Portland Trail Blazers No. 7 overall pick Donovan Clingan may not be on the Kia Rookie Ladder heading into the second half of the 2024-25 season, but the Blazers certainly aren't regretting their Clingan selection.
His 5.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game don't jump off the page by any means. But compared to the rookies that made the list, Clingan hasn't had as much opportunity to boost his stats due to injuries, conditioning level, and Portland's center logjam. He's played in 33 of the Blazers' 46 games, averaging just 16.8 minutes.
Clingan has been incredibly effective when he has gotten on the court, as evidenced by his elite per 36 averages of 14.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. It is only a matter of when, not if, Clingan eventually takes over the starting center spot in Portland.
But Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believes that Clingan is already Portland's best center.
Donovan Clingan is already the Blazers' best center
Draft analyst Bryce Simon joined Vecenie in a recent episode of the Game Theory Podcast. They discussed NBA rookies at midseason, giving high praise to Clingan.
Vecenie highlights Clingan's impact on winning. "When Clingan is on the court, they're a -3.5 team per 100 possessions. When he's off, they drop to -9.2. And that's with him playing most of his minutes alongside backups."
He goes on to say that Clingan's contributions already make him the Blazers' best center. "This is the guy who is very clearly their best center. Maybe they're limiting his minutes to tank a little."
Lastly, Vecenie mentions Clingan's limited playing time, referencing his 10-12 minute games in November and December. "What are we doing? Why are we messing around with this kid? He's awesome. He's really good. I will say, though, when I watch him, I think there's room for improvement in his conditioning."
Clingan's lack of minutes seems more of a conditioning issue than the Blazers trying to tank blatantly. If they were genuinely trying to lose more games, they wouldn't be bringing all three of Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Clingan off the bench -- they would be prioritizing their development and losing more games by enduring the necessary growing pains.
Due to his massive contract, Portland will likely have to wait to find a trade for Deandre Ayton in the offseason rather than before the February 6 trade deadline. That's not ideal by any means, but it's also not horrible, as it gives Clingan more time to ramp up his conditioning.
Cling Kong has been as advertised on the defensive end with his rebounding and rim protection. Offensively, his passing and screen-setting are underrated attributes as well. In a draft class filled with uncertainty, Clingan is emerging as one of the top players. And as Vecenie mentions, he could already be the Blazers' best center at just 20 years old.