Donovan Clingan entered the league as arguably the safest option in the entire 2024 draft class. With his size, rebounding, and rim protection, it was clear his defensive impact would translate on day one. That resulted in an All-Rookie campaign for the UConn product, making him the first Trail Blazer to receive the honor since Damian Lillard in 2013.
Clingan's rookie season was as advertised, already justifying Portland's No. 7 overall selection. But a surprising second-year offensive leap is now making this look like an absolute steal.
A reliable three-point shot is raising Donovan Clingan's ceiling
Clingan has emerged as a two-way center, impacting the offensive end with his newfound three-point shot and underrated court vision. In his first 20 games this season, Clingan looked more or less like the same player we saw as a rookie. The conditioning level certainly improved over the offseason, and his numbers went up as a result of his increased role following Deandre Ayton's buyout. But he was still limited offensively, with the vast majority of his scoring coming from offensive rebounds or being set up for easy looks around the paint.
He made a point of expanding his game beyond the three-point line, but it wasn't proving effective, as he shot 24.6% in that first 20-game stretch. We even criticized Clingan for not playing more to his strengths, as it was frustrating to watch a 7-foot-2, 280-pound monster settle for the shot the defense wants him to take on every possession.
But to Clingan's and the Blazers coaching staff's credit, they never wavered from the plan. Suddenly, Clingan's three-point shot transformed from being a win for the defense to a legitimate part of Portland's offense.
In his last 20 games, the Blazers' big man is averaging 14.8 points per game while shooting 40.6% from beyond the arc. It's been an impressive leap for someone who is just 22 years old and still has the best basketball in front of him.
Clingan is helping solve Portland's star power problem
Clingan's stock has skyrocketed thanks to this development. The discussions have gone from how high he would climb in a 2024 redraft to now, how many centers you'd take over him in the entire league.
Having an elite defensive anchor who can stretch the floor is a player archetype every team covets. It gives Portland a massive advantage nightly, as few teams can replicate what Clingan now brings to both ends of the court.
There are the Rudy Goberts of the world who can provide the rim protection, or someone like Karl-Anthony Towns who offers reliable floor spacing. The list of centers capable of doing both? Victor Wembanyama, Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, Chet Holmgren, and the idea of Myles Turner, which we all know is way better than the actual thing.
Clingan's rare center skillset has suddenly put him in the conversation with the league's best bigs. His breakout campaign has him climbing up The Ringer's player rankings to No. 76 overall, and even that might be too low. What he brings to the Blazers on both sides of the ball is proving invaluable, and Portland is lucky to have him as a building block for the foreseeable future. They might just have a legitimate star on their hands.