It was his evening. In the victory against Wolves on Wednesday, Donovan Clingan broke the screen. Certainly, he wasn't the only Blazer to put himself forward, with Shaedon Sharpe's career record. But the rookie put in a high-quality match for his second career start.
While the audience at the Moda Center was offered a drink bearing the image of their young pivot, he disgusted Minnesota and perhaps signed his birth certificate in the NBA for good.
It is perhaps no coincidence that these Blazers do not have much in common with the lethargic ones who suffered a scathing 89-134 in Memphis on Sunday. Deandre Ayton has since been in the infirmary with a sprained index finger and missed this back-to-back against the Wolves. For two victories for Portland, leaving the Western finalists last season at 108 then 98 points scored.
“ It was very pleasant » rejoiced Donovan Clingan. “ I have the feeling that we have really changed things in these last few matches and there is nothing better than having everyone on the floor having fun. »
Eight blocks in his 13th career match
The contribution of the seventh choice from the last Draft was decisive, particularly in the fourth quarter. Omnipresent in defense with his 2m18 and his above-average instincts on this side of the floor, Donovan Clingan finished the match with eight blocks! “ I like to defend » he explained very simply. “ It brings energy to the team, that’s how you win games. Succeeding in big counterattacks, attracting the crowd: it was a big turning point and a source of motivation for the team. »
Penalized at the start of the match, the former Connecticut player recovered perfectly before flying through the last quarter against one of his models, Rudy Gobert. “ I made two mistakes quickly. I tried to be a little careful in the second and third quarter. But when the fourth started, I had to be as aggressive as possible. I had to stay as technical and as vertical as possible. And I think I managed two or three blocks. » Or rather five actually, to his great astonishment.
And Donovan Clingan didn't stop there. Close to the triple-double, he joined an elite company among rookies having already signed 17 points, 12 rebounds and 8 blocks during their first season: only All-Stars with Ralph Sampson, Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Tim Duncan, and another beginner who has caused a sensation recently, a certain Victor Wembanyama.
“ There aren't many players who can make an impact on defense like Donovan can » said his coach Chauncey Billupswho also highlighted his deterrence beyond the stat sheet. “ Players like Wemby, the excellent blockers, they have a few evenings like that with six, seven, eight blocks. But what is also surprising is how young and inexperienced he is. He wasn't even used to playing that long in the NCAA, I don't know how many games he played 31 or 32 minutes with UConn (four matches at 30 minutes or more, editor’s note). To play so much and stay focused throughout the match is what is most impressive. »
Ayton, Clingan, Williams… The traffic jam at station 5 is getting denser
Chauncey Billups can rejoice as much as he might have to scratch his head. The density of Portland's rotation at position 5 was one of the big questions of the Blazers season, it could become a headache. Deandre Ayton has been the starter so far and is putting up his numbers without always managing to fully impact a match.
Behind him, Donovan Clingan knocks louder and louder on the door. And former Celtic Robert Williams III returned from injury on November 8, also performing well, having been one of the heroes of the first victory against Minnesota on Tuesday (19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 3 interceptions) before missing the second act of the back-to-back. Without even mentioning one of the good surprises of last season, Duop Reath, who is chomping at the bit at the end of the bench.
If the name of Robert Williams comes up frequently in recent months for an exchange (ESPN journalist Dave McMenamin mentioned the Lakers track on Wednesday in The Hoop Collective podcast), Donovan Clingan seems to embody the future of the Blazers at position 5. It remains to find how to give him the means in the short term.
