For a center who had been defined as much by his matchup questions as his strengths, Donovan Clingan’s last two games felt like a clear response. Against Nikola Jokic and Oso Ighodaro, he was not just solid — he was dominant, putting up 20.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks across those two contests.
That kind of stretch matters because it directly addresses the concern that followed him through the regular season. Clingan had struggled most against mobile big men who can shoot the three and pull him away from the paint, the type of opponent that can expose a traditional rim protector. These two recent games suggest that problem is no longer as simple to weaponize against him.
A much-needed swing in form
The numbers from the last two games do more than look impressive on the page. Clingan shot 60/40/83 in that span, a balanced line that shows efficiency, range tolerance and composure at the line. He also averaged 6.5 offensive rebounds per game, which points to his ability to extend possessions and win extra chances even when the offense is not built around him.
That is a meaningful turnaround for the Portland Trail Blazers, who reached the 7th seed after defeating the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In Tournament and then lost to the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in five games. In those playoffs, San Antonio made Clingan largely invisible, which is exactly why the latest two-game burst stands out so much.
It is also why the broader picture around Portland’s defense deserves a second look. Many experts had initially written off the Blazers’ defense, but Clingan’s impact helped push the group to an eighth-best defense in the NBA and a +23 net rating across five games last season. When he is controlling the paint, cleaning the glass and not getting dragged out of position, Portland looks far harder to break down.
None of this means the matchup issue has vanished for good. Mobile centers will still test him, and the playoffs will always punish any big man who loses the spacing battle. But Clingan’s recent production against Jokic and Ighodaro suggests he is moving closer to the version Portland needs: one who can survive the difficult matchups instead of being undone by them.
That is the real takeaway. If Clingan can keep solving the type of problem that once made him vulnerable, opponents will have a much harder time targeting Portland’s interior defense when the pressure rises.
