The Portland Trail Blazers are a team on the rise, and they'll need contributions from their latest prized draft pick in order to take the next step. The Blazers selected Donovan Clingan with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft and he performed well in his first taste of NBA action at Summer League.
However, there's one lingering concern the Blazer should have about Clingan’s game based on the performance he put on tape in Las Vegas.
Who is Donovan Clingan?
Donovan Clingan grew up in Bristol, Connecticut and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft after playing two seasons for his hometown UConn Huskies. Clingan won back-to-back NCAA championships at UConn and has proven himself to be a team player.
Clingan has length and will be an elite defender
When talking about Clingan’s strengths, we have to start with the defensive end of the court. He will be a defensive star from the very first minute he plays in an NBA game. Clingan has the elite size to defend the paint, standing at 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan. He has an advanced understanding of how to position himself to disrupt opposing player's shots.
The former UConn center can fit into any defensive scheme because of his versatility, and he’s a flexible offensive player who can adapt to any style of play. Clingan is great at finding spaces in the defense and exploiting mismatches. He has a great understanding of when and how to roll to the rim, and he’s aggressive when doing so.
Clingan has some upside as an isolation scorer, which we will get to in a bit. However, most of his offensive value comes from what he is able to do working within the structure of his team’s offense. He's excellent at grabbing offensive rebounds in scoring points through putbacks, he's reliable at the free throw line and he can find openings in the defense and finish through traffic in the paint.
Clingan isn't an athlete athlete
Clinton’s biggest weakness is his athletic ability. He’s a great athlete for his size and the position that he plays, but he’s not truly special athletically. This could hurt Clingan when he’s matched up against the best athletes in the NBA, some of whom play his position.
The former Husky will be at a distinct disadvantage when he’s going against guys such as Joel Embiid or Victor Wembanyama. He’ll need to find other ways to gain an advantage over his defender. The best way for Clingan to do this would be to prove himself from beyond the arc. That would give defenders something else to think about and force them to cover him anywhere on the court.
Clingan has never shown elite creation ability in terms of shooting off the dribble and creating space for himself, but in college, he did demonstrate the ability to knock down open jumpers.
Reviewing Clingan's Summer League performance
During Summer League, Clingan performed as advertised defensively, but he surprisingly struggled as a shooter. He didn’t create open looks for himself, although that wasn’t expected. If he had shown an ability to create decent looks, the Blazers would have been thrilled. The biggest disappointment from Clingan was that he struggled to knock down open shots off of passes.
Without the ability to knock down jumpers and add that aspect to his game, Clingan will struggle offensively. He performed well, but that was to be expected. If he had struggled on that end, there would be serious questions about it at the NBA level. Clingan simply wouldn’t be an NBA-caliber player without his defense.
Shooting is the biggest concern the Blazers should have regarding Clingan
The biggest concern the Blazers have regarding Clingan’s Summer League performance is undoubtedly whether his shooting will translate to the NBA. Blazers fans shouldn’t hit the panic button yet, though. There’s no reason to doubt his shooting ability at this point in time. Clingan has already demonstrated his ability to hit open shots in college. Summer League is an exceedingly small sample size, and it would not be wise to draw conclusions based on a performance consisting of less than 10 games.
Yet, it is something to keep an eye on going forward. While the most likely reason for Clingan’s poor shooting was just an inopportune cold streak, this was also his first time facing NBA quality defense. It is certainly possible that the significantly better speed and length of defenders compared to what Clingan was used to cause discomfort for the young big man.
This shouldn't be a fatal blow to Clingan’s NBA future, though. It may just take some getting used to, and he should be able to adapt. It's just something that the team must keep an eye on as Clingan begins his professional career.
The fact that this is the biggest concern regarding Clingan speaks volumes and provides optimism about his future. He can still earn playing time at the NBA level just based on his defense, but shooting is the swing skill that will determine whether the former Connecticut star is a bench player, a borderline starter or even a potential All-Star. The Blazers must keep an eye on Clingan’s shooting and do everything that they can to help him reach his full potential.
Follow Us
Subscribe
