2024 Draft Prospect Rankings: Centers
The 2024 NBA draft is almost here. In the next week, I’ll finish publishing my positional rankings, culminating in a final overall big board in mid to late June. Below you’ll find the last installment in the series: Centers.
*Link to On-Ball Guard Prospect Rankings* *Link to On-Ball Guard Prospect Write-Ups*
*Link to Wing Guard Prospect Rankings/Write-Ups*
*Link to Wing Forward Prospect Rankings* *Link to Wing Forward Prospect Write-Ups*
*Link to Bigs Prospect Rankings/Write-Ups*
A couple notes to bear in mind:
These rankings are strictly film and athletic testing based, as I don’t have insight into medical information or character
I’ve sorted the players into tiers, and as with my team power rankings, players within the same tier are somewhat interchangeable
“Game Reminds Me Of” is NOT a direct comparison: It simply means I see similarities to a current player in style of play and/or movement profile on the court
Any testing or height/wingspan info I cite is from the NBA combine data
Finally, for each player I have listed my projection for their eventual NBA role, as well as my perception of their potential ceiling. Here are those role definitions, as well as a few examples of where I would slot current players based on their 2023-24 production.
2023-24 Examples of the Projected Roles:
All-NBA: Capable of being the best player on a high-level playoff team or championship contender
i.e. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid
All-Star: A clear star player, probably best suited as a second option on a championship team
i.e. Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo
Fringe All-Star: Capable of being a lead offensive engine at times, but likely has a distinct weakness or two and lacks consistent all-star production
i.e. Domantas Sabonis, Alperen Sengun
Priority Starter: A clear value additive starter, but best suited as a complementary player on a high-level playoff team
i.e. Myles Turner, Jarrett Allen
Quality Starter: Capable of starting and closing most games, agnostic of opponent
i.e Deandre Ayton, Daniel Gafford
High End Reserve: Impact bench piece, capable of starting in a pinch, or closing if the matchup dictates
i.e. Onyeka Okongwu, Moritz Wagner
Quality Reserve: Deserving of bench minutes on a night-to-night basis, including playoff games
i.e. Andre Drummond, Nick Richards
Rotational Reserve: Clear NBA players, useful depth for the regular season but not a guarantee to hold a rotation spot come playoff time
i.e. Luke Kornet, Alex Len
G-League/2-Way: Fringe NBA players, candidates to fill out the final few spots on a roster
i.e. Charles Bassey, James Wiseman
TIER 1:
Donovan Clingan / UConn
Height/Wingspan: 7’3” / 7’6”
Rookie Season Age: 20
Player Type: Drop Coverage Rim Protector / Massive Human
Game Reminds Me Of: Ivica Zubac / Andrew Bogut / Brook Lopez
A national champion in each of his two seasons at UConn, Clingan was one of the most productive per-minute players in the country in 2023-24. While he may not project as the most versatile player in the world, his potential to anchor an NBA defense makes him one of the better prospects in this draft.
Clingan’s fluidity and technical soundness is the first thing that stands out about his offensive game. He has great hands, which he combines with patience and footwork around the basket to be an effective finisher. He’s a solid screener due to his wide frame, and he does a good job of navigating chaos in the lane as a roll man. He doesn’t get easily bumped off his spot, maintains a sense of where the defense is positioned, and keeps the ball high on the catch. He’s not an explosive finisher who's going to threaten the defense vertically as a lob catcher, but he has nice touch from floater range, and he can score adequately with either hand.
From the post, he’s willing to get physical in order to seal off his defender and work for positioning before the catch. If he gets the ball within range of the hoop, he’s so large that it’s almost impossible to stop him in any way other than a foul. However, he doesn’t back defenders down as easily off the dribble as you might expect, and his bag of post moves is solid, but unspectacular. Where Clingan does shine is as a passer. He anticipates double-teams, and times his feeds to cutters with ease. UConn ran a significant amount through him at the elbows/high-post, and he was able to read split screen action away from the ball at an impressive level for a young center.
