Rip City’s future is in good hands with Donovan Clingan, the Blazers’ center. The former UConn Husky has proven himself worthy of being firmly A part of Portland’s rebuild.
Donovan Clingan Is The Trail Blazers’ Center For The Future
The Portland Trail Blazers have been searching for a promising center to build around. Since the Greg Oden selection failed, Portland has relied on guards to lead the way. Of course, LaMarcus Aldridge did his best, but he was more of a power forward than the Blazers’ center. Jusuf Nurkic is arguably the team’s best center since 2017, but Clingan could run away with that moniker.
Drafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, Clingan has already made a big splash with the Blazers in the 2024-25 season. He entered the league as a winning player, due to his two national championships with UConn. Clingan is now getting more opportunities to shine for an NBA team while with the Trail Blazers.
Clingan Fits The Bill As The Defensive Anchor Of The Portland Rebuild
People hailed Donovan as a defensive anchor before the 2024 Draft. Standing at 7-foot-2, Clingan is an imposing presence in the paint. When he is on the floor, opponents must be wary of Clingan blocking or altering their shot. He plays a similar type of defense to Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Clingan is not a finished product yet, especially because he still struggles with his conditioning. However, he has the second-most blocks per 36 minutes (minimum 500 minutes played) in the league. Donovan is only behind Victor Wembanyama with those numbers, which shows the center’s potential.
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— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 30, 2025
For most of the 2024-25 season, Clingan has played behind Deandre Ayton. Clingan has only played 18.8 minutes per game, averaging 6.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks a night. That is mighty impressive from a rookie, and he will only improve with time. Head coach Chauncey Billups knows how to handle minutes, and with an upcoming offseason, the Blazers’ center can improve his conditioning.
The Blazers Have A Reliable Defensive Core
Clingan is not the only player who fits in a budding defensive core. Toumani Camara is such a spectacular defender that Portland has run Defensive Player of the Year campaigns. The Belgian regularly picks up his defensive matchup in a full-court man-to-man. He is also versatile enough to be physical in the paint, defending a player like Nikola Jokic without any issue.
Deni Avdija is also part of the Blazers’ defensive nucleus. Avdija is a 6-foot-9 forward like Camara, who can physically hang with big men. Versatility helps them compete with bigs and quick guards, making it easy for the coaching staff. Scoot Henderson also deserves some hype because he is a competent defender with a limitless motor.
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— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 9, 2025
Those four players are a fantastic core for the Blazers on defense. Thankfully for Rip City’s future, they are also improving on the offensive side. Avdija is turning into a borderline All-Star with his bonkers March 2025 numbers. Henderson and Camara have improved their three-point shot, while Clingan is making his shots at the rim.
Portland has done a great job with player development with these players. The coaches identified the young players’ skill sets and are maximizing them. A good example of this is what they did with Shaedon Sharpe by challenging him to play better defensively. The young players always put in a concerted effort to play hard for their coach even if they lose games.
Clingan has limitless potential as the handpicked center in the Portland rebuild. That kind of responsibility can be heavy, but he has proven he could be a leader. He already did it with UConn, so he will do his best to make that happen with Portland.
Photo credit: © Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
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