Portland Trail Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan has been improving steadily as the young NBA season has progressed. The 20-year-old is averaging 5.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and an amazing 2.1 blocks in just 15.8 minutes per game for Portland this season.

Though those numbers rate out to 12.5 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per 36 minutes, the low aggregate totals have kept Clingan below the radar of many NBA pundits in rookie comparison ratings.

That’s changing this week, as Sam Vecenie, writing for the New York Times [subscription required] places Clingan tenth among all first-year players.

Vecenie has Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey as the top rookie so far this year. Clingan comes right below eighth-ranked Ajay Mitchell of the Oklahoma City Thunder and ninth-ranked Alex Sarr of the Washington Wizards. Clingan stands just above Kyshawn George, also from the Wizards.

It’s unclear whether Clingan’s 15-point, 12-rebound, 8-blocked shots performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves last night was factored into the rankings yet. If not, watch for him to rise further next week.