The Portland Trail Blazers were expected to spend this season near the bottom of the Western Conference. Preseason projections had them finishing 13th as they were expected to still be in the early stages of their rebuild and far from the postseason picture. Instead, Portland is 35–36 and sitting eighth in the West, much higher up the standings than what many anticipated.

A major reason for that has been the emergence of Donovan Clingan.

The 7-foot-2 center is putting together an outstanding sophomore season and has become one of Portland’s most reliable players. After averaging 6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks as a rookie, Clingan has taken a significant leap in year two. He is now averaging 12.2 points on 52.3 percent shooting, along with 11.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game.

Those numbers are not hollow numbers on a lottery-bound team. Clingan has helped Portland outperform expectations and stay in the thick of the postseason race. He already has a team-high 31 double-doubles this season, a massive jump from the eight he recorded last year. That total ranks eighth in the entire NBA, placing him ahead of notable All-Star big men such as Rudy Gobert, Alperen Sengun, and Bam Adebayo.

His recent play has only strengthened the case that he is becoming a foundational piece for the franchise.

Earlier this week, Clingan scored a career-high 28 points in Portland’s 127–119 win over the Indiana Pacers. He also added 13 rebounds, two assists, a steal, and two blocks in what could be argued was the best all-around performance of his young career. He followed that up with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, 12 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block in a 108–104 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that game, he outclassed Minnesota’s Gobert, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Clingan’s growth has shown up in more ways than one too. His soft touch around the rim has made him a dependable interior scorer, while his instinctive rim protection continues to anchor the Blazers defensively. What makes him even more intriguing is the gradual expansion of his offensive game. He is now making one three-pointer per game at a 33.2 percent clip, a development that makes him more difficult to scheme against and raises his ceiling even further, especially if he can improve on his shooting efficiency.

Portland’s long-term core is beginning to come into focus, and Clingan looks very much like a player the franchise can build around in the middle. With Damian Lillard expected back next season from his Achilles injury, the Blazers may have a chance to accelerate their timeline sooner than expected.

For now, Portland’s immediate goal remains much simpler. The Blazers are trying to turn this surprising season into a playoff berth through the play-in, and Clingan has already shown that he can be a major reason why they get there. If that happens, Portland could become the kind of lower-seeded team that no one will want to deal with.