Clingan's rookie season was a rollercoaster ride that ended on a high note. He had to battle for minutes to start the campaign, playing behind Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams. Clingan was thrown into prominent roles on occasion when there were injuries ahead of him, but he took off in mid-February. After posting 21 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench during a blowout loss to Denver on Feb. 10, Clingan moved into the first five and never looked back, starting the final 27 regular-season games. From Feb. 10 on, the big man averaged 8.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 blocks and 0.6 steals in 25.3 minutes while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. While the peripheral stats were encouraging, Clingan struggled mightily from the free-throw line, dropping his value in category leagues. He also attempted multiple three-pointers eight times, shooting 29 percent from deep in those games, so even when he was feeling it, the results weren't there. He barely cracked the top 150 in eight-category leagues as a rookie, but with Ayton now in Los Angeles, it's Clingan's job to lose. Williams has struggled to stay healthy his entire career and will likely handle a limited reserve role, while Duop Reath is best used as a five in small-ball lineups. Rookie Yang Hansen will take time to develop and doesn't pose an immediate threat to Clingan, whose defensive prowess gives him a strong fantasy floor even if there are question marks about his offensive upside.
