The 2024 draft class is proving to be as underwhelming as many analysts warned us about. It also shows why Donovan Clingan is turning out to be a steal for the Portland Trail Blazers at pick No. 7. In a draft filled with uncertainty, Clingan was one of the safest selections. He's turning out to be exactly the type of NBA player we expected as an elite rebounder and rim protector who impacts winning at a high level.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently released NBA Rookie Rankings at the three-quarter mark of the 2024-25 season. At the top of Vecenie's rankings is Memphis' Jaylen Wells, which is surprising considering San Antonio's Stephon Castle appears on track to most likely win Rookie of the Year. Clingan, Castle's former teammate, comes in at No. 7 in the rankings.
Clingan has been on and off the Rookie Ladder throughout the season but has climbed in recent weeks due to increased opportunities, with Deandre Ayton being sidelined for over a month with a left calf strain. Vecenie highlights Clingan's defensive impact during this stretch, writing:
"Since Clingan has been starting, the team is allowing only 110.4 points per 100 possessions, which is about the mark the Blazers give up with Clingan on the floor during that time. That is a top-five mark in the league over this run, and two points per 100 possessions better even than the team's run over the previous month, which included 10 wins in 11 games."
Blazers must improve Donovan Clingan’s conditioning for him to thrive in a larger role
Between Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Clingan, the Blazers are building a defensive-minded young core. Although injuries are always unfortunate, the silver lining is that it has given the Blazers a glimpse into their future, with Clingan anchoring the middle for extended stretches as the starting center.
This year, Clingan is averaging just 17.8 minutes per game -- that's been lower than fans were hoping for, but also not surprising considering he averaged 22.5 minutes as a sophomore at UConn.
Clingan has to deal with Portland's unresolved center logjam, with Ayton and Robert Williams III taking minutes away from his development. However, the more significant issue is that Clingan's conditioning level isn't high enough to play starter minutes effectively or consistently.
We all know how impactful Clingan is on a per-36 basis, with his rebounding and block numbers ranking in the top five in the league. He's incredible in limited stretches, but for the Blazers to get the most out of their recent top-ten pick, they need to be able to utilize him effectively for longer stretches.
Clingan thrives in short bursts, but his efficiency dips with extended minutes. His conditioning is one key reason why it wasn't a huge deal that the Blazers couldn't immediately get off of Ayton's massive contract, as keeping him around for another year gave Clingan more time to improve that aspect of his game.
This recent stretch with Ayton being out shows us what the Blazers' future should look like. But Portland needs to improve Clingan's conditioning to solidify him as the starting center going forward.