Trail Blazers rookie dominates in win over Timberwolves

In just his second career start, Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan had the best performance of his young career on Wednesday.

In over 30 minutes, Clingan scored 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting and added 12 elite rebounds with one assist and a brutal eight blocks. He finished the much closer contest with a +13.

The performance was obviously crucial to the Trail Blazers’ victory as they defeated better opponents in Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Drafted No. 7 overall, Clingan was long considered an NBA contributor from day one, helping the UConn Huskies to back-to-back national titles with stingy rim protection, dominant interior scoring and a pinch of playmaking ability.

But it’s no secret that he didn’t turn out in red and black as many had hoped.

In 12 games, Clingan has averaged just 4.8 points per game in 14.5 minutes per game. He grabbed 4.9 rebounds and shot just 20% from distance on extremely limited volume.

He was able to maintain his shooting performance and averaged 1.6 points per game, increasing to nearly four points per game and 36 points.

But things seem to be going his way.

Wednesday night wasn’t his only solid game of the week. Against the Grizzlies just a few days ago, Clingan scored a career-high 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting, with each player recording a steal and a block. This performance was the starting point for his move into the starting lineup, where he shone against Minnesota.

The 7-foot-3 giant will look to continue his hot streak against No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher and the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, November 17th.

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