Ranking the 10 best lockdown defensive prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft

Best Defensive Player #10: Jaylen Clark, UCLA

Almost all of Clark’s junior season went just as he wanted, as he broke out in a major way on both ends of the floor. While his improvement as a scorer and shooter is important, Clark’s defense is his calling card on the perimeter.

Clark won the Pac-12’s defensive player of the year award by smothering guards and forwards left and right. Clark has a solid frame that can absorb contact, has fast feet to keep up with drives, and also combines his long arms and great instincts on defense to be a menace to anyone who wants to drive on or near him:

Clark won’t average 2.6 steals at the NBA level, both due to the increased competition and the need to recover from an unfortunate late Achilles injury, but he can be reliably counted on to guard guards and wings at that level in the league. Although he may go undrafted due to his injury, Clark’s defense may one day earn him a rotation spot on an NBA team.