Trail Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan gets real on defensive presence after win vs. Hornets
01/25/2025 11:09 AM
A basketball player couldn’t earn a nickname like Cling Kong if he wasn’t an intimidating presence around the basket. Sure, it helps that Portland Trail Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan has the ‘Cling’ right there in the front of his last name, but if the 7-foot-2 center hadn’t made a name for himself during his two years with the UConn Huskies as one of the nation’s premier rim protectors, no such nickname would exist.
Thus far, Clingan has lived up to that billing, proving that the skillset he displayed in Storrs was transferable to the NBA. On Friday night, Clingan finished with 4 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in a 102-97 win over the Charlotte Hornets. After the game, Cling Kong explained that he takes a great deal of pride in his ability to impact games in the paint.
"I love defense, I love guarding. I wanna have presence in the paint. I wanna alter shots, block shots, and make people not take shots."
Donovan Clingan on taking pride in his defense
(via @JerryDonatien) pic.twitter.com/nkitDgLSmd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 25, 2025
Of course, the fact that Clingan arrived in Portland and has been an impactful defender out of the gate shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Clingan was the dominant defensive force for a UConn Huskies team that stormed through the 2024 NCAA Tournament on their way to a second straight National Title. A dominant month of March which included a defensive masterclass against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Sweet Sixteen made it clear that Clingan was worthy a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
On a per 36 minute basis, Donovan Clingan has been one of the more productive big men in the league, ranking 3rd in rebounds per 36 minutes and trailing only Victor Wembanyama in blocks per 36 minutes. In eight games in which he’s played at least 20 minutes, Clingan has averaged 7.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.
The post Trail Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan gets real on defensive presence after win vs. Hornets appeared first on ClutchPoints.
