NBA Draft 2019: Best and worst fits for all potential lottery picks

9. Brandon Clarke, 6-8 F/C, Gonzaga

BEST: Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics

Brandon Clarke‘s meteoric rise up draft boards this season is not a result of over-exaggeration or over-rating — Clarke was undeniably one of the most impressive players to suit up in the NCAA this past season, posting obscene offensive (16.9 PPG on 69.9% TS) and defensive numbers (8.6 RPG, 3.2 BPG, 1.2 SPG) for one of the best teams in the country. His elite functional athleticism and incredible defensive instincts make him a perfect bet to play the ‘4’ or ‘5’ in the NBA, and considering his age (he’ll be 23 on draft night), he should be able to step in right away and contribute for whatever team drafts him.

Both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics stand out as two phenomenal fits for Clarke’s talents, as they offer starting centers (Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota, Al Horford in Boston) that can spread the floor in a way that would give Clarke the space he needs to operate as a dive-man on offense. Clarke would mask the defensive shortcomings of Towns in Minnesota and would give Towns free rein to focus solely on scoring (something he would probably appreciate very much), and Towns’ perimeter shooting would mask for Clarke’s inconsistent shooting while simultaneously opening up plenty of diving lanes.

Likewise, Clarke and Horford would mesh just as well, as the perimeter-oriented Horford would be able to operate beyond the arc while Clarke has plenty of room in the paint. Plus, such a pairing would be elite defensively, as both players are capable of defending the paint, perimeter, and pick-and-roll effectively. It’s rare that you find two bigs that are so versatile defensively, which makes this fit perfect for Boston — and, if Clarke were to be available at the tail-end of the lottery, it would be a no-brainer for the Celtics to use the No. 14 pick on him.

WORST: Miami Heat

The Miami Heat listed as a poor fit? No, that has to be a typo, right? Wrong. Although the Heat are a haven for several wings in this draft class, they don’t have much room for a player such as Brandon Clarke, no matter how skilled and promising he may be. A front court pairing of Bam Adebayo and Brandon Clarke would be menacing in the paint on both ends of the floor, as both players are great athletes, rebounders, finishers, and interior defenders, and they would truly make for what would be an exciting combination in South Beach.

Yet, this pairing would need  for Clarke to hit his absolute ceiling — as in 99th percentile outcome — which hinges on him truly learning how to shoot the ball. It’s promising that he managed to completely overhaul his mechanics between his time at San Jose State and Gonzaga, and he’s flashed incredible touch around the basket while also improving his free throw numbers over the years, so shooting isn’t an unreasonable outcome, but hoping that a current non-shooter becomes a viable shooter is a lot to bank on in order to make this pairing work offensively.