Castle to Spurs, Clingan to Trail Blazers

The Story: Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan became the latest UConn lottery picks with Castle going No. 4 to the San Antonio Spurs and Clingan taken No. 7 by the Portland Trail Blazers during the NBA Draft Wednesday night at Barclays Center. Tristen Newton was then selected yesterday by the Indiana Pacers at No. 49, and Cam Spencer was drafted at No. 53 by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who intend to trade him to the Memphis Grizzlies.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The national champions were well represented in the lottery as Castle and Clingan were the second and third college basketball players off the board behind Reed Sheppard from Kentucky.

• Castle is the fifth UConn player to go in the top five behind Donyell Marshall (fourth in 1993), Ray Allen (fifth in 1996), Emeka Okafor (second in 2004), Ben Gordon (third in 2004) and Hasheem Thabeet (second in 2009).

• With Clingan going No. 7, this is the second time in school history that UConn has had two players selected in the top 10 in the same draft. It’s also the second time UConn had four players drafted after five were taken in 2006.

HOW DOES CASTLE FIT? We here at The Daily are fans of the world champion Boston Celtics, so let’s just say we’re happy the Spurs are in the Western Conference.

• Castle, who was perhaps the best defensive guard in the draft, will join a generational talent in 7-foot-5 center Victor Wembanyama under legendary coach Gregg Popovich. San Antonio needs playmaking, size on the perimeter and athleticism without compromising defense, and we envision Castle as the perfect fit in San Antonio.

• He doesn’t need the ball to make an impact, and for a young player, that’s a rare talent. Castle’s versatile on offense as a playmaker or off-ball slashing guard, and he can defend lead guards and wings with his size and strength.

• Castle’s offensive game is raw. He has to become a good 3-point shooter and improve on his 27% shooting as a freshman, but the championship pedigree he showed at UConn will serve him well on what will be one of the more high-profile teams in the NBA. And, Castle and Wembanyama in the pick-and-roll puts the fear of God into us.

WHAT DID CASTLE SAY? “I just can’t wait to get out there and show my versatility, especially with the kind of talent that we already have on that team. It being the youngest team in the league right now, I feel like our future is pretty bright. I just can’t wait to get out there.”

HOW DOES CLINGAN FIT? Portland has reportedly coveted Clingan for some time and was crossing its fingers that a player who was in the discussion to be the No. 1 pick would fall to seventh.

• The Memphis Grizzlies were hot on Clingan’s trail and attempted to trade up to jump Portland to no avail (and then drafted Purdue’s Zach Edey at No. 9).

• Portland is going nowhere, and Clingan’s going to get a lot of playing time. It’s also a peculiar situation because Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 pick in 2018, is at center and appears to have worn out his welcome in Portland after only one year. The Blazers also have perennially injured Robert Williams III, who is a top-level defender, rim runner and defensive presence, coming off a knee injury. Ayton and Williams are both on large contracts, and it appears one will have to go.

• On the bright side, Clingan’s strengths in the NBA will be his elite drop coverage (going under a screen), his ability to control the paint, his rim protection and his defensive rebounding. This was not just a pick of need for the Blazers. Given how hard they wanted Clingan, he may have been their pick even if they could have had anyone else in the draft.

WHAT DID CLINGAN SAY? “It’s been a crazy two years, from winning one national title to winning the Big East regular season to the Big East Tournament and then winning another national title. A lot of winning, a lot of succeeding the past two years. I feel like I’m going to keep that chip on my shoulder and go into Portland with just a lot of confidence, with a willingness to learn and get better every single day. I just want to have an impact and try to help this organization win and get to the top and try to win championships.”

HOW DO NEWTON AND SPENCER FIT? It seemed unlikely yesterday morning that both players would be drafted, but they’ve each found landing spots that will allow them a chance to earn their way onto the team.

• The Pacers value Newton because of his playmaking abilities and his high basketball IQ. They averaged an NBA-high 30.8 assists per game this past season, and Newton’s selflessness — and willingness to score when needed — are traits they value.

• Spencer’s reliable perimeter shooting makes him a good fit for the Grizzlies, who need a tenacious 3-point shooter, especially if Luke Kennard departs as a free agent. Memphis won’t need him to should so much of a scoring burden, though, with Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. the focal points of the offense.

• It’s more than likely Newton and Spencer will spend time shuttling between the G League and the NBA, much like Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo did last season. Fortunately for them, the Pacers’ and Grizzlies’ G League affiliates play in the same city.

— John Silver

Top photo: UConn’s Donovan Clingan holds up an index finger during the Final Four win over Alabama. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)