On the defensive end, Clingan is exceptionally difficult to score over the top of when he’s in position at the rim. He understands how to use verticality and his ridiculous length (9’7” standing reach) to wall off the rim, and just like the offensive end, he doesn’t get rattled by traffic around him in the paint. Clingan also has an advanced sense of when to leave his man and rush to help, and his second and third efforts to recover back to the vacated area flash on his film. His size gives him some margin for error in this area, but his instincts are still the driving force for why he’s able to effectively defend multiple players around the basket.
I’m worried about what will happen in the NBA, when Clingan is more consistently pulled out to the perimeter. He lacks the quickness and agility to be effective at the point of attack: I expect Clingan to be purely a drop coverage center. He can contest pull-up jump shooters from farther back in the paint than just about anybody, but that will still be a relative weakness, and if a ball handler can get Clingan’s weight moving forward, it’s probably going to result in him getting blown by most of the time. I’m also somewhat concerned about his conditioning, as he only played 22.5 minutes per game at UConn. That’s not to say Clingan doesn’t play hard (he does), and part of his limited workload had to do with how dominant the Huskies were. However, as a guy who I expect to hover around 290 lbs. for most of his career, it’s fair to wonder just how many minutes he can play at an NBA pace.
If Clingan becomes the type of rim protector that can be the driving force of an elite NBA defense, his lack of versatility is only going to matter at the very highest level of the postseason. However, if he misses that mark, even by a small margin, his upside to be an All-Star level contributor becomes very small, and his fit isn’t completely seamless on every team. I fully expect Clingan to be an effective NBA player, but if we’re talking #1 overall pick, I’m not sure it’s the direction I’d go, even in a relatively weak draft.
Projected NBA Role: Priority Starter
NBA Upside: Fringe All-Star
2. Kel’el Ware / Indiana
Height/Wingspan: 7’1” / 7’4”
Rookie Season Age: 20
Player Type: Post Scorer / Lob Threat / Developmental Rim Protector
Game Reminds Me Of: Deandre Ayton / JaVale McGee
After failing to earn significant playing time at Oregon as a Freshman, Ware transferred to Indiana for his Sophomore season in ‘23-24, and was one of the most productive players in the Big Ten. He’s a difficult prospect to evaluate, because the package of skill and traits is tantalizing, but the film leaves me questioning if the necessary intangibles are in place for him to be a great pro.
With his 9’4” standing reach and 36-inch max vertical leap, Ware’s catch radius around the rim is highly impressive. He doesn’t quite explode off the ground with the quickness you’d like from an elite lob catcher, but when he has a runway to load up, there’s not many passes he can’t get to. Ware is skilled from the post, with good footwork and the ability to string together multiple variations of combo moves. However, he doesn’t have the greatest sense of court awareness, nor an amazing understanding of when to isolate vs. when to keep the ball moving. He’s also extremely left shoulder/right hand dominant, even if it results in fadeaway jumpers rather than shots going toward the basket. He’s not a facilitator from the post by any means, although he does do a better job of finding cutters from a face-up position.
Ware’s true upside on the offensive end lies in his shooting. I believe in his ability to make mid-rangers, and he shot an impressive 42.5% from three this past season. However, he only attempted 1.5 threes per 36 minutes, and his 63.4% FT shooting might be a truer representation of his shooting ability. He has a high release and is willing to fire from above the break, but his mechanics are inconsistent, especially in his lower half. Ware’s development from the perimeter, or lack thereof, is a swing skill that may end up defining his NBA future.
On the defensive end, Ware’s physical traits lead to some impressive flashes of rim protection, as he occasionally affects shots from angles that only a few other humans can. However, his instincts and reactions as a help defender are not ideal for a center. He can lose engagement off the ball rather quickly, and he’s often caught unaware and out of position by off-ball actions. He’s also a little jumpy in the post, although he did manage to play heavy minutes (32.2 per game) without fouling (2.0 per game) at Indiana. As a ball screen defender, Ware is going to struggle on the perimeter, as his feet are heavy and he doesn’t play from a stance. He has a tendency to overextend from his drop coverage positioning too quickly, leaving the rim exposed before it’s necessary to do so.
