Donovan Clingan hits three triples, scores 17

Clingan has posted back-to-back dominant performances that have led to double-doubles in his last two games. He had 24 points on 12 attempts, one three-pointer and a full stat line against the Suns Wednesday. We’ll see if Clingan can keep up this production in tougher matchups against the Lakers and Spurs this weekend.

After having his worst performance of the season in Utah on Saturday, Clingan responded with a monster outing. He set season highs for both points and rebounds in what ended up being his first double-double of the season. It has been a disappointing start to the year for Clingan, mostly because his minutes have been down. He surpassed 30 minutes for the first time this season and immediately dominated. Hopefully that’s a trend that continues, though that may require specific matchups. Their next game against the Suns on Wednesday probably isn’t the ideal scenario for Clingan to play a ton.

Portland was without Robert Williams (knee) for this game, which allowed Clingan to set a new season high for minutes. He set a new season high for blocks, but ultimately, his production didn’t change much. Clingan’s lack of minutes has been disappointing, but if he can continue to have between 26-30 minutes per game, he should be able to play to his fourth-round ADP, especially if he is blocking shots at this rate.

The Time Lord doesn’t need to log many minutes to offer solid fantasy value, as his Tuesday performance shows. Williams played 21 minutes off the bench and recorded a double-double with three “stocks.” As a result of his play throughout the victory, Williams was on the court in crunch time while starter Donovan Clingan (nine points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and two three-pointers in 26 minutes) was on the bench. Williams remains a deep-league option at best, but that could change with a few more performances like Tuesday’s.

Clingan had some foul trouble in this game and the Blazers went small which resulted in lower minutes for Clingan. He still produced when he was out there, but it was obviously not what you were hoping for. This happened last year at times and there will be more games this year where its in the best of the Blazers to have him on the bench. He’ll have his next opportunity against the Lakers where he will need to play more minutes against Walker Kessler.

While Clingan’s shot attempts appeared to take a hit during the preseason, they didn’t in Wednesday’s season opener. The 7-foot-2 center took nine shots against the Suns, a respectable output given the presence of Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija in the Blazers’ starting lineup. Clingan recorded no defensive stats against Phoenix, but he hit 2-of-4 shots from beyond the arc. Clingan should be a solid option for fantasy managers all season, especially in roster builds punting free-throw percentage.

With the Trail Blazers adding Ja Morant and Damian Lillard to the rotation, Clingan’s touches may take a hit this season. However, the 7-foot-2 center can still provide reliable fantasy value in rebounds, blocks and field-goal percentage. For managers punting free-throw percentage, Clingan is a prime candidate for that particular roster build.

Clingan didn’t shoot the ball well on Wednesday, but he was active as a rebounder and defender. And, truth be told, those are the areas where fantasy managers expect to receive value if they draft the former UConn center. Last season, Clingan provided third-round per-game value in nine-cat formats and was an excellent option for managers punting either points or free-throw percentage. That’s unlikely to change this season, especially with Portland adding Damian Lillard and Ja Morant to the rotation.

Even with past injury concerns, Williams was due to be a popular target in free agency for teams needing to bolster their center rotation. That won’t happen now, as the Time Lord has reportedly agreed to a deal to remain in Portland. Williams appeared in 59 games last season, averaging 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 17.1 minutes. With Donovan Clingan penned in as the starting center, Williams’ season-long fantasy value will be limited, but the blocks and rebounds can be useful.

Clingan has been excellent in the regular season’s final week as he’s had a double-double and three three-pointers in all three games so far. The 22-year-old provided fourth-round per game value this season. With his improved outside shooting, Clingan and the Trail Blazers have some positive momentum heading into the Western Conference playoffs.