Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups wants so badly to put a competitive defense on the court.

But he hasn’t had the personnel to do so since arriving in Portland in 2021. Especially in the middle, most glaringly at backup center.

The addition of 7-foot-2 rookie Donovan Clingan could alter that reality.

On Saturday, the Blazers gleefully introduced Clingan, a former UConn star who was selected with the No. 7 pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft.

Billups talked glowingly about the 20-year-old changing the team’s defense, even as a backup to Deandre Ayton.

“Our rim defense was a problem last year,” Billups said. “We struggled there. I love what we did. We went and got the best in the draft at protecting the rim.”

In addition to scoring 13.0 points with 7.4 rebounds last season, Clingan blocked 2.5 shots per game to help the Huskies win their second consecutive NCAA national championship.

On offense, Clingan didn’t shoot that often (8.3 attempts per game), especially from outside (nine career three-point attempts). That part of his game, the Blazers believe, will develop. Clingan said he plans to become a knockdown shooter.

Defensively, Portland expects instant impact from Clingan. Especially in the team’s scheme, which usually drops the center. That strategy requires a center who operates as a deterrent.

“And obviously, he’ll be elite at that,” Billups said. “Just protecting the paint, protecting the rim.”

Clingan prides himself in playing good defense. He said his mother, Stacey Clingan, a former star basketball player at Maine who died six years ago, encouraged him never to take playing defense for granted.

“Something my mom always told me was, ‘You know, defense wins ballgames, offense sells tickets,’” Clingan said with a smile. “You’ve got to play great defense in order to win games, and I want to win games. So, I’ll take a block off the backboard over a dunk any day of the week.”

That’s music to Billups’ ears. Protecting the rim has been a huge problem for the Blazers over the past few seasons.

Portland allowed 53.5 points per game in the paint last season (24th in the NBA) with starter Deandre Ayton and backup Duop Reath at center. The previous season, the Blazers surrendered 53.3 points in the paint (24th), with Jusuf Nurkic starting at center and backed up by Drew Eubanks.

Clingan should instantly be a better defensive option at center than both Reath and Eubanks were, which will automatically strengthen the team’s interior defense.

When Ayton missed games last season, the Blazers were at the mercy of the other team when they went inside.

Clingan’s toughness, however, will be tested by talented and aggressive players who will go after him. But Clingan should be well prepared after playing for a hardnosed coach at Connecticut in Dan Hurley.

“I love the fact that he’s been coached really hard, obviously, with Coach (Dan) Hurley,” Billups said. “But more than anything, he’s been coached well, though. He’s a winner.”

And now he must get used to losing. At least for a year or two. The Blazers intend to get back into next year’s draft lottery, given the depth of the talent that will be available.

That reality will lead to many young lineups on the court that will include Clingan, while the Blazers place more value on development than winning games for the second consecutive season.

Expect to see in action a lineup featuring point guard Scoot Henderson, 20, shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe, 21, Clingan, and forward Deni Avdija, 23, whom the Blazers acquired in a draft-day trade.

Clingan said he is excited to work through the growing pains.

“I really want to put the work in,” he said. “I want to learn every day to help this organization build from the bottom to the top. It’s a lot of hard work. It’s not going to be easy. I’m willing to learn. I’m willing to do whatever it takes for this team to win.”

-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)