There were not a ton of positives for the Portland Trail Blazers to start the season, but the team has been looking up amid a three-game winning streak. The Trail Blazers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves two times in a row, including one victory in their first game of the 2024 NBA Cup. The Trail Blazers continued the streak with the win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
The Trail Blazers went into their back-to-back matchups against the Timberwolves off of a humbling loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies torched the Trail Blazers 134-89, easily the Trail Blazers’ worst loss of the season. The Trail Blazers were thrashed by a Grizzlies team without star Ja Morant, as they shot just 34 percent from the field and 9.5 percent from beyond the arc.
After that game, the Trail Blazers made a few changes, including promoting Clingan to the starting lineup. Since that switch, the Trail Blazers are 3-0 as Clingan continues to impress.
The No. 7 overall pick has recorded his first double-double since becoming a starter, recording 17 points, 12 rebounds, and one assist in the Trail Blazers’ second win over the Timberwolves. He has put up a combined 27 points and 26 rebounds over the last three wins as Portland moved up to 6-8 on the season.
One area Clingan has been especially strong in as a rookie is blocking shots. Clingan currently ranks tied for fourth in the entire NBA in blocks per game, even ahead of superstar Anthony Davis. Clingan is currently blocking an average of 2.1 shots per game, only behind San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (3.7 BPG), Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, (2.6 BPG), and Milwaukee Bucks’ Brooke Lopez (2.4 BPG).
Clingan’s average saw a significant bump during his outstanding performance versus the Timberwolves when he blocked eight shots. He has recorded at least one block in every game of his rookie season, continuing his success from college.
As a college basketball standout at UConn, Clingan averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game as he helped the Huskies win two NCAA championships.
His rookie season is still early, but it’s clear that the Trail Blazers have a strong building block and piece for their team in Clingan.
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