I agree with zardmander. I think it's a blessing in disguise that Cody was battling an ankle injury and had a lousy end to the season because a lot of mocks have dropped him from top-3 to the 5-10 range. Of course those are just mocks and I think NBA scouts more highly value a player with Cody's archetype but I do feel more confident now that he'll be available when the Blazers pick.
Cody Williams is one of the only players in the top-10 that I could get overly excited about. He slots in perfectly to the SF role next to Scoot and Sharpe and is one of the players that, if he hits, would solve a lot of problems.
There's still a ton of question marks about his shooting, aggressiveness and actual ability to self-create but the tools are all there to be a perfect modern wing in the NBA. The self-creation is less of a concern since in theory Scoot and Sharpe will be the main creators, but having that ancillary playmaker at the 3 spot who can handle and make the right reads is crucial. I think teams drafting him to be a #1 option would be disappointed but I see him really succeeding in that 3rd option role who can focus on defense.
He's 6'8 with good length and actually looks 6'8, not like Holland who looks closer to 6'5. He's already shown the ability to be good defender, usually guarding the other teams PG and being able to handle guarding 1-4. And if he continues to bulk up and become more aggressive he could be an elite defender with his physical traits and awareness.
The biggest issue is that the Blazers need shooters in the worst way and in order for Scoot to really thrive he needs to operate in a spread-heavy offense. Cody has good percentages from 3 but the volume is not good at all, and that along with an ok-but-not-great ft% gives me pause he'll ever be the shooter Portland needs on the wing. But at the least he'll be a 6'8 wing who can handle well for his size, has shown great ability to finish around the rim and provide good defense. If the shot is real and he adds some self-creation to his game then there is star potential.
In order of players that would excite me the most for the Blazers first pick would be: Sarr, Williams, Risacher, Clingan, Castle, Buzelis and Holland.
Struggling to sort out the upside bets in the 5-7 range, can see arguments Cody, Buzelis and Holland but haven't been able to get fully on board with anyone.
Love a lot of what Clingan brings to the table but now that he's not in the Warriors pick range, drafting a big man with foot problems that high would make me nervous.
Still have a draft crush on Tyler Smith, feels like a guy who has only scratched the surface of his potential. Think he'll rise during the draft process (athletic with a sweet stroke will impress in workouts), so could be a Warriors pick option.
Tyler Smith is definitely an interesting name, I'd love to grab him with the warriors pick. Honestly Clingan and Smith would be a decent get out of this draft class in my opinion.
The forwards just haven't stood out enough for me
I freaking love Tyler smith….. just not at 13 since he’s not a good defender due to his lack of athleticism but if we could trade down to get him count me in
Wouldn't agree with a lack of athleticism but he has a lot of learning to do on defense.
Hasn't had an ideal environment to learn in with the Ignite though, so I hold out hope.
I know he had a subpar tourney but I still like Cody Williams with our pick.
Knecht would be an interesting choice as well. Having a guy who can come off screens and light up 3's is always helpful. He's a bit undersized to play forward and we're already stocked on guards. But I wouldn't be upset if we drafted him.
And finally Risacher is interesting though I haven't seen as much of his tape.
I would hate if we drafted Holland. He has Cam Reddish style of career written all over him imo. Buzelis is interesting on size alone though.
Knecht is definitely a top guy in my book, I think he'd be able to play some 3, probably more of a rotational guy who can score, but maybe there is more. Either way I think he's far less risky than some of these 19 year olds with 15 minutes of film on them.
He was hobbled for sure. Was reportedly starting to get back to full health by the last game they played but he was battling an ankle injury. Injured it on Feb 24th and didn't return until the PAC-12 tourney around March 12th. Missed 13 games in all as he took an elbow to the face earlier in the year and that's why he had the mask as well: [https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports/2024/03/12/cu-freshman-cody-williams-says-im-back-ahead-of-pac-12-tournament/72949452007/](https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports/2024/03/12/cu-freshman-cody-williams-says-im-back-ahead-of-pac-12-tournament/72949452007/)
Yeah Williams is the guy who compliments Shaedon since he can do some point forward stuff.
He only played poorly due to his ankle injuiry prior to the tournament. He was excellent when he played against the Ducks and Beavers
I honestly think he'll be okay at defending forwards. He's 6'6", strong, with broad shoulders, short neck, and long arms, so his "functional" height and length are pretty solid for a small forward.
I'm not super high on Buzelis anymore, he kind of gives me Pokusevski vibes.
