While we appreciate Donovan Clingan's attempt to space the floor, the Portland Trail Blazers' big man needs to start playing like the dominant 7-foot-2, 280-pound force he is.
Clingan is one of the biggest players in the entire league. He's using those physical tools to his advantage on the defense end, providing Portland with elite rim protection. But offensively, he's trending from a non-factor to a liability.
This season, Clingan is averaging 8.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks. He's also shooting 19.4% from beyond the arc on a questionable 2.8 attempts per game. Overall, his numbers have increased from an encouraging All-Rookie campaign. But honestly, we expected Clingan to take an even bigger leap in year two.
Donovan Clingan is ignoring his biggest advantage
Portland bought out starting center Deandre Ayton this offseason, clearing the path for Clingan to have an increased role. Clingan also drastically improved his conditioning level over the summer to maintain his high level of play in extended minutes. While that was ultimately the right move for Portland to prioritize their center of the future, we hate to say that Clingan is playing similarly to Ayton in terms of a lack of physicality and assertiveness.
He's somehow only securing 4.8 defensive rebounds a game as Portland's defensive anchor in the middle. But as mentioned, the more significant concern comes on the offensive end. There's a reason these teams are leaving you open out on the perimeter!
Against the Pelicans, Clingan failed to capitalize on the size mismatch against the 6-foot-9 rookie Derik Queen. It's been that way throughout the season, with Clingan and the Blazers emphasizing a more perimeter-oriented approach.
It's a fine line, as Clingan is just 21 years old and could ultimately expand his offensive skillset to become the next Brook Lopez on that side of the ball. We love the confidence, but it's currently coming at the expense of Portland's offense. It's also likely why interim head coach Tiago Splitter has leaned heavily into small-ball lineups since taking over for Chauncey Billups.
Why should he play Clingan in a five-out lineup when Jerami Grant or Deni Avdija can offer more reliable floor spacing? The entire point of playing Clingan is to gain an advantage on the interior with his size and physicality. When he's not dominating the paint, his weaknesses -- mobility, perimeter defense, spacing concerns, etc. -- outweigh the benefits of having him out there. If he's going to continue to struggle with defensive rebounding and settle for perimeter shots, the Blazers might as well play someone else more effective in that role.
Clingan remains Portland's starting center of the future and a draft steal at pick No. 7, but he can't become their next Deandre Ayton. The Blazers didn't buy out Ayton just to watch his more physically dominant replacement make similar mistakes.
The good news is that Clingan still has plenty of time to develop a perimeter game. But for now, Clingan must focus on controlling the paint and exploiting size mismatches. That's how Clingan won back-to-back NCAA national championships with UConn, and that's the version the Blazers need him to be.