The most discussed improvement for Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan this offseason was his conditioning level. While that's been on display through the first four games of the 2025-26 season, another aspect of Clingan's development that is doing wonders for Portland's success is his three-point shooting.
Clingan has improved his three-point efficiency from 28.6 to 33.3% this season. More importantly, his volume has skyrocketed from 0.7 to 3.0 attempts per game. Clingan is taking -- and making -- more threes. Having that legitimate shooting threat at center provides valuable floor spacing for Portland's offense.
Donovan Clingan's shooting is solving Portland's biggest offensive problem
Clingan earned a starting role following Deandre Ayton's buyout, with the expectation being that he'd provide value on the defensive end as an elite rebounder and rim protector. While Clingan has always shown a willingness to shoot the three-ball, no one quite expected it to develop this quickly, at least to the extent that it has.
Although he may not seem like it as a 7-foot-2, 280-pound center, Clingan has quietly become an excellent fit for the modern NBA. He'll always have his limitations guarding out on the perimeter, but there are only a handful of centers in the league that offer their respective teams the same combination of rebounding, rim protection, and floor spacing. Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama come to mind, but even Turner and Lopez are limited as rebounders, while Jokic doesn't provide quite the same level of rim protection.
Clingan is already in elite company when it comes to his strengths on the court. And why we say he's an ideal fit for the modern NBA despite his physical tools being those of a traditional center is the analytical side of basketball. Teams have transitioned away from shooting long midrange jumpers, which are statistically the worst shot in basketball. They now emphasize the three-point ball and shots at the rim -- the two areas that have quickly become Clingan's strengths.
Portland has been a bottom-three-point shooting team the past two seasons, which was a significant concern going forward, potentially even meaning they'd have to reevaluate how their young core all fits together. Clingan is already addressing that collective flaw in his second year. It also opens up the driving lanes for the likes of Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and Scoot Henderson (when he returns), aiding their development in the process.
Between Clingan's improved conditioning and reliable floor spacing, he's proving why he should be considered a building block in Portland's rebuild.