Overview
Klintman emerged down the stretch at Wake Forest during the 2022-23 season, ultimately earning an opportunity to join the Cairns Taipans of the Australian NBL. Prior to initially coming to America, Klintman was raised in Sweden and climbed the ranks of domestic pro leagues as a successful youth player. He then came stateside for a year at prestigious Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas prior to beginning his college tenure at Wake. His recently concluded tenure in Australia is high-quality professional experience, so his production should be viewed in a slightly different light than his draft peers playing collegiate ball in America. Klintman averaged 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.8 steals while shooting 44% from the field across 23 appearances with Cairns.
Analysis
With Cairns, Klintman finishing just 47.2% of his non-dunk attempts at the basket is a poor mark, but his size, fluidity and first step to attack closeouts and make moves off the dribble remain eye-catching. The former is trending towards being a real part of his game moving forward, as Klintman knocked down 36% of 75 catch-and-shoot 3s in Australia. He ranked fifth on the team in total possessions used as the Taipans finished with a 13-18 record. He continues to have appeal as a connective component of an offense but his 24/45 assist-to-turnover ratio underwhelms after posting a similar 26/34 mark in his last year at Wake Forest. Defensively, Klintman excels at jumping passing lanes and moves well in space on the perimeter, but his pick-and-roll coverage and secondary rim protection will be swing factors.
Projection
At 6-foot-10, Klintman can grab-and-go with the best in the world at his size, even taking into account his lack of rim-finishing polish. His handle impresses as well, but he isn’t agile enough to knife through traffic. Klintman pairs good cutting and active rebounding with his transition prowess and passable shooting, and he likely has enough defensive versatility to make an impact. If his connectivity and defensive instincts grow, an Aaron Gordon or Jalen Johnson-esqe trajectory is plausible, while Trendon Watford represents his floor.
— Profile by RotoWire