Donovan Klingon, Trail Blazers the third-year center averaged 8.6 points last month but has posted three straight double-doubles in his first three outings in November.
“I feel like it was a slower start. But I picked things up,” he said Mark Medina of Fadeawayworld.net. “I’m starting to feel the game again and understand what my team needs from me to go out there and win. I just show up and do what I have to do every day.”
Klingon, who will be eligible for the rookie scale expansion next summer, attributed his slow start to being too passive.
“I haven’t been that active. I haven’t been moving that much.” he said. “I haven’t been the active defender, rim protector and rebounder that I’ve been the last few years. I’ve really figured it out recently. I’ve been attacking the glass. I’ve been physical. I’ve been aggressive. I’ve been putting bad plays behind me.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder purchased Nick Clifford from the Kings for two future second-rounders, and that involves additional spending. Clifford had a contract worth $3.26 million this season and a salary of $3.42 million in 2027-28. The Thunder will have until Nov. 1, 2027, to decide if they want to exercise their $5.98M option on Clifford at 28/29. In the short term, the Thunder’s luxury tax bill will jump $11.8 million, increasing the projected tax bill from $19.7 million to $31.5 million, according to cap expert Eric Pincus. Post on Casino.org.
- Lauri Markkanen was sitting Jazz loss to the Heat on Tuesday. Markkanen was ruled out with a sprained right wrist for the second straight game, the team tweets. Markkanen was initially injured late last month and missed two games, but returned to play in three games in November, averaging 22.3 points in those contests.
- After scoring 38 points against the Rockets on Monday, Nuggets security guard Jamal Murray averages a team-high 25.8 points per game. Still, Denver has a pedestrian 5-4 record. “Jamal Murray has been unbelievable. When we’re 7-3, you’re like, ‘Wow, who’s a better guard, I’d say, besides Luka (Doncic)?’ coach David Adelman told Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette. “Mal is one of the best players in the league, man. He’s a tough cover and we’re lucky to have him.”