One stat proves Trail Blazers’ defensive duo should have the West terrified

The Trail Blazers being good on defense is a well-known fact at this point, but a stat recently shared by @uofbasketball on X paints the picture of genuine defensive dominance, specifically from Portland’s frontcourt. Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan ranked sixth and seventh last season in points saved per 100 possessions.

Look at the company Williams and Clingan are in on that list. Some of the most elite rim protectors of the 2020s are there— Victor Wembanyama (of course), Rudy Gobert, Jaren Jackson Jr., Chet Holmgren, and even Brook Lopez. The takeaway here is that Portland’s frontcourt defense is probably better than most fans even realize, and it could be the fulcrum of a rise to contention for Rip City.

Portland’s frontcourt is as good as anyone’s defensively

When thinking of the best defensive frontcourts in the league, teams like the Spurs, the Thunder, the Cavaliers, and the Heat likely come to mind. The Trail Blazers deserve to be in that conversation too.

Donovan Clingan came into the NBA with a lot of hype surrounding his rim protection potential. Yes, he’s shown some impressive offensive growth since being drafted, but his defense is central to his impact. The guy is overwhelmingly ginormous, allowing him to eat up tons of space around the rim and make life hard for finishers. He tied for fourth in blocks per game in the league in 2025-26 with 1.7. A traditional drop coverage center, Clingan won’t wow with his switchability or ground coverage, but he doesn’t need to when he’s so fantastic at the standstill stuff.

Robert Williams isn’t quite the stoic tower in the restricted area that Clingan is, but he’s a more versatile force who gets stops in a number of ways. He can execute every P&R coverage at a pretty high level, even switching, because he’s more mobile and explosive than the average five man. He’s at his best as a weakside helper roaming off of a non-shooter because he can fly in from 10 feet away and swat a shot at any time.

Together, with their individual superpowers, Clingan and Williams can, and do, power a formidable fortification for the Blazers, and that will continue to be key for this team as they ascend.

The Blazers’ defense will be integral to contending in the West

Victor Wembanyama has completely warped the landscape of the Western Conference, and every team is in an arms race to build a roster that can counter him. That’s why teams like the Jazz and the Thunder continue to load up on positional size.

Luckily for the Blazers, they already have their recipe for defeating the Alien (even if it didn’t look that way in the playoffs). Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams, especially as Clingan continues to develop, could be able to seriously bother Wemby, not to mention Nikola Jokic, OKC’s bigs, and even Cam Boozer if he hits his ceiling.

So, this is a PSA to the Spurs and everyone else in the West: be prepared for Clingan, Williams, and the Blazers next season, or else.

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