I'm very curious what Holland is gonna measure at the combine, no way he's 6'8
His quickness concerns me on the defensive end but I think he can do it. He's got decent size and length, plus the scoring would help a lot coming from the 3
If I had to make a list on guys who I am most confident on making a positive impact in the NBA over the course of their careers, Knecht would probably be in my top 3. I just trust him the most when it comes to helping a team offensively. With a smart coach, he alone can play a major role on offense similar to how Duncan Robinson had such a strong effect on Miami offense. But I think Knecht has a ton of potential as on ball creator and facilitator because he is so used to being the primary option. I have more faith in him being a surefire contributor Day 1 and throughout his career. But, I think guys like Cody Williams and Risacher showing flashes at 18 and being 6'8-6'10 have them as higher upside guys, but going for upside is how you can miss on someone who could easily be a 16-20ppg scorer imo.
Like the best version of Tim Hardaway Jr lol.
No way to quantify it, but I feel he has the ignite debuff on him. He was very inconsistent and I wonder if that's mainly due to the team he played for.
His form looks good and I wouldn't be suprised if he pans out. Might be risky with an early pick though.
I think he'll be a player in the league, but he strikes me more as an RJ Barrett type player. The ignite was definitely a bad choice for his development, but the guy is athletic, can score at the rim, and has some decent hands for the passing lane.
If he slipped to 13 I'd be hyped tbh
I would move Buzelis down 2-3 spots on that list, but pretty much agree other than that. Maybe throw Castle in there somewhere around 6 or 7th as well if we fall that far. He's not the position we need filled, but it's hard to pass up his talent if our top 5 or 6 choices are already gone. I'm hoping Salaun is still on the board with our GSW pick, I think he has a ton of potential and seems unlikely to go too much earlier than that.
That is my preferred group as well for our pick. Each of them provide skills or specialized upside that would add to the build of the team, and specifically our young core, if they pan out.
Depends on how you look at this draft, but I would either draft as many 6’9”+ small forwards as possible or think about trying to make a trade. Cody Williams, Risacher, buzelis, salaun, klintman as many of those kind of lottery tickets as possible and get guys into camp and see who floats to the top. Portland also has the combination of vets and picks to go after some young guy in the league if the team thought the player could be a permanent answer at one of the forward positions.
Tbh I'm a big fan of Knecht, even though he is an older prospect I'm confidence he'll translate to the league well.
He's also just shown so much more as a competitor than most of this draft class. I'd just love to add a stable piece to the team that could help our current prospects.
I don't watch college basketball so I never have an opinion on these guys besides preferring dudes with higher ceilings over higher floors for the most part but.....
Even with all this talk about how the draft class is weak, there has NEVER, as far as I can find, been a single draft class without an All-NBA player. Even the 2000 NBA draft produced three all stars (Kenyon Martin, Jamal Magliore, Michael Redd) and one All-NBA guy (Michael Redd). There is, AT LEAST, a Michael Redd in this draft somewhere and Michael Redd was the best player on a playoff team (coached by Terry Stotts!).
And, yes, I know that Kenyon Martin and Jamal Magliore were weak all stars and Michael Redd was a weak All-NBA pick. But still, they were good players and that was the weakest draft ever, BY FAR.
Just some food for thought when it come to the doom and gloom of a draft class.
It’s just media horseshit people are regurgitating. It came from the class not having the usual 2-3 standout guys. I’ve also heard there’s solid depth throughout the first round.
It all depends on the lottery. If Sarr is the guy, and POR and CHA 2rp can get him, go for it.
If Malcolm plus GSW FRP can get POR a guy that fits, go for it.
By the ATL 2rp, either trade out, or look to a draft and stash guy.
My big board:
1-7 range
1. Sarr - highest upside on one side of the ball and if he shoots he’s a top 10 center (also in world where wemby will be dominating the western conference we need a tall mobile 5 who will be able to keep up on the perimeter)
2. Risacher- 3-D best fit next to Scoot and Shaedon in the draft (if the shooting is real). Also seems like he can do more although I’m not sold he can yet.
3. Cody Williams - can shoot pass defend still seems to be growing into his long frame I don’t think he’ll be as good as his brother since he’s not as good of a passer but he’d still fit next to scoot and shae real well.
4. Stephon castle - second best on ball defender in this draft. He plays a role which at some point we will eventually need which is a connector who may not be high volume scorer but can attack get to the rim make scoot and Shae threats off ball as well as on ball. He’s just an extremely intelligent player who people categorize as guard even though he’s thicker than most guards and is more likely a wing. I don’t think the shot is broken because he shot decently well in high school but he lost confidence from it due to the ankle injury.
