2019 NBA Draft: Why Brandon Clarke is a Perfect Atlanta Hawks Fit
Defense
Clarke can jump out of the gym, as evidenced by some crazy marks at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine.
Followup to our Brandon Clarke measurements discussion. No surprise who is leading the pack early in the vertical leap testing. Both running and standing. The Gonzaga product is an elite athlete and is blessed with incredible timing as a shot blocker. pic.twitter.com/hjKcSw9jjw
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 16, 2019
He’s not a guy with Bol Bol lankiness and Pascal Siakam wingspan–no, he used tremendous vertical leap and phenomenal instincts to record some of college basketball’s craziest rejections of the season.
After watching this live, I can say without a hint of embarrassment that I threw my shoulder out punching the air witnessing that soul-snatch.
Gonzaga and Clarke have both been dogged for playing “inferior” competition in the WCC, as if smacking opponents by 40+ points every night isn’t something that Duke, North Carolina, or any other heavyweight would do if they were in a similar conference situation.
That (absurd) criticism melts when you watch the film of what Clarke showed time and time again this year against the elite teams that the Zags faced. Over and over, Clarke man-handled his frontcourt competition during Gonzaga’s clashes with Duke, Tennessee, North Carolina and others. The two videos I’ve linked so far are AGAINST TWO OF THE TOP TEAMS IN THE LAND THIS PAST YEAR.
Clarke is blessed with phenomenal athleticism that he uses to impose fear on any and all slashers, swatting away balls with reckless abandon and securing tough boards with strength and tremendous leaping ability. There’s a lot of Jarrett Allen in his game, and pairing him with John Collins in the Atlanta Hawks paint would form a scary duo that would impose their will on opposing teams trying to attack the basket.