Donovan Clingan took tremendous strides from Year 1 to Year 2 as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. He was as advertised as a rookie, providing Portland with an immediate impact on the defensive end as a 7-foot-2 anchor. He was even the first Blazer to make an All-Rookie Team since Damian Lillard!
Still, you could tell that there was another gear to Clingan's game. The per-36 numbers were through the roof, and all that was needed was the increased opportunity.
The Blazers then bought out Deandre Ayton that offseason, saving $10 million and clearing a starting spot for Clingan. That increased role, paired with improved conditioning and three-point shooting from Clingan, resulted in a sophomore breakout.
Donovan Clingan is evolving with the modern NBA
He started in 77 games for the Blazers, averaging 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game. Most impressively, his shooting splits were an efficient 52/34/68, with that 34.1 percent from beyond the arc coming on 3.2 attempts per game.
Portland's front office viewed Clingan as a shooter, even though that wasn't necessarily what he was instructed to do at UConn. Now, we're seeing the vision as they are doing a great job of fitting Clingan's physically dominant game into the modern NBA.
Part of that is the increased role analytics play in on-court decision-making, particularly with a team's shot profile. The Blazers may not shoot the three ball well, but they had a strong shot profile last season under interim head coach Tiago Splitter. Many of the shots came from beyond the arc or at the rim, and Portland even finished third in three-point attempts per game in the league.
Clingan brings those analytics to life thanks to his improved two-way game. Defensively, he's already in the conversation as a top five rim protector in the league. Offensively, everything is either him spacing the floor, grabbing an offensive board, or utilizing his underrated court vision.
Clingan could take another leap in Year 3
The next step in that evolution would ideally be a post game so he's better equipped to take advantage of smaller matchups.
Last season's game against Onyeka Okongwu and the Atlanta Hawks was particularly painful. Okongwu had seven threes, rendering Clingan's drop coverage useless. He couldn't make the tradeoff worth it on the other end, as that offensive post game has yet to develop at just 22 years old.
That will come in due time as Clingan has a promising career trajectory. Portland's move to address its backcourt with the Ja Morant trade shows how comfortable it is with its frontcourt, with Clingan included as one of those primary building blocks.
They return a similar frontcourt rotation after reaching a new deal with Robert Williams III. With Clingan's starting role and path to minutes secure, another breakout is within reach.
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