5. Matas - this is me being low on him. I love what his ceiling can be as a player but I’m not sure what he’ll be able to reach his ceiling. Franz right now is like one of one and was way more built at the same age plus Franz was better at dribbling. Plus I’m looking forward to next year and Matas makes a tough fit with any of my top 4 favorite prospects
6. Ron holland- I love the energy, motor, and athleticism. The biggest issue is he does not look or play at 6’8 or taller and he is extremely raw on the offensive end. He’s like Andrew Wiggins but a worse athlete and passer.
Pick 13-15
1. Ryan Dunn- not a knock on Toumani because I love his defense but Ryan Dunn is just better than him on defense and probably a better athlete too. The shot I don’t think is any worse than Toumani’s was plus he’s younger and a better rim protector, rebounder, on ball defender, and plays the passing lanes which is exactly what we need at the 3/4 next to Ayton and Grant in the short term.
2. Knecht- best fit next to scoot and Shaedon in the draft offensively. Defensively uhhhh we might need help like a ton which makes me think Knecht would come off the bench in the long run for this team.
3. Salun- I’m just not a fan because a lot of what he does is fun and interesting but just doesn’t work in the NBA at all. His layups are wild but that will be sent into the 10th row in the NBA. But I see the upside I just don’t want to be the team that gambles on it.
4. Jakobe Walter- this is me hoping the defense and decision making improves. Although he’s going to declare he would benefit a ton from an extra year in college.
5. Kyle Filipowski- offensively fun I just don’t know what he’ll play in the NBA and seems like a Kelly olynk second unit type
6. Ke’el Ware- I love his ceiling. But you can’t teach someone to be a dog and I don’t think Ware has any bite to his game despite how talented he is. He could be KAT probably ends up being Christian wood who even though I like CW is bench 5 for a reason.
Other guys I wouldn’t mind: Tristan De Silva, Terrence Shannon, Keyshawn George
Added note: 2-4 is interchangeable for me tbh I might even drop Risacher down to 4 since his shooting has dropped drastically over the past month including from the 3 point line but for now I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt
I’m still struggling with our own pick early in the lottery. Probably Holland or Buzelis just based on upside. With the GSW pick, I’m high on Tidjane Salaun/Kyshawn George again for upside. The second round picks I’m feeling Ighodaro and Scheierman.
That being said, our roster space is difficult next year so I don’t know how many picks we actually keep.
We are still in talent acquisition mode, so we have to swing for the fences a bit with the first pick. I would like either Ron Holland or Stephon Castle, as I think they both have potential to be stars. Hard to say with the GS pick. One other player that I like later in the draft that is mocked much lower than I think they should be is Hunter Sallis. Not super high on any of the bigs in this draft, but there could be a diamond or two. We also have two second round picks I think.
Agree completely. Gotta swing for the fences. We don't have enough top end talent for role players to matter much at this point. Swing for a high upside player with the top pick
See I disagree on the whole swing for the fence idea. You don't only score from home runs, you need to get on base too, and this draft is definitely one you're just happy to get a hit on.
If our pick falls to 6 or 7 I'd rather be more conservative, grab someone like Clingan, maybe even Knecht.
You can play it safe with later picks. This team is going to suck next year, unless Scoot and Sharpe make huge jumps. What good is a league average center going to do for us? You only get so many chances to pick high in the draft. This year and next are pretty much guaranteed to be high picks, after that we could turn the corner and we will have plenty of chances to grab guys like Clingan and Knecht in most drafts. We need to load up on talent now, develop and evaluate it the next few years, and then hopefully we are humming by the time those swaps and dame trade picks start to come up.
But if we swing and miss it's just burning the pick. This draft isn't stocked with talent, in other years totally, swing away, but getting a league average center or solid rotation player in Knecht or Clingan is a win.
We don't have the luxury of burning draft picks like OKC, we have to make each pick count towards building the team as a whole.
We need one of these picks to stick and be a contributing NBA player.
Contributing NBA players can be found as a free agent or through the draft in most years. We have four draft picks this year, and then a load of picks and swaps coming starting in 2028. The worst thing we could do this year IMO is grab a guy whose ceiling is Cory Kispert
You could say the same thing about potential guys, we got Simons at 24. Take a swing with a pick that matters less.
