Donavan Clingan has already amassed impressive numbers in two years in Portland. What will growth look like in year three?
Over his first two years, Donovan Clingan is averaging nearly a double-double and over a block and a half. His first season wasn't all starts, but by year two, he led the league in total offensive rebounds. There's still room, potential, and opportunity for even more growth. He thrived under Thiago Splitter, who is a former NBA champion as a big man himself. It'll be interesting to see if Micah Nori can unlock more of his offensive game.
As far as offense, Clingan is always on the backboards. The skill of offensive rebounding is definitely his specialty. He averaged 4.5 offensive boards a game and totaled 347 on the offensive boards for the year. He proved to be durable in year two, playing and starting in 77 games. With him playing under 30 minutes a game under coach Splitter, it's even more impressive that he tallied these kinds of stats. He also sits at the top of the Blazers franchise for single-season offensive rebounds and total rebounds. Not a small feat for a team that has had players like Bill Walton, Zach Randolph, and Brian Grant in their history.
In his two seasons in the league, he has shot 54 percent and 52 percent from the field. This past year, he shot 61 percent on two-point field goals as well. In year two, he doubled his scoring output to 12 points per game. Raising his scoring that much and only dropping two percent is impressive. His backup is secured in Robert Williams. This could mean he stays under 30 minutes a game again. On the other hand, he's gaining not one but two franchise point guards and ballhandlers in his backcourt.
In year two on the perimeter, he went from 0.7 three-point attempts to 3.2. He hit at a 34 percent clip. He had improved conditioning that meant he could stay engaged for an entire game, and that's one of the reasons for his higher minute total as well.
On defense, his 130 total blocks ranked fourth in the NBA. As far as advanced stats, Clingan ranked first in the league by challenging opponents on 34.1 percent of their shots at the rim. He's a big body and a big presence in the paint. He also ranked fifth in the league on defense in field goal plus-minus. He made players shoot 10% lower from the field when he was the primary defender.
There's plenty of reason for optimism in this young two-way big.
