The Portland Trail Blazers are going to reach a point where they must determine if Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen can share the court. It's an inevitable outcome with two high-level young talents at a center position that only has so many minutes to offer.
When the time comes that head coach Chauncey Billups must decide if Clingan and Hansen can coexist, he mustn't be afraid to take a serious chance on their potential as a duo.
Clingan is more of a traditional center, operating as a rim protector and rebounder who can help in the pick and roll. Standing at 7'2" and 280 pounds with an absurd 7'6.75" wingspan, he has the tools to dominate a game in those areas if he continues to improve his timing and positioning.
Hansen, meanwhile, has garnered loose yet ambitious comparisons to Nikola Jokic in the sense that he's a 7'1" big with a 7'2.75" wingspan and an almost guard-like skill set.
For as intriguing as their respective skills are, many are of the belief that Clingan and Hansen will ultimately be competing for minutes. There may be a scenario in which they aren't, however, and instead share a frontcourt in a lineup that would give Portland an unrivaled opportunity for dominance.
With a lineup of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Clingan, Hansen, and Jrue Holiday, the Trail Blazers could roll out one of the best defensive five-man lineups in the NBA.
Avdija-Camara-Clingan-Hansen-Holiday could be a dominant unit
With a lineup of Avdija, Camara, Clingan, Hansen, and Holiday, Portland would project to have no weak links on defense. It's fair to question if Clingan or Hansen could match up against contemporary power forwards, but opposing teams will need to defend them, as well.
It's likely to be more of a Death Lineup than a starting five, but it's easy to see the potential of five good-to-great defenders, including a 6'4" point guard and four players standing at 6'7" or taller.
The hurdle, of course, is making sense of the Clingan and Hansen dynamic. Clingan shot just 29.2 percent on shots from 20 feet and beyond as a rookie, thus calling into question whether or not he can excel in a two-big lineup without compromising spacing.
In saying that, there's reason for optimism, as 29.2 percent is a better number than one might've expected from a player who attempted just nine threes in 74 games at the collegiate level.
In the event that Clingan continues to work on his outside shot, there's reason to believe he and Hansen could share the court on offense. While Clingan needs to add skills to his arsenal, Hansen seems to already have them at his disposal. He's an excellent passer who appears comfortable working along the perimeter and is the proper refinement away from being able to routinely space the floor.
If their respective improvements come to pass, the opportunity to overwhelm opponents with size would give Portland a rare advantage against almost any opponent.
Blazers have shot at dominance if Donovan Clingan, Yang Hansen coexist
As far as the other players in the potential five-man lineup are concerned, all of Avdija, Camara, and Holiday are proven two-way talents. Avdija averaged 19.9 points and 4.5 assists on .496/.369/.777 shooting after Christmas in 2024-25, and Camara earned All-Defense honors while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Holiday, meanwhile, is a two-time NBA champion who has proven himself at multiple stops as an elite defender and reliable on and off-ball option on offense.
With sufficient spacing, playmaking, and shot creation along the perimeter, the Trail Blazers could lean on their 7'1" and 7'2" bigs for their brand of contributions. Hansen is showing clear star potential as a playmaker who has the raw skill to excel as a scorer and floor-spacer, as well.
Clingan, meanwhile, has already turned heads with his averages of 5.9 offensive rebounds and 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes while quietly showing promise as a passer himself.
There's an admittedly realistic outcome in which Clingan and Hansen fail to coexist, as their respective styles of play don't naturally mesh. Both also seem to have issues with avoiding foul trouble, possibly indicating a need to trade weight and strength for improved mobility.
As the 2024-25 season progresses and the Trail Blazers become comfortable with taking chances, however, a potentially dominant lineup could become a group worth experimenting with.