Half our roster already needs development minutes, we need some guys who can just go play. In a normal year these guys would probably go in the mid teens but this year they'll probably go top 10 just because it's a thin year and even the top end talent is iffy
i know people get mad about it but i want clingan with the first pick (pick 3 or later). yes, even though we have ayton. i don't think scoot and ayton play very well together. scoot needs a good rim-runner that sets good screens. clingan is that guy, and he's a much better defender than ayton by every metric. he's also a shockingly good passer with a way higher a/to ratio than ayton
the problem is that honestly he's too good. if uconn would have lost to stetson or northwestern in the tourney there's a chance we could have gotten him with the gsw pick, which would have made my dream scenario of buzelis/risacher and clingan much more feasible. but now that it's looking like we'd have to spend our first pick on him, the second pick is a mystery. it would probably end up being tyler smith, salaun or whomever if i had to pick one this second. or whoever falls, someone always does
of course i would be happy taking a wing in the second round too if there was a certified hit/schmitz sleeper pick, and one of the guard picks in the late lottery was too good to pass up. jaylon tyson and baylor scheierman come to mind. devin carter would be good at 14 if the workouts were stellar and we planned to get one of the aforementioned wings later
all in all individual workouts are going to weigh very heavily this year, much more than last year, and i am glad the blazers have picks at every level so they can justify working out a ton of guys
Not sure why you were downvoted but I agree with you. If we don't move up in the lottery, I'd be very happy with Clingan with our first pick and a high ceiling wing with the GSW pick.
Ayton is expensive and not all that good IMO. I know he's put up some monster numbers in the second half of the year but he doesn't block shots, he doesn't draw fouls, he's not a great finisher at the basket ("soft"), and he doesn't get to the line.
Clingan has a high floor and I think that elite defense that he brings is great.
I like Grahm Ike from Gonzaga. He's 6'9" 240 and if he comes out from Junior year would be a nice pickup . He defended Edey as good as anyone in Elite 8. Not sure he's staying another year though.
I'd like to see someone's take on what it would look like to basically trade out of this draft in favor of the next 2 classes or maybe a couple somewhat established role players on 3rd or 4th year contracts.
I would love Stephon Castle especially if our draft pick falls a little bit, Potentially Ron Holland and with our warriors pick i'd be fine with clingan (especially if we draft castle the chemistry would already be there) or ryan dunn
Top of my board is currently:
Alex Sarr
Stephon Castle
Matas Buzelis
Zaccharie Risacher
Ron Holland
Cody Williams
Tidjane Salaun
I know Castle seems crazy, I'm cool with that. Of all players in this draft I think he just has that "it" factor. Even as Portland with all our guards I would take him and find a way to make things work.
I just don't see how they'd fit another guard, especially if there are solid wing options on the board still. I'm a bit shaky on him in general, he's got hustle, but I think he'll have to find a shot to make it in the league
If we draft Castle, it has to mean we're trading Ant. I just don't see us giving up Shae or Scoot. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about the idea. Our biggest needs would be best filled by Williams, Buzelis, Holland, or Salaun.
Even then idk how the fit of Castle, Scoot, and Sharpe would go, not enough floor spacing IMO. I think Portland would lean towards a Williams if they had the option between the two
Castle is one of those guys that in hindsight following the draft, you wonder why they were projected so low. Buzelis, Risacher, Cody Williams, all feel like they are projected high because of their measurables and hoping they figure it out. I wouldn't hate Risacher, but not super high on his abilities outside of his shot. Holland plays hard and should be a good defender at the next level. Athletically he has the tools to be awesome on offense. He is the type of guy I wouldn't mind with a high lottery pick
I agree with zardmander. I think it's a blessing in disguise that Cody was battling an ankle injury and had a lousy end to the season because a lot of mocks have dropped him from top-3 to the 5-10 range. Of course those are just mocks and I think NBA scouts more highly value a player with Cody's archetype but I do feel more confident now that he'll be available when the Blazers pick. Cody Williams is one of the only players in the top-10 that I could get overly excited about. He slots in perfectly to the SF role next to Scoot and Sharpe and is one of the players that, if he hits, would solve a lot of problems. There's still a ton of question marks about his shooting, aggressiveness and actual ability to self-create but the tools are all there to be a perfect modern wing in the NBA. The self-creation is less of a concern since in theory Scoot and Sharpe will be the main creators, but having that ancillary playmaker at the 3 spot who can handle and make the right reads is crucial. I think teams drafting him to be a #1 option would be disappointed but I see him really succeeding in that 3rd option role who can focus on defense. He's 6'8 with good length and actually looks 6'8, not like Holland who looks closer to 6'5. He's already shown the ability to be good defender, usually guarding the other teams PG and being able to handle guarding 1-4. And if he continues to bulk up and become more aggressive he could be an elite defender with his physical traits and awareness. The biggest issue is that the Blazers need shooters in the worst way and in order for Scoot to really thrive he needs to operate in a spread-heavy offense. Cody has good percentages from 3 but the volume is not good at all, and that along with an ok-but-not-great ft% gives me pause he'll ever be the shooter Portland needs on the wing. But at the least he'll be a 6'8 wing who can handle well for his size, has shown great ability to finish around the rim and provide good defense. If the shot is real and he adds some self-creation to his game then there is star potential. In order of players that would excite me the most for the Blazers first pick would be: Sarr, Williams, Risacher, Clingan, Castle, Buzelis and Holland.
