The Portland Trail Blazers went 2-1 this week. After starting the week with a pair of wins over the Sacramento Kings, Portland ended with a loss to the Eastern Conference’s top team in the Detroit Pistons.
With a lot of tightly contested games, the Blazers have a wealth of options for strong individual performers. However, this week Donovan Clingan really showed his value to the team, earning him the Blazer of the Week.
Clingan averaged 16.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game this week on super efficient 75% shooting from the field. He also managed to make 5 of his 7 attempts from behind the arc. He did struggle from the free throw line, however, where he shot a paltry 40.9% on the week.
Clingan is continuing to make his presence known in the paint for Portland this season. While he does not have the deepest bag in the post, his ability to play in the pick-and-roll, catch short dump downs and earn chances off of offensive rebounds give him plenty of ways to get easy points at the rim. Having a safety net in the paint allows the Blazers to rely on those easy baskets to be there.
That’s not to mention the defensive impact Clingan has. His ability to block shots and deter shots at the rim make him a key piece of a Portland defense that is struggling to keep up with a number of key injuries. As a backline defender, Clingan is able to erase mistakes on the perimeter and turn a blow-by into a missed opportunity for opponents.
This week’s honorable mention is Shaedon Sharpe.
Alright, so this series was started back when Portland had no true stars and every week someone else shined. More and more Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe are making it hard to justify not including them. So this is the obligatory mention that the pair could realistically win it every week, and for the sake of variety and highlighting others, they don’t.
With that being said, Sharpe was great this week. He averaged 24.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 51.6% from the field and 43.8% from three. He has become more and more efficient as the season has gone on, and that is translating into him becoming a much more dynamic player both on and off the ball. His skill as a ball-handler still leaves room for improvement as showcased by his 5.7 turnovers per game this week, but his ability to create his own shot is getting better and better. The turnovers are likely just growing pains with his increased role, but something to monitor nonetheless.
Which Blazer impressed you the most this week? Let us know in the comments below.
