Clingan: biggest underperformer so far

[Chris Craig]

I think the coaching staff is the biggest disappointment to be honest.

I can see why Nate said no thank you to being the interim head coach.

 

[Everything Beagle]

I can see why Nate said no thank you to being the interim head coach.

Who is Nate?

 

[Chris Craig]

Who is Nate?

Nate Bjorkgren, out head assistant coach who turned down taking the helm when Chauncey left.

 

[Everything Beagle]

Nate Bjorkgren, out head assistant coach who turned down taking the helm when Chauncey left.

Tiny angry bald guy? Or “guy who looks like Steve Blake”?

 

[Chris Craig]

Tiny angry bald guy? Or “guy who looks like Steve Blake”?

Bald guy

 

[Everything Beagle]

Bald guy

I thought he said no because the players all think he’s an asshole and would have mutinied.

 

[blazerkor]

Nate is 5'11, that might look a little short next to our 6'11" acting head coach but it's not short and it's especially not tiny.

 

[blazerkor]

I thought he said no because the players all think he’s an asshole and would have mutinied.

I think the players all like coach Nate. He's fiery but I thought he was popular among the players.

 

[Chris Craig]

I thought he said no because the players all think he’s an asshole and would have mutinied.

No. He didn't want the responsibility. Trying to keep his head down I guess.

 

[Everything Beagle]

Nate is 5'11, that might look a little short next to our 6'11" acting head coach but it's not short and it's especially not tiny.

I’m six foot even; he’s miniscule.

 

[Everything Beagle]

No. He didn't want the responsibility. Trying to keep his head down I guess.

He definitely seems like the shrinking violet type

 

[Everything Beagle]

I think the players all like coach Nate. He's fiery but I thought he was popular among the players.

What I was saying was definitely a sentiment someone else had at the beginning of the interim coach search that I kind of just internalized, so if you’re confident in that I’ll believe it.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

Who’s easier to fix for the playoffs? Duren or Clingan?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Who’s easier to fix for the playoffs? Duren or Clingan?

It totally depends on the matchup. But if Duren can't handle Jarrett Allen (or whomever the Hawks have at C) how the fuck is he going to do against Wemby?
Clingan certainly seems to have a winning mindset, and after all, he did go 2-2 in national championships in college. It's a little suspicious that Duren's big leap happened in a contract year.

 

[STOMP]

It totally depends on the matchup. But if Duren can't handle Jarrett Allen (or whomever the Hawks have at C) how the fuck is he going to do against Wemby?
Clingan certainly seems to have a winning mindset, and after all, he did go 2-2 in national championships in college. It's a little suspicious that Duren's big leap happened in a contract year.

Duren is 22 years old. Typically people that age including those who don't play hoops, are still figuring things out about the world and themselves with their best days ahead of them.

STOMP

 

[kjironman1]

Looking like Clingan didn't underperform at all. Chet Holmgren is literally being played off the court.

 

[Everything Beagle]

Looking like Clingan didn't underperform at all. Chet Holmgren is literally being played off the court.

Jrue defended Wemby better than Chet

 

[lawai'a]

Donovan Clingan's Best Blocks | 2025-26 Season | Portland Trail Blazers

Watch this latest video | Portland Trail Blazers

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DC block party highlights from the season

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Duren is 22 years old. Typically people that age including those who don't play hoops, are still figuring things out about the world and themselves with their best days ahead of them.

STOMP

Sure. But that's the kind of thinking that keeps getting people to sign Ayton.

 

[Domihatin]

After watching Chet deliciously fail in game 7, I kinda like what DC did in comparison.

 

[STOMP]

Sure. But that's the kind of thinking that keeps getting people to sign Ayton.

Odd comparison. From a statistical standpoint (& to my eyeballs) Duren has clearly improved every season of his young career while Ayton more or less flatlined his first few seasons and now at the ripe old age of 27, seems to be declining. On both ends of the court, Duren's last season was significantly better then any Ayton season. I'm guessing those trends will continue

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/durenja01.html

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aytonde01.html

STOMP

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Odd comparison. From a statistical standpoint (& to my eyeballs) Duren has clearly improved every season of his young career while Ayton more or less flatlined his first few seasons and now at the ripe old age of 27, seems to be declining. On both ends of the court, Duren's last season was significantly better then any Ayton season. I'm guessing those trends will continue

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/durenja01.html

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aytonde01.html

STOMP

It's funny that everyone's piling on Chet because of his last game against a 7'5" athletic freak, but everybody's forgotten (except Pistons fans) that Duren disappeared against an unimpressive Cavs team. I've watched Duren play (I live in Michigan) and have never been impressed. I think this past year (contract year) was a blip. He doesn't strike me as having BBall IQ. He's distinctly average, and I bet his All Star appearance will go down alongside Jamaal Magloire's. But we shall see, I guess.

 

[STOMP]

It's funny that everyone's piling on Chet because of his last game against a 7'5" athletic freak, but everybody's forgotten (except Pistons fans) that Duren disappeared against an unimpressive Cavs team. I've watched Duren play (I live in Michigan) and have never been impressed. I think this past year (contract year) was a blip. He doesn't strike me as having BBall IQ. He's distinctly average, and I bet his All Star appearance will go down alongside Jamaal Magloire's. But we shall see, I guess.

How many average players have a 69% TS% and a 26.1 PER... choose your advance stats, he's been way above average. Instead of siting his All Star appearance, how about his appearance on this year's All NBA team? The slights you're throwing his way seem purposeful not logical.

Jamal Magliore is another truly odd comparison. Duren's average Defensive Win Share per 48 over his first 4 seasons is better then any single season of Magliore's. Again he's just 22 and improved significantly every season. Yeah we shall see... I'm not much of a better but for this I'd make an exception

STOMP

 

[Rastapopoulos]

How many average players have a 69% TS% and a 26.1 PER... choose your advance stats, he's been way above average. Instead of siting his All Star appearance, how about his appearance on this year's All NBA team? The slights you're throwing his way seem purposeful not logical.

Jamal Magliore is another truly odd comparison. Duren's average Defensive Win Share per 48 over his first 4 seasons is better then any single season of Magliore's. Again he's just 22 and improved significantly every season. Yeah we shall see... I'm not much of a better but for this I'd make an exception

STOMP

Bettor. You may be better - don't put yourself down.

But that would be one of my more risky bets, so I'd rather bet that Giannis won't end up on the Thunder.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Jrue defended Wemby better than Chet

GET SAM PRESTI ON THE PHONE, JOE

 

[HailBlazers]

This will be deadly.

 

[wizenheimer]

This will be deadly.

yep

remember what playing with Dame did for Nurkic; and Nurk had the same type of stone hands as Clingan

 

[blazerkor]

I've got to be honest. A steady diet of slower Dame with Clingan in pick and roll/pop looks sounds terrible to me.

The idea of Dame walking the ball up on even 50% of our offensive possessions just to do the same tired act at a lower level just isn't what I want for our team.

I hope that we still have Scoot and Shaedon next season and I hope they both beat Dame out for the starting guard spots. I would love to have Dame as a super 6th man that mostly operates off the ball and is just a sharp shooter.