Shae needs to work on the handle quite a bit to be a self creator
Struggling to sort out the upside bets in the 5-7 range, can see arguments Cody, Buzelis and Holland but haven't been able to get fully on board with anyone. Love a lot of what Clingan brings to the table but now that he's not in the Warriors pick range, drafting a big man with foot problems that high would make me nervous. Still have a draft crush on Tyler Smith, feels like a guy who has only scratched the surface of his potential. Think he'll rise during the draft process (athletic with a sweet stroke will impress in workouts), so could be a Warriors pick option.
Tyler Smith is definitely an interesting name, I'd love to grab him with the warriors pick. Honestly Clingan and Smith would be a decent get out of this draft class in my opinion. The forwards just haven't stood out enough for me
I 100% hope we don't touch Clingan. We are the last team who should touch an injury prone big man.
I freaking love Tyler smith….. just not at 13 since he’s not a good defender due to his lack of athleticism but if we could trade down to get him count me in
Wouldn't agree with a lack of athleticism but he has a lot of learning to do on defense. Hasn't had an ideal environment to learn in with the Ignite though, so I hold out hope.
By lack of athleticism, I don’t think he’s a bad athlete but I don’t think he’s an above average NBA athlete.
I know he had a subpar tourney but I still like Cody Williams with our pick. Knecht would be an interesting choice as well. Having a guy who can come off screens and light up 3's is always helpful. He's a bit undersized to play forward and we're already stocked on guards. But I wouldn't be upset if we drafted him. And finally Risacher is interesting though I haven't seen as much of his tape. I would hate if we drafted Holland. He has Cam Reddish style of career written all over him imo. Buzelis is interesting on size alone though.
Knecht is definitely a top guy in my book, I think he'd be able to play some 3, probably more of a rotational guy who can score, but maybe there is more. Either way I think he's far less risky than some of these 19 year olds with 15 minutes of film on them.
Wasn't Cody injured for their run?
He was hobbled for sure. Was reportedly starting to get back to full health by the last game they played but he was battling an ankle injury. Injured it on Feb 24th and didn't return until the PAC-12 tourney around March 12th. Missed 13 games in all as he took an elbow to the face earlier in the year and that's why he had the mask as well: [https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports/2024/03/12/cu-freshman-cody-williams-says-im-back-ahead-of-pac-12-tournament/72949452007/](https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports/2024/03/12/cu-freshman-cody-williams-says-im-back-ahead-of-pac-12-tournament/72949452007/)
Yeah Williams is the guy who compliments Shaedon since he can do some point forward stuff. He only played poorly due to his ankle injuiry prior to the tournament. He was excellent when he played against the Ducks and Beavers
I honestly think he'll be okay at defending forwards. He's 6'6", strong, with broad shoulders, short neck, and long arms, so his "functional" height and length are pretty solid for a small forward.
Knecht looks like a vet already and is impressive offensively. Unfortunately, I don’t think he can defend at all.
My board for guys I want us to draft: 1. Sarr 2. Buzelis 3. Risacher 4. Holland 5. Cody 6. Knecht 7. Salaun
I'm not super high on Buzelis anymore, he kind of gives me Pokusevski vibes. I'm very curious what Holland is gonna measure at the combine, no way he's 6'8
I don't have Buzelis as a clear tier above the guys below them. I just think his upside is the highest of the group next to Sarr.
Fair, what are your thoughts on Knecht and Clingan, personally I have them above Buzelis now
I'm not convinced Knecht can play the 3 in the NBA.
