Las Vegas – Anyone who has watched the NCAA Tournament knows former University of Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan is a feared rim protector, and any basketball fan knows Clingan is an old-school big man who relies on his 7-foot-2 frame to dominate.
But when you see him play, the impression is different. He's a big, intimidating presence in the paint that only a handful of players in the NBA reach the level they do. Clingan's defense lived up to the hype in his summer league debut, blocking five shots (including one on college teammate Stephon Castle).
And true to much pre-draft hype, Clingan was expected to improve offensively, going 1-of-8 from the field and 0-of-3 from the 3-point line.
“I wish I could have protected the rim a little better. I could have shot it a little better. I just didn't make my shot today,” Clingan said.
Clingan's strengths, defense and rebounding, make him a valuable asset for Portland right now, and he would provide the Trail Blazers with a strong center combination off the bench behind Deandre Ayton.
But for Clingan to really shine he needs to improve his attacking prowess and his conditioning (he looked exhausted in Saturday's game) and while his conditioning should improve soon, his attacking prowess will be an issue.
His performance in his first summer league appearance should give Trail Blazers fans hope. Clingan is a good, maybe even great, player who can be part of what's being built in the Pacific Northwest. He can be a part of the future. He just has some work to do.
Here are some other notes from Day 2 of the Las Vegas Summer League.
• Miami nearly set the record for most points scored in a Summer League game.
The record was 120 points, set by the Grizzlies in 2022 and the Nuggets in 2007. Miami beat the Celtics 119-114 in the most entertaining game of the day. It was a pure shootout. The Heat had chances late in the game, but fell short of setting a new record.
One question for the Heat: Why is Jaime Jaquez playing? He's got a 29/11/5 record, but what is he getting out of being here? It's time to rest him for the summer.
• Same question for Charlotte. No one understands why the Hornets sent Brandon Miller to summer league. He doesn't need to be here. He had 23 points, 8 rebounds and made 5 of 10 3-pointers. Hornets, lock him down.
• Bulls draft pick Matas Buzelis flashed flashes of brilliance, but like all of Las Vegas' top draft picks this year, he has a lot of work to do. Buzelis showed off some space-creating handles, but his shot is still a work in progress (as was a pre-draft concern). He had 15 points, shooting 4-for-15 from the field and 0-for-4 from three-point range. He clearly didn't trust his shot, preferring to go for closeouts (attempting 11 free throws) over three-pointers.
• The Knicks might be on to something with Tyler Kollek, a second-round draft pick out of Marquette University. He has great court vision, good enough handles to get to the spot to make a pass, and good game feel. He had seven points and seven rebounds, plus seven assists, and could have had more if his teammates had finished (welcome to summer league, Tyler). For a while, it was easy to see him as a second-unit point guard.
The questions in the draft — the reason he fell in the second round (34th overall) — were about his defense. He's been beaten a few times in this game, and if that continues, Tom Thibodeau isn't going to let him on the court. Since he has a guaranteed contract, Korec will remain with the Knicks this season and see if he can fill the role.
• The Hornets' No. 6 pick, Tijan Salaun, is everything he was advertised as. He's tall and mobile, and his drive and confidence in his play suggest he has a lot of potential. He has the athleticism to be able to teach.
It's also clear how much he has to improve — 0-for-3 on 3-pointers, for example (but 3-for-4 from inside the arc) — but Salaun is a long-term play, but he seems like a player worth taking a gamble on for the Hornets.
• The dunk of the day was when Bucks second-year player Andre Jackson Jr. anticipated a miss by Marjon Beauchamp and timed it perfectly for a put-back dunk.
• Unless this late-game breakaway dunk by the 76ers tops it:
• Pistons second-round pick Bobi Klintman might have a big second-round game, but he had a strong showing in one summer league game with 13 points (3-of-7 on 3-pointers), five assists and five rebounds.
“I'm versatile,” Klintman said. “I can guard multiple positions, I can play multiple positions, I can shoot the ball, I can move without the ball and I can help other guys on the team.”
Las Vegas showed off his fluid athleticism, and the maturity of a man who spent last season playing against men in Australia rather than college, adapting well to the speed and physicality of summer league action.
We'll see how that plays out in upcoming games and training camp, but it's a promising start and explains why the Pistons signed him to a four-year, $8 million deal (with the first two years guaranteed).
