2024 NBA Draft (euro season, college season, scouting, prospects etc)

[GreenRiddler]

I hope we don’t get the #1 pick as that player will have too much pressure on them #2 or 3 picks don’t but #1s are comped unfairly to KD Bron Ant Davis etc.

I don’t see anyone being clear cut that good. I think Matas has the best potential to reach that level of stardom but he’d have to develop and I think he’ll show flashes his rookie year but won’t be a day one killer.

I like Matas and Sarr for us the most at BPA and fit combo but we’ll need to jump from 4/5 to the top 3 to guarantee one of them. If we can get one of them with our pick or settle for a Risacher or Holland that’d be good. And if we add in GS pick we’d have something like

Ant/Sharpe/Ayton/Scoot/Camara/Time lord
+
Matas and Ware

Or

Sarr and Tidjane Salaun

That’s a solid young core with great upside and depth Ayton has shown a lot of improvement back to his 2021 champ run self. Scoot showed see great improvement, Sharpe if healthy could have a MIP year and Ants fantastic play will finally show up with competent pieces around him. Add two really good picks as I believe people are severely underrating this draft as it doesn’t have a clear cut #1 but is a great year for wings and PF/C which is what we need in front court talent as we have more than enough backcourt talent. The 2013 draft was supposedly the weakest at the time and it has 2 HOF players and one top 10 player of all time.

We need to desperately offload J Grant I hope this summer or at the latest next deadline once our young guys are more comfortable. Just not enough balls with Ant Sharpe and Ayton/Scoot he’s one of the biggest black holes in the league.

I think we can be next years OKC if we get this pick right.

[GreenRiddler]

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Has all the pieces we need just a bit of a diamond in the rough that needs to bulk up a bit to handle NBA Defenders in drives, can’t absorb contact too well right now which doesn’t let him showcase his amazing on the ball skills at 6’11”

Connective piece on the wing that can open up and improve our offense

At 6’11 a lot of length to defend and disrupt the passing lane, great weak side blocker for a wing (averaged over 3BPG the second half of the year)

Can bulk up and play some small ball 4

Excellent rebounder at the 3/4 (9per game once Holland and Tyler Smith went down in the second half of the year)

Skilled player that can operate as a point forward bring the ball up in transition

Can got right or left with easy

Shows flashes in isolation taking guys off the dribble especially slow footed PFs

3 level scorer with the ability to drive to the basket pull-up from midrange or deep (3 ball hasn’t fallen this year but he has a smooth stroke)

Can hold his own man to man with his length and timing on blocks

Played among Rookies and Sophomores at the ASG and looked good

Was over shadowed by Holland who is very ball dominate but his game improved after he went down averaging 18ppg (scoot only got 16.5 as a sophomore in G league)

With Matas and Sharpe on the wing and Ant at the 1 we’d have one of the most crafty and athletic wings we’ve ever had, who can all pass score and shoot.

[BlazersBroncos]

I think we can be next years OKC if we get this pick right.

I really dont see this.

OKC has 3 guys - SGA, Jalen and Chet - that are considerably better than our best talent. Scoot and Sharpe have MILES to go before they can be whispered in the same breath as any of those 3 guys.

Hell, there is legit argument that Cason Wallace is on the same tier as Scoot and Sharpe and he is like the 7th guy in that OKC rotation.

We are nowhere close to being in the same position OKC was and is in. We are in a purgatory of being saddled with big contracts, lacking a clear franchise cornerstone and not really having a team identity. The only other squad that I can think of in a similar situation is Washington. At least DET has Cade who may be a upper tier #2 IMO (Albeit outside Cade they really only have Duren and then a bunch of meh).

[JasonStern]

N'Faly Dante at #40 please. If there is one thing the Blazers need, it's another injury prone big man.

[TheDraftGuy]

Sharpe is really the only talent on par with OKC's trio or even Houston's core. Simons is a good guy to have but he's a fourth option on a contender, which isn't a bad thing (Ayton is a fifth option, as evident on that Suns team). Just need to find the second/third options and bench depth. Blazers aren't dead last but they need to get it correct NOW.

Won't discount Scoot but not sold on Scoot, just yet.

As someone who had Amen over Scoot and even Miller (who I thought would do as well as he has - Danny Granger comp), I do think Cody Williams will be what Portland needs out of this draft. I don't think he has the same potential as Amen, who I compared to Grant Hill, in terms of being hyper athletic, all-around, and a two-way player with elite intangibles (of whom, simply could not shoot the three).

I spotted Giannis and Gobert in the past as Portland's targets, I know I'll spot the equivalent again. I think we missed out on another "Giannis" again but I think you can get a more advanced Jerami Grant in Williams.

Then, Zach Edey can be the equivalent of Rudy Gobert, not in playing style or statistics but in terms of player tier. Someone who impacts the game with their unique traits in an unconventional manner, which is size and efficiency, in his case. Replaces Robert Williams III as an unstoppable force who dominates bench units.

Additionally, All-star SG+All around two way SF combos are often championship worthy, as evident with MJ-Pippen, Kobe-Odom, Wade-Lebron, and probably Brown-Tatum. Blazers should not miss the chance NOW to add this when they can.

If not, Portland's rebuild hinges on being lucky enough to get a Top 2 pick and if it doesn't, it will likely have failed just like Dame-CJ was doomed from the start due to no help and just like Porter-Drexler did not have enough starpower to overcome anything.

That's just reality. You either get the MVP tier players and support them with All-NBA talent or you pat yourself on the pack and say "Next year guys." Portland has tended to be the latter throughout much of their history and the results speak for themselves.

