It seems inevitable that Donovan Clingan will eventually replace Deandre Ayton in the Portland Trail Blazers' starting lineup. The obvious upgrades will come on the defensive end, as Clingan is already a much better rim protector than Ayton. But could the Blazers also be better on offense with Clingan?
There's no denying Ayton is a better pure scorer. However, an underrated aspect of Clingan's game and a glaring flaw in Ayton's game is their screen setting. Making the switch at center will unlock another level in Scoot Henderson's game to help him reach his All-Star ceiling.
Ayton's struggles to set screens has hampered Henderson's growth
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has a tremendous film breakdown of Henderson on The Game Theory Podcast. He covers Henderson's performance on January 19 when the Blazers defeated the Bulls 113-102. Scoot recorded 25 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and two steals.
Vecenie notes one thing holding Henderson back is Ayton's poor screen setting ability.
"I have not loved Deandre Ayton as a screener during his time in Portland, and I think getting Scoot with a better screener like Donovan Clingan consistently would really help," says Vecenie.
He's also briefly touched on Clingan's screening ability in another episode, saying, "I also think he is really good as a screener and as a center that you can put out high to trust in dribble handoffs, dribble handoff rejects... He just knows how to keep the offense in flow. He'll reject a dribble handoff, then shoot a kickoff to the opposite side of the court and get an easy three-pointer that way. The way that he moves the ball and the way he's able to keep things in flow on the offensive end is just very different from, for instance, when Deandre Ayton is out there."
In terms of starting centers, Ayton is one of the worst screen-setters in the league. He's not always bad, but the consistency isn't there, which could also partially be attributed to his inconsistent effort throughout the season.
That's not ideal for a Portland team trying to build around Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, two guards who are at their best when they can get downhill and attack the paint. Henderson has looked much more comfortable in the PnR this season with his improved shot, finishing around the rim, and overall decision-making. But the Blazers aren't doing him any favors by pairing him with Ayton.