MAILBAG: Has Donovan Clingan Hit a Rookie Wall?
Plus, how much runway will Trail Blazers ownership give Joe Cronin to execute the rebuild?
Last week, I put out a call for mailbag questions and I was happy to see a lot of variety in the topics. Given where the Trail Blazers’ season is, I expected a lot of calls to fire the coach and calls to trade certain players, and there was some of that, which we’ll address over the course of the week.
But there were other topics, too. Later in the week, we’ll get into Jabari Walker’s future with the team, current assessments of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, and whether Greg Oden is going to have a role with the organization in light of his recent return to Portland—as well as some trade stuff.
To start off, part one of this mailbag touches on Donovan Clingan’s rookie season, how much pressure is on Joe Cronin from ownership to get the rebuild right, and what’s separating this team from being a playoff contender.
Sean, I appreciate you and your willingness to engage us! My question is about Clingan: His productivity and energy seems to be down... Is he hitting the proverbial "Rookie Wall" or are there more nuanced issues for his reduced impact as of late?
- Mike W.
I like Donovan Clingan as he has a great attitude and aptitude for the game. But with his offensive limitations and lack of speed, is he a realistic #1 center? Or is he perhaps destined for a backup role in the NBA?
- Gary G.