Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Back to bench Thursday
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Clingan is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Nuggets.
Clingan returns to the bench with Deandre Ayton back in the starting unit. The rookie is averaging 4.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game when coming off the bench this season (12 appearances).
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Grabs seven boards in return
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Clingan (knee) tallied six points (3-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt), seven rebounds and two assists across 15 minutes Friday in the Trail Blazers' 118-116 loss to the Spurs.
Portland was without Deandre Ayton (illness) and Robert Williams (conditioning/concussion) on Friday, but Clingan's return from a seven-game absence due to a sprained left knee helped restore some depth in the frontcourt. Jabari Walker drew the start at center, but once Ayton returns, Clingan should remain ahead of Walker in the pecking order. Williams, meanwhile, represents a more viable threat than Walker to challenge for the backup role, though Portland showed a willingness to use Williams as a reserve power forward for a brief period in November when all of Clingan, Ayton and Williams were healthy at the same time.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Available to play Friday
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Clingan (knee) is available for Friday's game against the Spurs, Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official site reports.
Clingan will operate in a minutes restriction, as the big man will be available for the first time since Nov. 23, when he went scoreless but grabbed 19 rebounds in a win over the Rockets. With Clingan on a minutes restriction, Robert Williams (not injury related) out and Deandre Ayton (illness) out, Jabari Walker will get the start at center for Portland.
Clingan (knee) fully participated in Thursday's practice and is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus the Spurs, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.
Clingan has missed Portland's last seven contests with a left knee injury but appears on track to return to action Friday. If Clingan is able to suit up, Deandre Ayton and Duop Reath will likely see a decrease in playing time.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Dealing with left knee sprain
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Clingan has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Grizzlies due to a left knee sprain.
Clingan briefly left Saturday's game against the Rockets due to a left knee injury, but he was able to return and finished with zero points, 19 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal over 26 minutes. The knee injury appears to be a lingering issue that will prevent Clingan from playing Monday, and his next chance to take the court will be against the Pacers on Wednesday. With Clingan out and Deandre Ayton (finger) doubtful to play Monday, Robert Williams could be inserted into the Blazers' starting lineup.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Pulls down 19 rebounds Saturday
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Clingan recorded zero points (0-4 FG), 19 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal over 26 minutes during Saturday's 104-98 victory over the Rockets.
The rookie big man set a career-high mark with 19 rebounds, including nine offensive, and represented a massive problem for Alperen Sengun for the second game in a row. Clingan needs to score more regularly to boost his upside, but he's so dominant on the glass that he remains valuable in fantasy solely based on his defensive numbers.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Available to return Saturday
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Clingan (knee) is available to return to Saturday's game against the Rockets.
Clingan briefly exited Saturday's game due to a left knee injury. However, after being checked on by trainers in the locker room, he returned to the bench and will be available for the fourth quarter.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Heads to locker room Saturday
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Clingan (undisclosed) went to the locker room in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Rockets, Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan Portland reports.
Clingan went to the locker room with a trainer to be evaluated for an unspecified injury. While he's sidelined, Duop Reath should see an uptick in minutes off the Blazers' bench.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Double-doubles with eight blocks
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Clingan chipped in 17 points (6-10 FG, 5-5 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist and eight blocks in 31 minutes during Wednesday's 106-98 victory over the Timberwolves.
With Deandre Ayton (finger) out again, Portland's 2024 first-round pick turned in a stellar performance. At 7-foot-2 and 282 pounds, Clingan is a challenge for any frontcourt, and he posted the huge number against Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, arguably the best interior duo in the league.The UConn product dominated inside with eight blocked shots and was only two swats short of the rare point-rebound-block triple-double.
Clingan finished Tuesday's 122-108 victory over the Timberwolves with four points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt), six rebounds, one block and one steal across 21 minutes.
It's unclear if Deandre Ayton (finger) will be available for the second half of this back-to-back set, and it's also uncertain if Robert Williams will play Wednesday, so Clingan could be in line to make back-to-back starts at center. The rookie didn't have his best showing during his first career start Tuesday, though that could've been expected since he had to battle with Rudy Gobert, one of the best rim protectors in the league. Clingan should continue to see steady minutes as long as the Blazers' frontcourt remains depleted.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Making first NBA start
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Clingan is in the starting five for Tuesday's game versus the Timberwolves, Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan Portland reports.
Clingan will replace Deandre Ayton (finger) in the starting lineup Tuesday. The rookie big man has yet to log 20 or more minutes in a game this season but will likely receive an uptick in playing time against Minnesota.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Swats three shots in win
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Clingan accumulated four points (1-1 FG, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and three blocks across 16 minutes during Monday's 118-100 win over New Orleans.
Clingan posted his second-highest mark in blocks of the season Monday. The rookie has yet to surpass 20 minutes through eight regular-season games, and with Robert Williams working his way back from a hamstring injury it may be difficult for Clingan to carve out a significant role early on.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Dominates glass in final tune-up
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Clingan scored 14 points (7-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt) while adding 20 rebounds, four assists and four blocks over 24 minutes in Friday's 124-86 preseason win over the Jazz.
In Portland's final preseason game, Clingan simply dominated the glass, pulling down nearly twice as many boards as Utah's Walker Kessler and John Collins combined. The seventh overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft will be stuck in a bench role to begin the season behind Deandre Ayton, but Clingan's rebounding and rejections might still provide fantasy utility right out of the gates.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Starting vs. Utah
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Clingan is in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason game against the Jazz, Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com reports.
Clingan will get the start at center since Deandre Ayton (rest) will get the night off. Clingan is expected to open the 2024-25 regular season as the backup center behind Ayton, though he could see his role increase as the season progresses.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Double-doubles off bench Sunday
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Clingan notched 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), 10 rebounds, a steal and two blocks across 18 minutes off the bench in Sunday's 108-85 preseason win over the Kings.
Deandre Ayton will open the regular season as Portland's starting center, but Clingan has made his presence felt on both ends of the court throughout the preseason. That means the rookie could see decent minutes once the regular season begins, and he could very well win the backup role over Robert Williams (hamstring) even after the latter is deemed available to return to the hardwood. The Blazers open their regular season against the Warriors on Oct. 23.
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Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Won't play Sunday
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Clingan will not play in Sunday's Summer League finale against the Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Clingan will be shut down for the final game of Summer League and shift his focus to the regular season. The UConn product slightly underwhelmed offensively during Summer League but shined on the defensive end. His presence defensively could be enough to garner him playing time once the regular season begins.
