2024 NBA Draft Superlatives: Top Paint Defenders

The 2024 NBA Draft is still nine months away, and even the college season is still a couple months out, but it’s never too late to dive into some draft superlatives. Who are the top three paint defenders in the draft?

Every NBA team could use an elite paint defender that’s capable of protecting the paint in a variety of different ways. We have seen players change games with their elite rim protecting ability with guys like Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon and the list goes on. Here are the top three paint defenders that are eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft.

Donovan Clingan | Connecticut

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Donovan Clingan is a 7-foot-2 big man with a ridiculous 7-foot-7 wingspan. He was a game changer off the bench for UConn last season due to his interior presence. His ability to change shots at the rim due to his ridiculous size and smarts as a defender made him one of the best paint defenders in all of college basketball as a freshman. Now he’ll be heading into his sophomore year with higher expectations and more experience as he’s coming off a national championship. Clingan will now be the starting center with more minutes on the table to showcase his dominance as a defender.

Alexandre Sarr | Perth Wildcats

FIBA.com

Alexandre Sarr is arguably the top defensive prospect in the entire draft due to his wild defensive versatility and elite shot-blocking ability. He has great mobility and ground coverage which pairs well with his size as he stands at 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. Against Ignite this month, Sarr averaged six blocks per game in the two games he played against them. The French big man doesn’t quite have the strength or muscle that Clingan has but his mobility and quickness allows him to recover a lot better than any other center in this year’s draft. We should be expecting a huge year out of Sarr over in the NBL.

Aday Mara | UCLA

FIBA.com

Aday Mara will be heading to UCLA for his freshman season and potentially his only season of college basketball. He has ridiculous size at 7-foot-3 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan which makes him one of the biggest prospects eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft. Mara’s size obviously gives him an advantage in the interior but he’s such a smart player with how to play angles and alter shots at the rim that it makes him one of the top rim protectors in the draft. The freshman will be sharing the floor with fellow big man prospect, Adem Bona who’s also known for his defensive ability. They have a chance to be the best defensive big man duo in college basketball.

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