The Portland Trail Blazers' decision to select Donovan Clingan with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft is looking more brilliant with each passing game. What initially appeared to be a solid selection in a supposedly underwhelming draft class has transformed into what many are now calling the steal of the draft, a franchise-altering move that could accelerate Portland's rebuilding timeline by several years and provide the cornerstone they've sought since Damian Lillard's departure.
Portland's front office faced a challenging landscape in 2024. The consensus among analysts was that this particular draft lacked the star power and certainty of previous years, with no consensus number one prospect and a host of question marks surrounding the top tier. Yet amid this uncertainty, Clingan emerged as a rare commodity: a prospect with a clearly defined skill set that would unquestionably translate to professional success, regardless of how his offensive game developed. He was the epitome of a high-floor, high-character selection that winning organizations prioritize.
His credentials were undeniable and backed by championship pedigree. As the anchor of a UConn program that captured consecutive NCAA national championships, Clingan demonstrated an ability to dominate games without needing the ball in his hands. His physical profile—standing at seven feet with a wingspan that seems to stretch across the paint—immediately suggested a player who could alter the geometry of an NBA court and serve as a defensive backbone for a decade. More importantly, he had thrived under pressure on college basketball's biggest stage, a trait that can't be taught.
The defensive impact was never in question, even for his harshest critics. Scouts universally praised his rim protection instincts, his ability to cover ground laterally for a player his size, and his timing on blocked shots that avoids foul trouble while still deterring shots. His rebounding prowess, particularly on the defensive glass, promised to end possessions and trigger transition opportunities. Advanced metrics from his sophomore season already place him among the league's elite in contested shots and defensive field goal percentage at the rim. What makes his development so exciting for Portland is how he's exceeded expectations on the offensive end, turning a perceived weakness into a burgeoning strength.
While much of the conversation has rightfully centered on his improved perimeter shooting, Clingan's passing ability remains his most underrated weapon and perhaps his most valuable offensive skill. It's rare to find a center of his stature who processes the game at such a high level, anticipating defensive rotations two steps ahead. He sees angles that others don't—whether it's hitting a cutter darting through the lane with a bounce pass from the high post or making the extra pass around the perimeter to generate a clean look when the defense collapses. His assist rate among centers ranks in the 85th percentile, an impressive feat for a second-year player.
This basketball intelligence manifests in subtle ways that don't always appear in box scores but consistently impact winning. His timing on box-outs creates extra possessions for his teammates. His positioning on defense forces opponents into contested mid-range jumpers rather than easy layups at the rim. And his decision-making with the ball in his hands keeps Portland's offense flowing rather than stagnating, a crucial quality for any big man in today's pace-and-space NBA. Coaches often talk about 'winning plays,' and Clingan makes them in abundance.
The development of his three-point shot has been the most eye-catching improvement and the development that has truly unlocked his potential. In an era where floor spacing is paramount and traditional centers are being phased out, Clingan's ability to step out and knock down shots from beyond the arc at a respectable 37% clip has created new offensive possibilities for the Blazers. Defenders can no longer sag off him to clog the paint, which opens driving lanes for Portland's guards and creates the kind of spacing that modern offenses crave to function optimally. His shooting motion is fluid and repeatable, suggesting this isn't a fluke but a legitimate weapon.
Yet even without a reliable jumper, his passing alone makes him a weapon in the half-court. He's not going to blow by defenders off the dribble, but he doesn't need to. The simple threat of him being able to shoot or distribute from the elbow makes him a fulcrum of Portland's offensive sets. He can run dribble-handoff actions with precision, find shooters coming off screens with pinpoint accuracy, or make the simple read that leads to a hockey assist—keeping the ball moving until a crack in the defense appears. This versatility makes him invaluable.
Two seasons into his professional career, Clingan has established himself as a legitimate two-way force, a designation reserved for the league's elite. You could make a compelling argument that he's become Portland's second-most indispensable player behind All-Star forward Deni Avdija, a remarkable ascent for any seventh overall selection. That's extraordinary value from the seventh pick in any draft, let alone one that was widely criticized for its lack of top-tier talent and perceived depth. His plus-minus numbers when on the floor versus off are staggering.
The comparison to his draft classmates only highlights Portland's coup and the foresight of their scouting department. While other teams selected projects with questionable translatable skills or players who dominated inferior competition, the Blazers secured a proven winner with a clear path to stardom. If general managers around the league were given a mulligan, Clingan would unquestionably be selected within the top five, and likely even higher. That projection might even be conservative given what we've seen from his early development and the struggles of those selected ahead of him.
Consider the Atlanta Hawks, who held the coveted first overall selection and the weight of that franchise-altering decision. Reports indicated they seriously considered Clingan before ultimately rolling the dice on Zaccharie Risacher, the French forward with tantalizing potential but a much lower floor and no experience against elite competition. The phrase 'rolling the dice' shouldn't exist in the same sentence as 'first overall pick,' but that's exactly what they did. They passed on the safest bet in the draft for a higher-risk, potentially higher-reward prospect who has yet to justify that selection and has spent considerable time in the G-League.
That decision looks increasingly questionable as Clingan continues to blossom and establish himself as a future All-Star candidate. At just 22 years old, he's not only meeting expectations but actively raising his ceiling with each performance. The defensive stalwart is evolving into a complete player who can impact the game on both ends, and his best basketball still appears to be ahead of him as he enters his physical prime. The Hawks' loss is proving to be Portland's monumental gain.
For Portland, this represents a franchise-altering selection that could define their next decade. In a draft that offered little certainty and even less consensus, they found a cornerstone piece to build around. While other teams grapple with the growing pains of developmental projects and wonder if their top picks will ever pan out, the Blazers are building around a player who impacts winning in multiple ways every single night and has already proven his worth in high-pressure situations. He's the culture-setter every rebuilding team needs.
The front office deserves immense credit for trusting their evaluation process when others saw only a limited ceiling and a traditional big man in a league moving away from that archetype. They recognized that Clingan's combination of size, skill, championship pedigree, and intangible basketball IQ was exactly what their rebuilding roster needed to establish a winning culture. And they're being proven right with each passing game and each dominant two-way performance that reminds fans of the impact a true two-way center can have.
In a league where draft mistakes can set franchises back years and cost front office executives their jobs, Portland's selection of Donovan Clingan stands as a masterclass in identifying value beyond consensus rankings. What looked like a solid pick at the time has become something far more valuable: the foundation upon which the next great Trail Blazers team may be built, and a daily reminder that sometimes the safest pick is also the smartest one. Portland didn't just find a good player at seven—they found their future.