To me, Ware is one of the highest variance prospects in this draft. The overall package of skills and size could mean he’s one of the rare unicorn bigs, able to protect the rim and space the floor at an adequate level. However, the floor is also quite low, given lack of defensive polish and questionable feel for the game overall. This theoretical player type is so valuable that Ware is worth taking a gamble on, but he’s not a safe pick by any means.
Projected NBA Role: Quality Starter
NBA Upside: Fringe All-Star
TIER 2:
3. Yves Missi / Baylor
Height/Wingspan: 7’0” / 7’2”
Rookie Season Age: 20
Player Type: Explosive Lob Catcher / Drop Coverage Rim Protector
Game Reminds Me Of: Clint Capela / Bismack Biyombo
With prototypical size and athleticism for an NBA center, Missi brings a very familiar profile to the table. He can finish well above the rim when he gets a head of steam, and he’s an effective lob catcher due to his burst and ability to elevate (38.5-inch vertical). He’s physical, and willing to use his body as a screener and on the offensive glass. Missi has some ability to attack off the dribble to his right hand, but he doesn’t showcase amazing feel for when to create. His movement as a roll man isn’t remarkably fluid, as he’s slightly bow-legged and plays a little too straight up, but he has decent hands and enough speed moving downhill to draw defensive attention.
On the defensive end, Missi competes, and you can tell he’s trying his absolute hardest to do the right things. He plays from a stance when he has to extend out to the perimeter, but he can get overaggressive and lose containment. He challenges shots when he’s in position at the rim, but his instincts and timing as a help defender definitely require further seasoning. He’s not going to get overpowered in the post, but he will lunge at pump-fakes and overreact to initial movement, leading to fouls. Missi is also a puzzlingly poor defensive rebounder (3.0 DRB per game), which I believe stems more from a tendency to be out of position than a lack of willingness to scrape and claw on the boards.
Like most young centers, Missi is going to require some polish before he’s ready to be a consistently positive contributor at the NBA level. However, I believe in his motor, and I know he has the requisite physical traits, which is enough to make me think he’s going to be at least a viable backup.
Projected NBA Role: Quality Reserve
NBA Upside: Quality Starter
TIER 3:
4. Oso Ighodaro / Marquette
Height/Wingspan: 6’10” / 6’11”
Rookie Season Age: 22
Player Type: Pick & Roll Finisher / High-Post Facilitator
Game Reminds Me Of: Dwight Powell / Richaun Holmes / Mason Plumlee
Ighodaro is an explosive leaper off two feet (39.5-inch vertical), and he gets off the ground quickly, making him an above-average lob threat as a roll man. His court awareness is superb, and he understands how to vary his actions as a screener based on how the defense reacts to the ball handler. Although he’s not a dominant physical presence around the rim, he’s able to operate out of the short roll pretty effectively, because he has by far the best touch from floater range of any prospect in this draft. He almost always stays balanced and squared to the rim in order to access that shot, which makes him an effective passer out of the short roll as well. In addition to deploying him as a traditional roll man, Marquette frequently ran actions through Ighodaro in the high post, where he was able to facilitate backdoor and split cut actions, as well as initiate offense through handoffs. Ighodaro had some success attacking off the dribble in college, but because he’s not a threat as a jump shooter, I think he’ll have trouble successfully attacking NBA centers who are able to back off him and use their length to bother him at the rim.
