Donovan Clingan snubbed in latest NBA Rookie Ladder; here’s where he belongs

The NBA recently released their Kia Rookie Ladder, ranking the top ten rookies in the league as of Nov. 26. This was their list:

• 1. Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers

• 2. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs

• 3. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies

• 4. Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers

• 5. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks

• 6. Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans

• 7. Alexandre Sarr, Washington Wizards

• 8. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

• 9. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards

• 10. Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic

It will be difficult for Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan to climb into the top ten now that he's unfortunately suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain. "Cling Kong" will be re-evaluated in two weeks, his earliest return date. Before the injury, Clingan averaged 5.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and an incredible 2.2 blocks per game. His level of productivity should have been enough to be at least in the top ten rookies.

Why Donovan Clingan belongs in the top ten

Many draft experts and analysts declared the 2024 draft class one of the weakest in recent memory, which has been precisely the case in 2024-25. Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh (also the Blazers' analytics insider) previously shed light on this shocking stat -- throughout the entire month of October, no rookie even scored 15 or more points in a single game, making history for the wrong reasons.

76ers guard Jared McCain has been playing exceptionally well, averaging 16.5 points per game, but after McCain, the next highest scorer is Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (12.2). Even the top ten rookies on the list aren't making a significant offensive impact.

In terms of being a difference maker, Clingan surpasses several of these players with his defensive presence alone. At 7-foot-2, his defensive impact and skills have translated seamlessly from UConn to the NBA, as expected, making him the safest prospect in the entire draft class.

Clingan's 2.2 blocks per game are already leading the league on a per-36 basis. He's only getting 17 minutes a game, which is significantly less than every rookie on the list, with most of them hovering around 24-25 minutes per game (Bub Carrington is the highest at 28.4).

Where should Clingan be ranked?

Simply put, Clingan is doing more with less and impacting the game at a much higher level than several of these other players when he's on the court. That alone is enough to be in the top ten, at the very least, especially in such a weak class.

Here's where Clingan should rank:

• 1. Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers

• 2. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs

• 3. Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers

• 4. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies

• 5. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

• 6. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers

• 7. Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans

• 8. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards

• 9. Alexandre Sarr, Washington Wizards

• 10. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks