Donovan Clingan Continues to Blossom and Forces a Frontcourt Question for the Trail Blazers
donovan clingan averaged 17. 3 points, 12. 3 rebounds, 4. 3 assists and 2. 3 blocks per game over a recent four-game stretch, a run that earned him Blazer of the Week recognition and has pushed Portland to rethink its center rotation.
Donovan Clingan's stretch: production and perimeter surprise
Across that stretch Clingan showed growth on both ends. He averaged 4. 5 offensive rebounds in the week, helping extend possessions, and made 8 of 17 attempts from three-point range, a 47. 1% clip on deep looks. Those numbers came while he worked as a rebounder and rim protector, with his 2. 3 blocks per game marking a clear defensive presence.
A four-game run that spanned blowouts and statement wins
The quartet of games produced wildly different box scores for Portland: 24-point and 54-point losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, and 16-point and 15-point wins over the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns. Clingan’s double-doubles and offensive boards were a steady positive through that volatility—he averaged 12. 3 rebounds per game and converted opportunities around the rim that helped fuel the team’s wins.
What Clingan’s breakout means for Yang Hansen and the depth chart
Clingan’s rise has sharpened a roster question: where does Yang Hansen fit? Coverage of Portland’s frontcourt frames Clingan as a second-year double-double machine, a high-level rim protector, the best offensive rebounder in basketball and a burgeoning 3-point shooter, and that profile creates a logjam when paired with another developing center.
Hansen spent most of his rookie season with the Rip City Remix and still projects as a work-in-progress on defense. The team must decide whether to pair two below-the-rim centers or stagger minutes; playing two similar centers at once, the analysis notes, can invite opposing teams to exploit perimeter matchups.
For now, Clingan’s play has given Portland a new offensive threat—he has shown the ability to pop for threes after setting screens and to seal possessions with blocks and rebounds—and it has forced the organization to weigh developmental timelines and lineup construction as the remainder of the season unfolds.
The All-Star break compressed Portland’s recent schedule, and the team will return to regular-season play with Clingan established in the rotation. Coaches and front-office personnel will face concrete decisions about minutes and fit as the Blazers navigate the rest of the campaign.