The defensive end is where most of my concerns lie for Ighodaro, as his 8’8” standing reach is a definite limitation on his viability as a rim protector. He can challenge some shots at the basket because he is adept at staying vertical and he gets off the ground with ease, but he simply doesn’t have the range to contest as many shots as would be ideal. He struggles to recover to the dunker spot after stepping up to help, and his instincts off the ball aren’t amazing, as he can be caught flat-footed. I’d be less worried if Ighodaro was an impact switch defender who could be a versatile perimeter piece, but I’m not convinced he can truly thrive in that role. He plays pretty upright and his hips appear stiff, which makes it difficult for him to change direction with the speed needed to contain quicker ball handlers.
Ighodaro was a very productive college player, and I think he’ll carve out a niche with his combination of offensive versatility and straight-line athleticism. However, it’s hard for me to envision him being a starting NBA center, unless he really develops as a switch defender.
Projected NBA Role: Quality Reserve
NBA Upside: High-End Reserve
5. Zach Edey / Purdue
Height/Wingspan: 7’5” / 7’10”
Rookie Season Age: 22
Player Type: Low-Post Scorer / Massive Human
Game Reminds Me Of: Boban Marjanovic / Jonas Valanciunas
At 7’5” and just under 300 lbs., Edey’s preposterous frame is obviously the first thing that stands out on film. However, he’s not a gimmicky player who relies solely on bulk: Edey’s movements are remarkably fluid for his size, and he has legitimate skill in the post.
Purdue’s entire offense revolved around getting Edey the ball with his back to the basket, and that’s because he was exceptionally productive in that role. He showcases good footwork with drop steps and spin moves, and he is able to finish over both shoulders. Edey’s hands are adequate and his catch radius is huge due to his long arms. He also battles on the offensive glass, and if he gets the ball in the proper position, the only way to prevent a dunk is to foul. Unlike many other centers of his ilk, that’s not a great solution against Edey, as he converted 71.1% of his 12.6 free throw attempts per 36 minutes this past season.
I believe Edey is going to score pretty efficiently when he operates out of the post, but I’m less convinced of his viability in pick and roll. As coordinated as he is for his size, he’s still far from an explosive athlete moving downhill, and his skill translates much better when he has time to gather and take a dribble or two.
Defensively, Edey is a drop coverage center only. Once he commits to moving in a given direction, his recovery ability is functionally zero, which is why he can only really operate out of a backpedal. He’s also slow to recover to the dunker spot, which mandates that when he chooses to help, he better be correct. On the plus side, when he’s actually in position at the basket, he’s very difficult to score over the top of. Additionally, Edey’s conditioning is remarkable, as he managed to play over 30 minutes per game in each of his final two seasons at Purdue without sacrificing intensity or effort. At the same time, the space he’ll be forced to cover on an NBA floor is entirely different than what he saw in college, and there are going to be some real challenges as a result.
Projected NBA Role: Rotational Reserve
NBA Upside: High-End Reserve
6. Ariel Hukporti / Melbourne United (Australia/New Zealand)
Height/Wingspan: 7’0” / 7’2”
Rookie Season Age: 22
Player Type: Lob Catcher / Rangy Rim Protector
Game Reminds Me Of: DeAndre Jordan / Nick Richards / Nicolas Claxton
Hukporti is an extremely easy mover on the court, allowing him to access the full benefits of his height and length. He’s very fast in a straight line and runs the court well, which makes him an effective rim runner in transition. He’s also comfortable as a roll man and an above-average lob threat, as he elevates quickly and can finish in tight windows around the rim. However, he needs to get better as a screener, as he tends to be too narrow with his lower body, and he’s often overly eager to slip out of the action to get going downhill. Hukporti got some reps with Melbourne attacking from the post, but I’m not a huge believer in that part of his game, as he doesn’t have great footwork or strength, and can easily be out of control and turnover prone.
On the defensive end, Hukporti really impressed me with the quickness of his feet, as he showcased the ability to get to the level of the screen and still recover to the basket. He still probably profiles best in drop coverage, but the ease with which he moves allows for some versatility, even if just for a possession or two. He’s not the most instinctive rim protector, but he challenges shots when he’s in position, and his block production in Australia (3.0 per 36 minutes) was solid. Hukporti is also a fantastic rebounder (14.4 per 36 minutes), and his motor to find the ball stood out in a league where he was often the most athletic player on the court. However, Hukporti really struggles with physicality and footwork in the post, as he gets off-balance way too easily, and his foul rate (5.1 per 36 minutes) is descriptive of his tendency to try and do too much.