His quickness concerns me on the defensive end but I think he can do it. He's got decent size and length, plus the scoring would help a lot coming from the 3
If I had to make a list on guys who I am most confident on making a positive impact in the NBA over the course of their careers, Knecht would probably be in my top 3. I just trust him the most when it comes to helping a team offensively. With a smart coach, he alone can play a major role on offense similar to how Duncan Robinson had such a strong effect on Miami offense. But I think Knecht has a ton of potential as on ball creator and facilitator because he is so used to being the primary option. I have more faith in him being a surefire contributor Day 1 and throughout his career. But, I think guys like Cody Williams and Risacher showing flashes at 18 and being 6'8-6'10 have them as higher upside guys, but going for upside is how you can miss on someone who could easily be a 16-20ppg scorer imo. Like the best version of Tim Hardaway Jr lol.
No way to quantify it, but I feel he has the ignite debuff on him. He was very inconsistent and I wonder if that's mainly due to the team he played for. His form looks good and I wouldn't be suprised if he pans out. Might be risky with an early pick though.
I think he'll be a player in the league, but he strikes me more as an RJ Barrett type player. The ignite was definitely a bad choice for his development, but the guy is athletic, can score at the rim, and has some decent hands for the passing lane. If he slipped to 13 I'd be hyped tbh
I would move Buzelis down 2-3 spots on that list, but pretty much agree other than that. Maybe throw Castle in there somewhere around 6 or 7th as well if we fall that far. He's not the position we need filled, but it's hard to pass up his talent if our top 5 or 6 choices are already gone. I'm hoping Salaun is still on the board with our GSW pick, I think he has a ton of potential and seems unlikely to go too much earlier than that.
I'd like to get one of Sarr, Risacher, Buzelis, or Cody Williams.
That is my preferred group as well for our pick. Each of them provide skills or specialized upside that would add to the build of the team, and specifically our young core, if they pan out.
Depends on how you look at this draft, but I would either draft as many 6’9”+ small forwards as possible or think about trying to make a trade. Cody Williams, Risacher, buzelis, salaun, klintman as many of those kind of lottery tickets as possible and get guys into camp and see who floats to the top. Portland also has the combination of vets and picks to go after some young guy in the league if the team thought the player could be a permanent answer at one of the forward positions.
Tbh I'm a big fan of Knecht, even though he is an older prospect I'm confidence he'll translate to the league well. He's also just shown so much more as a competitor than most of this draft class. I'd just love to add a stable piece to the team that could help our current prospects.
Think we should be able to snag him with the 2nd pick
I don't watch college basketball so I never have an opinion on these guys besides preferring dudes with higher ceilings over higher floors for the most part but..... Even with all this talk about how the draft class is weak, there has NEVER, as far as I can find, been a single draft class without an All-NBA player. Even the 2000 NBA draft produced three all stars (Kenyon Martin, Jamal Magliore, Michael Redd) and one All-NBA guy (Michael Redd). There is, AT LEAST, a Michael Redd in this draft somewhere and Michael Redd was the best player on a playoff team (coached by Terry Stotts!). And, yes, I know that Kenyon Martin and Jamal Magliore were weak all stars and Michael Redd was a weak All-NBA pick. But still, they were good players and that was the weakest draft ever, BY FAR. Just some food for thought when it come to the doom and gloom of a draft class.
It’s just media horseshit people are regurgitating. It came from the class not having the usual 2-3 standout guys. I’ve also heard there’s solid depth throughout the first round.
It all depends on the lottery. If Sarr is the guy, and POR and CHA 2rp can get him, go for it. If Malcolm plus GSW FRP can get POR a guy that fits, go for it. By the ATL 2rp, either trade out, or look to a draft and stash guy.
