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Brandon Clarke
AZCentral.com
Position: Forward
Year: Redshirt Junior
School: Gonzaga
Measurables: 6’8”, 215 lbs, 6’10” wingspan
Lateral Quickness: 8.00
Really good footwork, moves well for his size. Quick hip-turns coupled with his elite footwork and lateral quickness let him stay in front of his man on D
Speed and Athleticism: 7.00
Quick twitch and explosive athlete. High vertical. Runs the floor well
Dribbling Ability: 4.00
Limited dribble moves. Can crossover when under duress. Nice spin move. Can't use dribble to create space.
Passing Ability: 4.50
Slightly below-average passer. Can't make advanced passes, but can make the simple pass decently well.
Free Throws: 6.90
68.9FT% on .420FTr. FT% has improved with remake of shooting form
Long range shot consistency (3s): 3.50
Very much a work in progress. Completely overhauled his jumper. Form is a little better, but shot isn't falling just yet. Has outside elbow flare and feet are a bit too close together. Doesn't shoot it unless left completely wide open. Needs improvement
Mid-range shot consistency: 6.00
Capable mid-range shooter. Shoots 52.6% on mid-range jumpers (Hoop-Math). Can hit some tough turn-around jumpers.
Decision Making: 6.50
High Basketball IQ, has a great feel for the game. Very patient player, rarely in a hurry to get to his spots. Doesn't really make too many mistakes on the floor
Finishing Ability: 7.50
High Level Finisher, shooting 72.2% at the rim in HC (Synergy Sports). Can finish through contact with ease. Go-to moves are spin move and baby hook
Post Up: 7.00
Excellent post up, ranks in the 97th percentile (Synergy Sports). Knows how to use his body, his hip bump is really effective in creating space to get his shot off. Good technique coupled with his strength allows him to impose his will on the defense
Off-Ball Play: 6.50
Always moving around. Most effective rolling to the rim in High PnR and in the dunker spot
Rebounding: 7.00
Quality rebounder, possesses 14OR% and 19.4DR%. Really good positioning, usually in the right place to get the rebound. Capable of making powerful putback dunks. Height and wingspan makes up for size disadvantage inside. Can improve in aggressiveness, not as aggressive here as you would think going for the boards
Defensive Effectiveness: 7.50
Elite on-ball defender. Stays with his man really well. Alert help defender, makes early reads. Fights hard for inside positioning. His lateral quickness and hip turns allow him to more than hold his own on the perimeter. Defends without fouling at a high level.
Blocking Ability: 7.50
Great shot blocker, his 11.4BLK% is 11th in the nation. Really good on shot contests, goes up vertically with encroaching hands up, makes it really difficult to shoot over him. Elite rim protector
Steals/Disruptiveness: 6.50
Fairly active hands, wields a 2.3STL%. Doesn't take many chances defensively. Speaks to his ability to frustrate the opposition as an on-ball defender
Leadership Ability: 3.50
Good about instructing players where to be, very smart player. Doesn't seem to be a vocal leader. although this is difficult to assess given that this is first year on the court with Gonzaga
Intangibles: 7.00
Really good feel for the game. High Basketball IQ. High motor. Strong work ethic
Strengths:
Rim Protection, Athleticism, Basketball IQ, On-Ball Defense, Finishing
Weaknesses:
Outside Shooting, Ball Handling, Playmaking and Shot Creation
Overall Analysis:
Brandon Clarke is an undersized forward who owns the rim on both ends of the floor. His lack of shooting and size makes it difficult to evaluate his role in the NBA, but I see him as an Power Forward who can play some small-ball Center. I think his skill will be maximized offensively if he's paired with a Center who can shoot it from the outside, thus letting Clarke operate more in the dunker spot as opposed to the perimeter. His size doesn't concern me too much, as his athleticism, strength, and 6'10" wingspan should allow him to more than hold his own at the next level. Despite his lack of offensive shot creation and outside shooting, his ability around the rim and elite defense should slot him in as a Top 10 Prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft
Compares to:
Jordan Bell, Shawn Marion