Blazers fans have a silver lining after DeAndre Ayton's non-contact calf injury

Portland Trail Blazers center DeAndre Ayton suffered a non-contact calf injury in the third quarter of the team's 146-117 loss to the Denver Nuggets. He was helped to the locker room before being ruled out for the remainder of the contest, an ominous sign for his availability moving forward.

The ailment is enough to keep Ayton out of the lineup for the Trail Blazers' upcoming rematch against the Nuggets. Moreover, he'll reportedly be re-evaluated in four weeks with what's been deemed a calf, another inauspicious development. It's an unfortunate blow, especially because the 26-year-old has significantly contributed to Portland's midseason resurgence.

Fortunately for Ayton and the Blazers, their second of two straight meetings at Denver is the last game before they go into the All-Star break. This gives the big additional time to rest and recover without sitting out. Nevertheless, his absence will extend beyond then, though there's one silver lining: Rookie lottery pick Donovan Clingan's role expands.

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Blazers fans have a silver lining after DeAndre Ayton's non-contact injury

Clingan saw an uptick in minutes once Ayton exited in the second half of their blowout loss in Denver. He logged 21 minutes, a considerable bump compared to his season-long 15.9 tally. Fittingly, the 2024 No. 7 overall selection scored a career-high 21 points on a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor.

Portland's frontcourt logjam makes it challenging for Clingan to carve out a consistent rotational spot. Head coach Chauncey Billups has leaned on Ayton and Robert Williams as established veteran fives, leaving Clingan to pick up the scraps.

Moreover, the Blazers have a cluster of talented forwards headlined by Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant. So, double-big lineups with Clingan and one of Ayton/Williams aren't ideal either, especially in today's era of basketball -- and none of them stretch the floor. But the former UConn standout will now get a chance to show why he was such a highly touted prospect last offseason.

At 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Clingan has the size, instincts and basketball IQ to be a true difference-making rim protector. He has shown glimpses of his ability to be an imposing interior presence. His 4.7 blocks per 100 possessions trail only Defensive Player of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.

With Ayton set to miss considerable time, Clingan has a clear path to entrenching himself as a franchise cornerstone in Portland.