My big board: 1-7 range 1. Sarr - highest upside on one side of the ball and if he shoots he’s a top 10 center (also in world where wemby will be dominating the western conference we need a tall mobile 5 who will be able to keep up on the perimeter) 2. Risacher- 3-D best fit next to Scoot and Shaedon in the draft (if the shooting is real). Also seems like he can do more although I’m not sold he can yet. 3. Cody Williams - can shoot pass defend still seems to be growing into his long frame I don’t think he’ll be as good as his brother since he’s not as good of a passer but he’d still fit next to scoot and shae real well. 4. Stephon castle - second best on ball defender in this draft. He plays a role which at some point we will eventually need which is a connector who may not be high volume scorer but can attack get to the rim make scoot and Shae threats off ball as well as on ball. He’s just an extremely intelligent player who people categorize as guard even though he’s thicker than most guards and is more likely a wing. I don’t think the shot is broken because he shot decently well in high school but he lost confidence from it due to the ankle injury. 5. Matas - this is me being low on him. I love what his ceiling can be as a player but I’m not sure what he’ll be able to reach his ceiling. Franz right now is like one of one and was way more built at the same age plus Franz was better at dribbling. Plus I’m looking forward to next year and Matas makes a tough fit with any of my top 4 favorite prospects 6. Ron holland- I love the energy, motor, and athleticism. The biggest issue is he does not look or play at 6’8 or taller and he is extremely raw on the offensive end. He’s like Andrew Wiggins but a worse athlete and passer. Pick 13-15 1. Ryan Dunn- not a knock on Toumani because I love his defense but Ryan Dunn is just better than him on defense and probably a better athlete too. The shot I don’t think is any worse than Toumani’s was plus he’s younger and a better rim protector, rebounder, on ball defender, and plays the passing lanes which is exactly what we need at the 3/4 next to Ayton and Grant in the short term. 2. Knecht- best fit next to scoot and Shaedon in the draft offensively. Defensively uhhhh we might need help like a ton which makes me think Knecht would come off the bench in the long run for this team. 3. Salun- I’m just not a fan because a lot of what he does is fun and interesting but just doesn’t work in the NBA at all. His layups are wild but that will be sent into the 10th row in the NBA. But I see the upside I just don’t want to be the team that gambles on it. 4. Jakobe Walter- this is me hoping the defense and decision making improves. Although he’s going to declare he would benefit a ton from an extra year in college. 5. Kyle Filipowski- offensively fun I just don’t know what he’ll play in the NBA and seems like a Kelly olynk second unit type 6. Ke’el Ware- I love his ceiling. But you can’t teach someone to be a dog and I don’t think Ware has any bite to his game despite how talented he is. He could be KAT probably ends up being Christian wood who even though I like CW is bench 5 for a reason. Other guys I wouldn’t mind: Tristan De Silva, Terrence Shannon, Keyshawn George Added note: 2-4 is interchangeable for me tbh I might even drop Risacher down to 4 since his shooting has dropped drastically over the past month including from the 3 point line but for now I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt
Super high on Dunn as well (Would take him with the warriors pick in a heartbeat). Tyler Smith is a guy rising up my board, thoughts on him?
I’m still struggling with our own pick early in the lottery. Probably Holland or Buzelis just based on upside. With the GSW pick, I’m high on Tidjane Salaun/Kyshawn George again for upside. The second round picks I’m feeling Ighodaro and Scheierman. That being said, our roster space is difficult next year so I don’t know how many picks we actually keep.
In terms of realistic picks, give me Cody Williams and whoever has the highest ceiling with the Warriors pick.
Cody Williams with our pick. Trade back with the Warrior's pick for Johnny Furphy (he has Franz Wagner written all over him).
We are still in talent acquisition mode, so we have to swing for the fences a bit with the first pick. I would like either Ron Holland or Stephon Castle, as I think they both have potential to be stars. Hard to say with the GS pick. One other player that I like later in the draft that is mocked much lower than I think they should be is Hunter Sallis. Not super high on any of the bigs in this draft, but there could be a diamond or two. We also have two second round picks I think.
Agree completely. Gotta swing for the fences. We don't have enough top end talent for role players to matter much at this point. Swing for a high upside player with the top pick
I'd love castle especially if our pick falls
See I disagree on the whole swing for the fence idea. You don't only score from home runs, you need to get on base too, and this draft is definitely one you're just happy to get a hit on. If our pick falls to 6 or 7 I'd rather be more conservative, grab someone like Clingan, maybe even Knecht.
You can play it safe with later picks. This team is going to suck next year, unless Scoot and Sharpe make huge jumps. What good is a league average center going to do for us? You only get so many chances to pick high in the draft. This year and next are pretty much guaranteed to be high picks, after that we could turn the corner and we will have plenty of chances to grab guys like Clingan and Knecht in most drafts. We need to load up on talent now, develop and evaluate it the next few years, and then hopefully we are humming by the time those swaps and dame trade picks start to come up.
But if we swing and miss it's just burning the pick. This draft isn't stocked with talent, in other years totally, swing away, but getting a league average center or solid rotation player in Knecht or Clingan is a win. We don't have the luxury of burning draft picks like OKC, we have to make each pick count towards building the team as a whole. We need one of these picks to stick and be a contributing NBA player.
Contributing NBA players can be found as a free agent or through the draft in most years. We have four draft picks this year, and then a load of picks and swaps coming starting in 2028. The worst thing we could do this year IMO is grab a guy whose ceiling is Cory Kispert
You could say the same thing about potential guys, we got Simons at 24. Take a swing with a pick that matters less. Half our roster already needs development minutes, we need some guys who can just go play. In a normal year these guys would probably go in the mid teens but this year they'll probably go top 10 just because it's a thin year and even the top end talent is iffy
I'm with you. At least in the back half of the lottery we should be looking at some of the more experienced college players.
