Trail Blazers News: Donovan Clingan Breaks Down NBA Goals At Intro Presser

Can he live up to the hype?

After finishing last season with a record of 21-61, the Portland Trail Blazers entered this offseason looking to build more toward the future. They held two lottery picks in the NBA Draft last week but ended up only making one selection, and trading the other.

Portland selected center Donovan Clingan out of UConn with the No. 7 pick, giving them a true big man to roam the painted area. Clingan was a star at UConn, helping to lead them to back-to-back NCAA titles.

Now with Portland, he is looking to anchor the next generation. During his introductory press conference, Clingan spoke about what his goals are while in the NBA.

You have to play great defense to win games, and I want to win games,” Clingan said. “I’ll take a block off the backboard over a dunk any day of the week.”

Clingan is a defensive presence down low and teams may have some trouble scoring on him. Portland will use this to their advantage, potentially creating a lethal frontcourt duo with him and Deandre Ayton.

The team is very high on Clingan and how he will develop down the line. It may be a slow build for the team but the Trail Blazers' future seems much brighter going forward.

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