Projected NBA Role: Rotational Reserve
NBA Upside: Quality Reserve
7. PJ Hall / Clemson
Height/Wingspan: 6’9” / 7’1”
Rookie Season Age: 22
Player Type: Floor Spacer / Skilled Post Scorer
Game Reminds Me Of: Ersan Ilyasova / Naz Reid
A highly productive offensive player at Clemson, Hall offers the potential of three-level scoring versatility. He’s physical in the post, and comfortable with hook shots over either shoulder. He may not be quite as effective with his back to the basket in the pros given his size, but Hall has an impressive face-up game as well. He has a quick first step and is a capable attacker to his right hand, able to elevate off one foot (39.5-inch max vertical) for some big finishes. Hall prefers to pull up from the mid-range going left, but he has a sweet stroke and is a capable jump shooter off the bounce. Hall’s range extends out beyond the three-point line where he has a fluid, high release that looks very natural out of pick-and-pop actions. After watching him on film, I was shocked to see that he only connected on 31.5% of his 5.7 3PA per 36 minutes as a Senior, and I believe the 39.8% he shot as a Junior is closer to his true talent. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that his efficiency from beyond the arc isn’t necessarily set in stone, as the ability to space the floor is a huge part of what makes him intriguing as a prospect.
On the defensive end, Hall elevates well around the rim, and he has good shot blocking and rim protection instincts. However, his size (8’7” standing reach) puts a cap on how much he can do at the basket, as there were multiple occasions on film where he’s in the right spot but simply unable to contest a driver. Unfortunately, that will only be exacerbated in the pros. I’d feel better about Hall’s defense if I believed he could slide down and hold his own at the four, but he struggles to move laterally in space. There may be certain matchups where he can hang, but for the most part, I wouldn’t expect him to be able to play on the perimeter.
Projected NBA Role: Rotational Reserve
NBA Upside: Quality Reserve
TIER 4:
8. Ulrich Chomche / NBA Academy Africa
Height/Wingspan: 6’11” / 7’4”
Rookie Season Age: 19
Player Type: Developmental Project
Game Reminds Me Of: Bol Bol / Dereck Lively
Chomche might be the biggest wild card in the draft, as he’s barely played any high level basketball, but offers an extremely intriguing blend of size and skill. There’s not a ton of film on him that’s publicly available, but from what I saw, he’s definitely worth taking a shot on.
Chomche runs the floor extremely well, and his lateral movement appears very natural as well. He gets off the floor very quickly for lobs and put-back dunks, and his motor in transition and on the glass is impressive. He’s a skilled offensive player who looks to face up and either attack the basket to his right, or shoot over the top from the mid-post. He has range out to the three-point line, and he hunts catch-and-shoot opportunities. His form is strange, as he has a low release and moves his guide hand off the ball so early that it almost looks like he’s shooting with one hand. I’m not entirely convinced that will translate, but he’s been effective with it so far.
Defensively, Chomche’s movement skills and wingspan give him a high ceiling, but he’s very raw and nowhere near strong enough to compete in the NBA right now. At his absolute peak, he might offer both scheme and positional versatility as a guy who can both protect the rim and survive on the perimeter. Chomche will almost certainly spend the entirety of ‘24-25 in the G-League, but if there’s a team willing and able to make a long-term investment in the second round, there are worse ways to go.
Projected NBA Role: G-League/2-Way
NBA Upside: Priority Starter
Honorable Mentions: N’Faly Dante (Oregon), Enrique Freeman (Akron), Adem Bona (UCLA), Isaac Jones (Washington St.), Quinten Post (Boston College)