Is the Portland’s rising star a player with top-five positional upside?
Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan just posted a career-high in points on Wednesday night with 28 against the Indiana Pacers. And while that can’t be expected of him every single night, that does give a glimpse into the future and the type of player he could be more consistently as he refines his game.
Still just 22 years old, Clingan is just scratching the surface of his potential. He played two college seasons at UConn, but played fairly limited minutes given how dominant he was. From there, he’s only notched 131 total games played at the NBA level.
The former No. 7 overall pick was drafted where he was for a reason. Not only is he an enormous presence in the paint on the defensive end, but Clingan is highly skilled and built to thrive in the modern NBA.
In fact, he’s knocked down 65 shots from beyond the arc this season and getting more comfortable each month. With a 7-foot-2, 280-pound frame, there’s simply nothing defenders can do when he’s clicking.
And that’s why Wednesday night was so important. Clingan showed what he could be in the future more consistently. And if that happens, there’s no question he could be a top-five center in the league one day. In the meantime, it’s all about finding ways to earn more reps and refining this unique skillset.
Clingan is a cornerstone of this rising roster that has a chance to make the playoffs this season. In a league that continues to get bigger in size and more physical each year, he’s the perfect piece to have in your frontcourt.