***************

...People talking about Sarr. No offense but many of them are using the same mentality that drafted Webster over CP3, Bargnani and Thomas over Aldridge and Roy, T-Rob over Lillard.

It'd be great if he can develop the skills he needs but lacking ball handling, shot creation, and being afraid to use your body to create separation are far more difficult to instill than a less athletic player with some semblance of ball handling utilizing their capabilities to create space and go for a shot.

Young Kobe, T-Mac, Giannis...they were closer to, say, Sharpe, Amen, Williams, etc than they are to Sarr due to them already knowing how to create their own shot, use their body to create separation, twist and turn their bodies while in motion, know how to move in various directions while in motion, etc.

Not saying anyone ends up on that tier, obviously, but my point is that Sarr is....there's not any reality that a player like that ever just blossoms. It'd have to take a tremendous leap unlike any in NBA history, especially since he isn't a late bloomer type that only started playing in high school.

[Waynearchetype]

I have a feeling we will be trading both seconds for future seconds. The only way I can see us keeping them is if we send out some of the vets (which we should do, mind you).

[DusterBuster]

I have a feeling we will be trading both seconds for future seconds. The only way I can see us keeping them is if we send out some of the vets (which we should do, mind you).

With the CBA changing, they aren’t going out for vets. I could see them just cashing out for just cash

[Norm2953]

Any thoughts on how the NCAA tournament has changed the upcoming 2024 draft?

If Purdue/Connecticut end up in championship game, how would seeing Edey/Clingan
face off impact Portland's decision, picking in the lottery at either 4/5 or 13?

[Waynearchetype]

I have a feeling we will be trading both seconds for future seconds. The only way I can see us keeping them is if we send out some of the vets (which we should do, mind you).

With the CBA changing, they aren’t going out for vets. I could see them just cashing out for just cash

Luckily Jody gets paid on valuation and not earnings. That felt weird to type.

[BlazersBroncos]

I think its near guaranteed 1 of the 2 SRP is punted off - but I hope we keep the higher one. Like the role player depth in this draft, just not loving the lack of high end talent or even guys I can project as future starters.

[Norm2953]

It'll be interesting to see if Edey leads Purdue to a NC, if he ends up going in the lottery.

They used to say you can't coach height and at 7-4 300 lbs, he's going to be a load on the
offensive end.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Not being able to defend the perimeter is a steep hill to climb in the NBA these days, we have seen a ton of these behemoths flame out as teams just target them in mismatches any time they are on the floor. It would take them either being such an offensive force that it is worth their limitations or a coach who is a once in a generation defensive genius that can constantly hide them.

Some team is going to reach on him, and heck this might be the draft to do it, but I would consider taking him with either of our first round picks a fairly poor gamble. In the second round however, why not. Therefore I expect him to go late 1st round somewhere.

[Waynearchetype]

Not being able to defend the perimeter is a steep hill to climb in the NBA these days, we have seen a ton of these behemoths flame out as teams just target them in mismatches any time they are on the floor. It would take them either being such an offensive force that it is worth their limitations or a coach who is a once in a generation defensive genius that can constantly hide them.

Some team is going to reach on him, and heck this might be the draft to do it, but I would consider taking him with either of our first round picks a fairly poor gamble. In the second round however, why not. Therefore I expect him to go late 1st round somewhere.

I think Edey is going to be a new Boban Marjanovic. Premiere bench big. Most playoff teams would love to have someone like him. Most lottery teams are hoping for someone better.

[Pattycakes]

Based on my morning familiarity with this years updated mock drafts etc and our pick range..

I’m looking at matas or Ron holland w the higher pick, and edey at the warriors pick if there’s no fear of him going higher.

I want to see us strike immediate production from our two picks this year, any 2-3 year projects that don’t see minutes next year=not worth it.

I’m writing off RWill personally, I don’t believe he’s a healthy long term asset, I would rather move forward and add another reliable backup big in the mix. Love Duop Reath for 10-15 mins a game, edey could compliment that bench very well.

[BlazersBroncos]

I am still hoping for Matas w/ our own FRP and ideally one of Holland, Cody or Dalton fall to the GSW FRP.

Think Edey is a ideal fit for a team that already has talent but we need to swing bigger on wings with upside. I think only WAS has less upper tier talent than us right now.

[Norm2953]

I think I'd take Holland at 5 and he'd might make a good pairing with Grant as a slashing athletic
forward, similar in some respects to Jerome Kersey. Picking at 5 might put us into Clingon territory,
similar to Utah's Walker Kessler. He might really help if ended up as the next Joel Pryzbilla, for with
Portland's history with bigs, we can't have enough bigs on the roster.

Interesting thing about Edey is that he tested out athletically in the middle of the pack for centers
in last years NBA combine.

[tester551]

My draft wishes change almost daily.... Today, I think ideal fits would be:
5: Matas Buzelis
13: Zach Edey (maybe swap 13 to Knicks for 18+24 and give 18 to Bulls for the pick returned. Pick Edey with 24)
34: Ulrich Chomche
40: Juan Nunez

[Pattycakes]

I’d be very surprised to see edey fall out of the lottery all things considered. Someone will take a swing

[Waynearchetype]

Heresy? Probably
https://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=dillon-jones--brandon-roy

[BlazersBroncos]

Heresy? Probably
https://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=dillon-jones--brandon-roy

Absolute heresay.

Roy had a 40 inch vert and averaged 0.5 BPG over 102 games at Washington.

Dillon Jones heavily ground bound - against far worse competition than Roy he managed 8 blocks over 110 games.

He is a small ball PF as well whereas Roy was a true SG w/ PG skills.