Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan took a nice development leap forward in his second season, becoming a dependable two-way player and the anchor of their defense. He led the league in offensive rebounds, was 4th in overall rebounding, 4th in blocked shots, and really improved his three-point shooting on higher volume (34% vs 29% his rookie year). At age 23, Clingan is poised to keep getting better. However, if Portland gives heavy minutes to guards Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, he’ll
be tasked with covering their defensive weakness at the point of attack.
Will Donovan Clingan take another leap, or will he regress by having to cover too much defensively for a small backcourt?
Adrian Bernecich: If Clingan can improve his offensive efficiency around the rim while maintaining his defensive presence from last season, that’s definitely a win. If he was ever going to prove his value as a defensive anchor, he does so with this diminished defensive backcourt.
Josh Fisher: I’m a Donovan Clingan believer, definitely not worried about a regression. Protecting the rim is what he does best, a small backcourt will give him plenty of opportunity. This kid is building on an age-21 season where he was the starter on a playoff team. The Blazers won the minutes Clingan played in a year when the team finished with a negative net rating.
Kevin Lawler: I fully expect Clingan to continue to improve, though I wouldn’t bet on a statistical surge. I’m most interested in how he gels on the offensive end with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, who have been two of the best high pick-and-roll operators in the league throughout their careers. Can Clingan be an effective roll man and facilitator if teams double Lillard or Morant at the top of the arc? I thought he progressed as a finisher and passer over the course of last season, and I am excited to see if he can add a little more to his offensive arsenal in his third year.
Max Contract: DC is a winner, and if the Blazers are to ever find themselves in contention, Clingan will be a major reason for it. He’s an advanced stats darling in several offensive and defensive categories, and has yet to reach his ceiling. That’s exciting for Blazers fans. When it comes to the Dame/Ja pairing, I do have concerns about Clingan facing foul trouble more than he has in his career. Opposing guards will blow by those two or work to get switches on to them, forcing DC to react. That could make the defense vulnerable if Cling Kong has to consistently plug the holes of the defensive breakdown. He reduced his average fouls per game last year from 2.8 to 2.4 per game, but I can easily see that number pushing a full point higher if Micah Nori features that backcourt. We’re going to learn a lot about Clingan defensively with this guard pairing because he’s likely going to shoulder a massive amount of responsibility.
Paul Navarre: Early signs point to Clingan being allowed to stay home in the paint, where he’s most comfortable. With a small backcourt letting players drive, more shots will come right at him, and that’s how rim protectors get noticed. Offensively, I’ve seen nothing to suggest he won’t keep refining his game. I predict another leap, with his name mentioned among the league’s top interior defenders.
What do you envision for Donovan Clingan’s third year? Can he hold the Blazers defense together if Lillard and Morant play heavy minutes together? Drop your thoughts below.
