Portland Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan had a decent performance in his NBA Summer League debut despite struggling with his shooting, but he might not think so.
The No. 7 overall pick finished with just four points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field in Portland's 83-77 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, but he was a dominant presence in the paint, recording five blocks and 13 rebounds (four of which were offensive), proving why his defense was so highly touted heading into the NBA Draft.
Still, when asked during post-match media availability what aspect of his performance he was pleased with, Clingan struggled to answer.
I'm not going to say anything because I'm hard on myself. I think maybe I rebounded offensively. I had some good offensive rebounds, but I've got to rebound better, finish stronger, shoot the ball better and be a top-notch rim protector.
Despite having five blocks and 13 rebounds, Clingan focused on his performance as a rim protector as an area he wants to improve.
We had some shots around the rim that we could have played better if they hadn't been blocked. I wasn't happy with the floaters they took or the shots in the paint, but we just went back and watched the film and learned from it. I wish we'd rebounded a little better in the first half, but we understood that in the second half and played better in that aspect.
In addition to improving his rebounding in the second half, Clingan said he's also gotten used to the faster pace of play as the game progresses, something he said he's been adjusting to since the first Summer League practice of the season.
I think it took me a few runs to get used to it, but then in the second half I started to feel better and I got used to the pace.
But even when Clingan noted the positive aspects of his performance, he kept coming back to the same conclusion: He wished he had played better.
I wish I could have protected the rim a little better, shot the ball a little better, but I just didn't make my shot today. I feel like I still have something to prove.
Clingan will soon get his chance to prove himself, as the Blazers play their next summer league game on Monday night at 5:30 PDT against the Philadelphia 76ers, which will air on NBA TV.
