The Portland Trail Blazers have made offensive rebounding a key part of their identity so far this season. Whether that is by design or by nature of there being a plethora of missed shots to clean up is open for interpretation. However, what is not subjective about the offensive glass is that second-year center Donovan Clingan has been an absolute monster on the boards.
Clingan is averaging 4.6 offensive rebounds per game this season, and leading the league with 97 total for the year. His efforts
have helped keep the Blazers afloat amid some pretty ugly shooting nights. Currently Portland ranks 29th in field goal percentage, near 44%, and dead last in three-point percentage at 33%. The Blazers are, however, tied for third in second chance points per game at 17.5 per game.
Obviously offensive rebounding is a team effort for the Blazers, but Clingan’s 4.6 number is far and away the best on the team. Behind him tied for a distant second place are Robert Williams III and Toumani Camara who average 2.1 each.
Just how important is this rebounding for Portland’s offense? I went back through play-by-play of each game Clingan has played this season and tallied up the second chance points he has generated as an offensive rebounder. For simplicity’s sake, my definition of a second chance point when calculating this stat is a basket scored after an offensive rebound, but before a stoppage. That means that any free throws awarded after an offensive rebound were not counted.
Through 21 games this season, the Blazers have scored 81 second chance points from Clingan’s offensive boards, 46 of which were scored by Clingan himself by my count. That averages out to be 2.2 points per game for Clingan coming off his own offensive boards, making up a sizable chunk of his 10.0 point per game average. The Blazers as a team average 3.9 points off of Clingan’s offensive boards.
That number might seem a bit low, but for a team that is in the depths of the NBA in shooting percentage, any extra chance helps.
The stat is prone to outliers. There were a handful of games this season where Clingan finished with two offensive rebounds and no created points, or a similar stat line, dragging the average down. In the games that Clingan dominates the glass, however, it shows up in his second chance point numbers.
Clingan had his best game of the season when the Blazers matched up against the Chicago Bulls. He finished the game with 17 points and 21 rebounds, 10 of which were offensive rebounds. In that game alone he created 15 points off of his offensive rebounds.
Games like this show Clingan’s impact. 15 points in a game that came down to the final shot is a massive boost for Portland, especially when they shot just 41% from the field and 29% from three that game. Without those extra chances, that could have been a blowout with those shooting numbers.
What does that mean for Portland going forward this season? That remains to be seen. Currently there are a lot of misses to rebound. That contributes to the high numbers Clingan has amassed this season. Theoretically, if the Blazers ever make it close to league average shooting numbers, that may hurt Clingan’s counting stats.
On the other hand, Clingan is third in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage at 15.7% trailing only New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson and Houston Rockets center Steven Adams. Clingan is joined by Williams III, who is ninth in the NBA with a 12.6% offensive rebounding percentage.
That means despite the misses generating a lot of offensive rebounding opportunities, Clingan is still elite at making the most of those chances. Almost a sixth of the time Portland misses a shot, Clingan comes down with the board.
All this brings us to the logical conclusion, the one confirmed by the eye test every time Clingan suits up, he’s really good at bringing down boards. Having a reliable offensive rebounder in the NBA is a massive asset, and one that is often taken for granted. When games can be decided by who makes the most mistakes, having someone to clean up those missed shots and create points out of thin air can swing games.
When he entered the league, Clingan was tabbed as a defensive big, who excelled on the glass as well. The question marks came on the offensive side of the ball. So far in his career, that defensive prowess has lived up to expectations, as has his offensive shortcomings. However, he has found a way to contribute to the offense in a way that doesn’t require him to create his own shot or score in bunches.
