POR 108, MIN 104: Clingan's 61 ESPN FP Seals Close Win
Hiro Tanaka
Physical Therapy Assistant ยท Los Angeles Lakers fan
Blazers Steal One in Minny, and Your Waiver Wire Just Got Interesting
Trail Blazers 108, Timberwolves 104
This wasn't pretty. This was the kind of game that gets decided on the last possession and leaves you checking box scores three times because you can't believe the final score. Portland walked into Minnesota and snatched a W, and if you've got any of these guys, you're either feeling real good or real stupid depending on who you drafted.
Let's talk about who actually showed up.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Clingan | 61.0 | 52.4 | 21/12/4 | 12.3/11.6/2.2 | +8.7 |
| Rudy Gobert | 45.0 | 46.5 | 18/15/1 | 11.0/11.4/1.7 | +7.0 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 49.0 | 44.7 | 16/6/3 | 14.6/4.2/2.8 | +1.4 |
| Jerami Grant | 49.0 | 41.5 | 26/5/1 | 18.6/3.5/2.2 | +7.4 |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 39.0 | 39.0 | 17/10/8 | 14.5/3.1/3.5 | +2.5 |
| Deni Avdija | 31.0 | 38.1 | 25/8/5 | 24.2/7.0/6.6 | +0.8 |
| Jrue Holiday | 32.0 | 32.4 | 12/2/12 | 16.1/4.5/6.4 | -4.1 |
| Julius Randle | 22.0 | 30.0 | 19/5/4 | 21.2/6.8/5.1 | -2.2 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 22.0 | 25.8 | 13/4/2 | 12.3/4.4/4.1 | +0.7 |
| Scoot Henderson | 21.0 | 23.6 | 11/3/2 | 13.5/2.8/3.9 | -2.5 |
Donovan Clingan is Cooking
Look, I'm not saying Donovan Clingan just took over the league, but a 52.4 Yahoo performance with 21/12/4 on 9-13 shooting from a guy averaging 12 points tells you everything. He was +8.7 on his scoring and basically played a perfect offensive game. In 31 minutes, he was efficient, he grabbed boards, and he did exactly what Portland needed him to do.
The concerning part? He still doesn't get enough volume. That's not on him, that's on the system. But when he's on the floor like this, closing out games in crunch time, you're seeing what he's capable of. If the minutes creep up even 2-3 more per game, this dude could be a top-12 center. Keep him locked in on your roster.
Jerami Grant Went OFF and Here's Why It Matters
Jerami Grant dropping 26 on 10-16 shooting with 4 threes in 31 minutes is not a fluke. He was +7.4 on scoring, and for the first time in a while, he looked like the All-NBA caliber wing he's supposed to be. The thing about Grant is he's always been talented enough to blow up on any given night, but consistency has been the thing. Tonight he was just better.
But real talk: one game doesn't change the narrative. Don't go trading assets for Grant thinking he just turned a corner. Watch the next three games. If he's hitting this efficiency again, then we talk about him as a buy-low candidate.
The Dosunmu Assist Game You Didn't Expect
Ayo Dosunmu put up a weird stat line, and it's fascinating. 17 points on 6-15 shooting would normally suck, but he had 10 rebounds and 8 assists. That +6.9 on assists versus his season average is huge. On a night where the Timberwolves' offense looked disjointed, Dosunmu became a secondary playmaker and that's valuable depth you need in fantasy.
The problem: this probably doesn't happen again. He's not averaging 8 assists a night, and forcing shots early probably led to him needing to facilitate more. This is one of those games where the score was closer than expected and bench guys got opportunities. Don't overreact.
The Avdija Thing
Deni Avdija scoring 25 points is normal for him at this point. All-NBA caliber scorer. But 36 minutes with 9 free throws made? That's Portland testing the waters to see if he can be their closer. He shot 9-11 from the line, which is great, but also tells you he's getting some calls. The 5 assists is solid. The 8 rebounds with his position is solid.
Ownership is already at 97.5%, so you probably have him already. Keep him.
Jrue Holiday's Weird Dud (Sort Of)
Jrue Holiday got the assists (12, +5.6 vs avg), which is nice, but 12 points on 5-17 shooting is rough. One All-Defensive guard playing sloppy is one thing, but when you're only generating 32.4 Yahoo FP despite the assist total, your shot diet was trash tonight.
Quick call: this is the exact game that makes people panic-trade Elite All-Defensive guards at the worst time. Don't. One bad shooting night from a guy whose value is defensive (steals tonight were goose egg though) and playmaking doesn't mean anything. This is actually a buy-low spot if someone in your league is frazzled.
Rudy Gobert Did Rudy Gobert Things
Rudy Gobert going 18/15 with 2 blocks in 38 minutes is exactly what you expect from a 3-time DPOY. +7.0 on scoring, +3.6 on rebounding. He's just a human engine in the middle, and even in a close loss, he was solid. The thing about Gobert is he's the floor of fantasy production at center if he's getting 35+ minutes. Not flashy, but reliable.
What This Means for Your Waiver Wire
Kyle Anderson got a tiny ownership bump (+0.1% to 0.6%) and that's probably people looking for lottery tickets. He's not it.
Julius Randle dropped a few percentage points and people are low after -2.2 vs his scoring average. Look, he went 6-16 with 7-9 from the line, which means he got work. He just couldn't finish. In a 4-point game, his role was there. This is peak buy-low territory if someone in your league is panicked.
The bigger league-wide story is Precious Achiuwa getting dropped hard (-3.0%), Deandre Ayton down 1.1%, and Grayson Allen down 0.9%. None of those guys were in this game, but it shows the ownership landscape is shifting. Sacramento and LAL guys are taking hits. Pay attention to that drift.
The Bottom Line
Portland won a game they probably shouldn't have, which means Minnesota has to figure out why their All-NBA wing couldn't carry them. Anthony Edwards being off the court for this whole game (injury? rest?) is a massive red flag if you own him in your league. That's the real story here.
For the guys who played tonight, Clingan and Grant gave you a gift. Don't get cute thinking this is sustainable unless you see it again soon.