The Portland Trail Blazers are justifiably proud of their two young centers, Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen. The Blazers spent prime, consecutive draft picks on the pair of pivots. They expect great things from each.
Despite that, a Blazer’s Edge Reader has noticed a trend in the way the Blazers use their big men. Let’s take a look at his observation from the Blazer’s Edge Mailbag.
I’m watching the end of the Clippers game. Why do the Blazers think they don’t need a center in the lineup? This seems like pulling your goalie with the game on the line!
You may have noticed that the center rotation changes game to game based on several factors. Opponent, scoreboard spread, and foul issues all come into play. The Blazers and their players are still in a period of adjustment. I wouldn’t make any hard and fast determinations about how they’re going to play based on the data we have so far.
Your point has merit nonetheless. No position is as prone to subbing out in Portland as the center position. Nor is any lineup switch as obvious as this one. It’s a little noticeable when there’s no seven-footer on the floor! (Doubly so since the Blazers’ forwards are 6’8, not 6’11.)
The Blazers have three hallmarks and/or needs overall, based on their style of play:
Consistent, aggressive defense
Quick scoring
The mobility to sustain both
Understanding this, it’s easy to see the pros and cons of Portland’s center corps.
Donovan Clingan has had a great start to the season. The highest compliment I can give him is that this year, I don’t notice him. That sounds like an insult, but I mean it the same way I don’t notice my car engine when I’m cruising down the freeway. That thing is working hard, firing on all cylinders. The only time I really pay attention to it is when I need a quick burst of speed. Then I hear the roar and it’s always there.
That’s the same way Clingan is operating now. Last year he stuck out big time, sometimes to the good and sometimes less so. There was the whole rest of the team, then there was Donovan. This year I see much more of a coordinated, united defense from Portland, a setup of which Clingan is a part, but not in a way that makes him stick out. Perimeter players are doing a better job of slowing down penetration. Clingan is making reads and sliding over to help. It’s all happening fairly seamlessly. Every once in a while the engine will roar and Clingan will come up with a huge block or rebound, but that’s an addition to the trip, not the only feature of it.
There’s no doubt that Clingan adds to the overall defense, checking off the first item on our list. The second and third are not part of his portfolio.
Clingan isn’t a fast break guy. He isn’t a scorer, save off of the offensive glass. He’s not going to stretch the floor. He won’t create space or cut through it. Nor is he super mobile on defense. The Blazers get exposed when he’s on the perimeter.
One of the hallmarks of late-game scenarios is that coaches like to score through them. That’s true whether the team is catching up, in a scoreboard dogfight, or owning a lead. Putting the ball in the bucket is like the final sprint-kick of a 4000 meter runner, the sure-fire way to succeed down the stretch.
Obviously defense still matters late in games, but the big things you want to prevent are quick and easy layups (the kind that you want to score yourself) and dramatic, scoreboard-swinging threes. Preventing the opponent from scoring big or scoring often puts an extra emphasis on transition defense and guarding the three-point arc.
In that spirit, the coaches are more likely to go with quicker players, guys who can get down the floor, convert like lightning, get back to prevent the opponent from doing same, and watch the arc on defense. None of this is in Donovan’s portfolio yet. That explains, at least in part, why the fourth quarter is often small-ball time for the Blazers.
Other factors come into play:
Keep in mind that Clingan is only a second-year player (and barely that) while Hansen, the other seven-footer, is a rookie. The coaches’ preference for wings and forwards down the stretch may have as much to do with experience as position at this point.
Also note that Clingan and Hansen have both been foul-prone. It’s easy to see opponents drawing them into action and forcing contact. Free throws let the other team score without time elapsing. That’s problematic in late-game scenarios…the exact opposite of what you want.
Rebounding is a huge asset. It’s often the responsibility of the centers. But Jrue Holiday, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and even Shaedon Sharpe have all been grabbing rebounds and running out…the best of both worlds. At least for now, the Blazers don’t seem to be suffering much without their centers for targeted stretches. Over 48 minutes they need the big guys and their rebounding averages. Over the last 6 minutes, someone else can probably fill in.
Screens are another big feature of center play. They still matter, but notice that the Blazers are using the high center screen–the traditional pivot play–less this year than in years past. They’re not taking the time to send a center to the top of the floor, letting a roll or a pop develop. They’re more likely to use a big man to set a pick inside to free cross or inside-out action. Smaller men can set that kind of screen almost as well as a big. Meanwhile, at the top, ball handlers are probing and penetrating, trying to score more quickly without that huge pick. They’re getting to the rim easier without a huge center inside clogging up the lane. All of this argues for an interchangeable, offensively-diverse lineup more than a huge one.
In short, both general emphases and Portland’s specific proclivities (and attributes) are conspiring to keep Clingan and Hansen off the floor down the stretch.
This may not be true forever, though. As Portland’s centers age, continue to expand their defense, and (knock on wood) their offensive games develop, more opportunities will open for them, including in the late game. It’s also possible that opponents will exploit weaknesses in the small-ball strategy, forcing the Blazers to shift their approach.
Until then, I’d be more concerned about the overall minutes and development of Portland’s young centers than their game-situation utilization right now. At the end of the day, we wouldn’t be too surprised if a skill-specific, second-year guard wasn’t playing down the stretch, especially if that specific skill set didn’t include a three-pointer and perimeter defense. We shouldn’t be too surprised when the same rationale applies to a second-year center backed up by a rookie counterpart. If Clingan keeps averaging 21 points and 17 rebounds per 36 minutes, he’s going to find the floor in all situations. He just needs to lengthen his range, trim down the fouls a little bit, and have some patience.
Thanks for the question! You can always send yours to blazersub@gmail.com and we’ll try to answer as many as possible!