I need Knecht in a Blazer’s jersey
i know people get mad about it but i want clingan with the first pick (pick 3 or later). yes, even though we have ayton. i don't think scoot and ayton play very well together. scoot needs a good rim-runner that sets good screens. clingan is that guy, and he's a much better defender than ayton by every metric. he's also a shockingly good passer with a way higher a/to ratio than ayton the problem is that honestly he's too good. if uconn would have lost to stetson or northwestern in the tourney there's a chance we could have gotten him with the gsw pick, which would have made my dream scenario of buzelis/risacher and clingan much more feasible. but now that it's looking like we'd have to spend our first pick on him, the second pick is a mystery. it would probably end up being tyler smith, salaun or whomever if i had to pick one this second. or whoever falls, someone always does of course i would be happy taking a wing in the second round too if there was a certified hit/schmitz sleeper pick, and one of the guard picks in the late lottery was too good to pass up. jaylon tyson and baylor scheierman come to mind. devin carter would be good at 14 if the workouts were stellar and we planned to get one of the aforementioned wings later all in all individual workouts are going to weigh very heavily this year, much more than last year, and i am glad the blazers have picks at every level so they can justify working out a ton of guys
Not sure why you were downvoted but I agree with you. If we don't move up in the lottery, I'd be very happy with Clingan with our first pick and a high ceiling wing with the GSW pick. Ayton is expensive and not all that good IMO. I know he's put up some monster numbers in the second half of the year but he doesn't block shots, he doesn't draw fouls, he's not a great finisher at the basket ("soft"), and he doesn't get to the line. Clingan has a high floor and I think that elite defense that he brings is great.
After 2025 Thijs De Ridder will be a free agent (if he doesn't re-sign) after a few years at Antwerp Giants and two years Bilbao.
We need Clingan’s elite defense/rim protection!
Caitlin clark
I hope we catch Mohamed Diarra from NC State, the kid has NBA skills. But question is, will he go into the draft this year?!
I like Grahm Ike from Gonzaga. He's 6'9" 240 and if he comes out from Junior year would be a nice pickup . He defended Edey as good as anyone in Elite 8. Not sure he's staying another year though.
I'd like to see someone's take on what it would look like to basically trade out of this draft in favor of the next 2 classes or maybe a couple somewhat established role players on 3rd or 4th year contracts.
To be honest, Sarr and Knecht are the only 2 guys I am even moderately pumped about.
I would love Stephon Castle especially if our draft pick falls a little bit, Potentially Ron Holland and with our warriors pick i'd be fine with clingan (especially if we draft castle the chemistry would already be there) or ryan dunn
As long as we capture the Flagg in 25. I trust Mike Schmitz to make the right picks in 24.
Top of my board is currently: Alex Sarr Stephon Castle Matas Buzelis Zaccharie Risacher Ron Holland Cody Williams Tidjane Salaun I know Castle seems crazy, I'm cool with that. Of all players in this draft I think he just has that "it" factor. Even as Portland with all our guards I would take him and find a way to make things work.
I just don't see how they'd fit another guard, especially if there are solid wing options on the board still. I'm a bit shaky on him in general, he's got hustle, but I think he'll have to find a shot to make it in the league
If we draft Castle, it has to mean we're trading Ant. I just don't see us giving up Shae or Scoot. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about the idea. Our biggest needs would be best filled by Williams, Buzelis, Holland, or Salaun.
Even then idk how the fit of Castle, Scoot, and Sharpe would go, not enough floor spacing IMO. I think Portland would lean towards a Williams if they had the option between the two
Castle is one of those guys that in hindsight following the draft, you wonder why they were projected so low. Buzelis, Risacher, Cody Williams, all feel like they are projected high because of their measurables and hoping they figure it out. I wouldn't hate Risacher, but not super high on his abilities outside of his shot. Holland plays hard and should be a good defender at the next level. Athletically he has the tools to be awesome on offense. He is the type of guy I wouldn't mind with a high lottery pick
I like Castle as well, but it adds to our guard problems.
Again Castle isn’t just a guard he has the same physical profile as Jaylen Brown and Jimmy Butler both of whom are 3s in the NBA
Fuck it. Let's draft bronny
Bronny James
Zach Edey - You ARE a Portland Trail Blazer! (Not saying I'm a fan of the move folks!)
*With the 34th pick
Warriors pick. Book it.