Hawks Pick #4 and #10, Lakers Win Lottery

#11. Minnesota Timberwolves – Brandon Clarke

Brandon Clarke had an incredible breakout year with the Gonzaga Bulldogs last season, and was one of the most effective players in the NCAA last season. An astonishing vertical athlete, Clarke could serve any team in the lottery (or in the NBA, for that matter) as a rim-running play finisher.

Clarke’s anticipation on defense is also frequently evident, and he delivered one of the best defensive highlights of the season last year against Tennessee:

Though he has a rippling physique, Clarke is slightly undersized to play the center position (6-foot-8, 215 pounds), and is thus better suited to playing the four alongside a more conventional center that would allow Clarke to roam around the paint and perimeter on defense – producing highlight plays with regularity.

In this scenario, this is exactly what happens. With Karl-Anthony Towns locked up on a max extension starting next season (that the Atlanta Hawks could potentially trade for), Towns’s offensive brilliance would pair well with Clarke’s innate athleticism and defensive pedigree – creating one of the most fun frontcourt duos in the entire NBA for years to come.

Since Towns will almost always be playing big minutes, Clarke can paper over some of Towns’s defensive deficiencies all the while serving as a “garbage man” on the offensive boards and crushing home lobs whenever they’re offered up to him in the pick-and-roll.