Donovan Clingan Opens 2026-27 at 2-1, Rebounding Through Three Games
Donovan Clingan is three games into his third NBA season and Portland is 2-1 in that stretch. The Connecticut product is not on the injury report and is picking up where he left off as a rebounding and shot-blocking presence in the middle. Last season he started all 77 games he played and posted career numbers across the board.
By the Trail Blazers Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightThree Games Into 2026-27Clingan has played all three of Portland's games to open the season, and the Trail Blazers are 2-1 in that span.
Clingan has played all three of Portland's games to open the season, and the Trail Blazers are 2-1 in that span. He opened with a win over Golden State on Oct. 7, going 3 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists in 19.7 minutes with a minus-9. He followed with a win over Sacramento on Oct. 13, logging 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 20.0 minutes with a plus-12, his best plus-minus of the three. The lone loss came Oct. 16 against Golden State, when he put up 6 points, 11 rebounds and 1 assist in 23.6 minutes but finished at minus-19, his worst mark of the young season.
02Last Season by the NumbersClingan played in 77 games for Portland last season, averaging 27.2 minutes, 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1…
Clingan played in 77 games for Portland last season, averaging 27.2 minutes, 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.7 blocks. He shot 52.0 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from 3-point range and 68.0 percent from the foul line, with a true shooting mark of 60.4 percent. His usage rate sat at 16.3 percent and he turned the ball over 1.2 times a game. His plus-minus for the season came in at plus-0.2. Those numbers made him a full-time starter in the middle for Portland and established him as a double-digit rebounder at the center spot.
03Injury ReportClingan is not on the injury report heading into this stretch of the season.
Clingan is not on the injury report heading into this stretch of the season. There is no injury history on file for him. That durability shows up in the games-played column from last season, when he appeared in 77 of Portland's games. For a 22-year-old center logging close to 28 minutes a night, staying off the injury report matters for a Portland frontcourt that needs him on the floor every game. Nothing in his file points to a lingering issue or a game he has missed so far this season or last.
04The Stretch Run Last SeasonClingan's final ten games last season showed the range of his production.
Clingan's final ten games last season showed the range of his production. On April 10 against the Clippers, in a win, he posted 18 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists in 28.1 minutes, his top scoring and rebounding output in that stretch. Two days later against Sacramento, also a win, he had 13 points and 10 rebounds in 23.8 minutes. The San Antonio series that closed the stretch was rougher: losses on April 19, 24, 26 and 28 saw his scoring dip to 4, 7, 5 and 10 points, though he still grabbed 7, 11, 6 and 5 rebounds in those games. Portland did beat San Antonio on April 21, when he had 9 points and 10 rebounds in 23.9 minutes.
05Player ProfileClingan wears No.
Clingan wears No. 23 for Portland and plays center at 7-2 and 280 pounds. He is 22 years old with two seasons of NBA experience, out of Connecticut. His size and length show up most in the rebounding and shot-blocking columns, where he averaged 11.6 boards and 1.7 blocks last season. At 27.2 minutes a night last season, he was already a rotation fixture, and the early minutes totals this season, 19.7, 20.0 and 23.6 across the first three games, suggest Portland is building toward a similar workload for him in 2026-27.
Clingan12.1 ppg
Turner11.9 ppg
