Donovan Clingan is solving his mobile matchup problem for the Blazers

Nicholas Kula of Rip City Project argues that Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan is overcoming his struggles against mobile big men. After being marginalized by Victor Wembanyama in the 2026 playoffs, Clingan recently delivered dominant back-to-back performances against Nikola Jokic and Oso Ighodaro, averaging 20.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks across the two contests.

Kula notes that Clingan is currently anchoring the NBA's eighth-best defense while seeing his playing time rise to 30.5 minutes per game. The writer highlights that developing chemistry with teammates Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija has unlocked Clingan's offensive potential ahead of upcoming games against Walker Kessler and Wembanyama.