Blazers Rookie Donovan Clingan Addresses Portland's Center Problem

Portland has a big rotation issue ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Sep 30, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23). Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers' No. 7 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, 7-foot-2 former University of Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan, is aware that the team is fielding four rotation-level centers, between himself, former 2018 No. 1 draft pick Deandre Ayton, 2022 All-Defensive Second Teamer Robert Williams III, and standout 2023-24 rookie big man Duop Reath. Per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report, Clingan has already become close with Ayton, the presumed starter.

“D.A. is awesome,” Clingan remarked. “He’s got a lot of energy. He knows the game very well. A lot of skill. To have someone to look up to like that is special. It means a lot to me.”

Last year — his first with the franchise — Ayton had a rocky start, but a superlative final three months. All told, the 7-foot Arizona product averaged 16.7 points on 57 percent shooting from the field and 82.3 percent shooting from the free throw line, 11.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks a night, across 55 healthy bouts. He's owed $69.6 million across the next two seasons.

Clingan is arriving after winning a pair of NCAA titles while at UConn. The defense-first big man seems likely to be the tanking Blazers' preferred center of the future, but of course he has to prove his mettle in actual NBA regular season games. It's interesting that he is befriending his biggest competition for Portland's starting center gig.

The 20-year-old big man showed off both his good and bad sides during his four Summer League games in Las Vegas this past July. Clingan averaged 9.0 points on 35.7 percent field goal shooting and 50 percent foul line shooting, but an impressive 12.3 rebounds, 4.3 blocks, 2.0 assists and 0.8 steals per game.

Last year, Reap capitalized on Ayton's injury issues, averaging 9.1 points on an impressively versatile .461/.359/.742 slash line, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 0.5 steals in 68 healthy contests (20 starts). The 6-foot-11 five man is actually the oldest of Portland's four standard-roster centers, at 28, but is the most affordable on a minimum contract, and has plenty of room to go following an intriguing rookie season in 2023-24.

The 6-foot-9 Texas A&M product only suited up for six contests before going down with an injury, averaging 6.8 points on 65.4 percent shooting from the floor, 6.3 boards, 1.2 blocks, 1.2 steals and 0.8 dimes a night.

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