ImageImage

Grade the draft!

Moderators: Moonbeam, DeBlazerRiddem

What grade do you give the Blazers for the 2023 draft?

A
21
58%
B
11
31%
C
2
6%
D
1
3%
F
1
3%
 
Total votes: 36

Tim Lehrbach
Retired Mod
Retired Mod
Posts: 26,111
And1: 4,379
Joined: Jul 29, 2001
   

Grade the draft! 

Post#1 » by Tim Lehrbach » Fri Jun 23, 2023 4:59 am

Alright, let's have it!
Clipsz 4 Life
January 20, 2002-May 17, 2006
Saxon
February 20, 2001-August 9, 2007
m0ng0
Rookie
Posts: 1,057
And1: 253
Joined: Jul 09, 2009
Location: Battle Ground, Washington

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#2 » by m0ng0 » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:09 am

I think it was solid
Village Idiot
General Manager
Posts: 9,509
And1: 2,216
Joined: Jan 23, 2005
Location: Madrid, Spain
   

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#3 » by Village Idiot » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:16 am

A for talent. F for fit.

Is Cronin allergic to acquiring centers or power forwards?
"There are no right answers to wrong questions." - Ursula K. Le Guin
Norm2953
RealGM
Posts: 16,462
And1: 2,208
Joined: May 17, 2003
Location: Oregon

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#4 » by Norm2953 » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:20 am

It was a solid draft but I would have liked to have added James Nnaji for the team has a desperate
need for size
User avatar
DusterBuster
RealGM
Posts: 36,118
And1: 21,750
Joined: Jan 31, 2010
   

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#5 » by DusterBuster » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:22 am

A for talent. F for vet help.
Get ready to learn Chinese buddy... #YangBang
Tim Lehrbach
Retired Mod
Retired Mod
Posts: 26,111
And1: 4,379
Joined: Jul 29, 2001
   

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#6 » by Tim Lehrbach » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:26 am

Huh, maybe I'm grading on a curve following low expectations, but I have this as an easy A. There were some projects with size whom the Blazers passed on, yes, but I can't knock any of the picks. Most of all, they resisted the tremendous pressure to make a massive unforced error and didn't get lured into a lousy trade.
Clipsz 4 Life

January 20, 2002-May 17, 2006

Saxon

February 20, 2001-August 9, 2007
The Sebastian Express
Retired Mod
Retired Mod
Posts: 18,467
And1: 11,849
Joined: Dec 10, 2004

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#7 » by The Sebastian Express » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:30 am

I gave a 'B' for Scoot and Rayan. I'm not a big fan of Kris. I'm agitated that Portland couldn't manage to trade into the upper 30s with future seconds to get one of Nnaji or Miller or late 30s to get Vukcevic. We desperately need young size.
GreenRiddler
General Manager
Posts: 9,747
And1: 1,444
Joined: May 19, 2012
Location: Blazer fan from Toronto
     

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#8 » by GreenRiddler » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:37 am

A on all 3 really good picks at where they were taken I like Murray and the Frenchie as a fit and potential hedge.
User avatar
DusterBuster
RealGM
Posts: 36,118
And1: 21,750
Joined: Jan 31, 2010
   

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#9 » by DusterBuster » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:46 am

Cronin’s post draft conference was the most depressing downbeat and defeated presser I’ve ever seen for a GM. Not a single thing he said felt like something he believed. At least Olshey lied to us convincingly.
Get ready to learn Chinese buddy... #YangBang
Norm2953
RealGM
Posts: 16,462
And1: 2,208
Joined: May 17, 2003
Location: Oregon

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#10 » by Norm2953 » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:48 am

All three players picked were FRP on Tankathon.

Portland went strictly BPA on all 3 picks but I'd agree with TSE that we could have swapped 2 future
SRP to add a young big . Not adding a big means we'll have to find a big in free agency or via trade
m0ng0
Rookie
Posts: 1,057
And1: 253
Joined: Jul 09, 2009
Location: Battle Ground, Washington

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#11 » by m0ng0 » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:52 am

DusterBuster wrote:Cronin’s post draft conference was the most depressing downbeat and defeated presser I’ve ever seen for a GM. Not a single thing he said felt like something he believed. At least Olshey lied to us convincingly.



Who cares? he is a GM. Maybe he can put a team out who doesn't quit every April 1st.
Tim Lehrbach
Retired Mod
Retired Mod
Posts: 26,111
And1: 4,379
Joined: Jul 29, 2001
   

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#12 » by Tim Lehrbach » Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:52 am

Not using future SRP capital to get even more out of this draft is a fair concern. I can grant that. But I'm also trusting that the team just didn't hold the available bigs in high enough esteem to move for. A-, then?
Clipsz 4 Life

January 20, 2002-May 17, 2006

Saxon

February 20, 2001-August 9, 2007
User avatar
Moonbeam
Forum Mod - Blazers
Forum Mod - Blazers
Posts: 10,337
And1: 5,102
Joined: Feb 21, 2009
Location: Sydney, Australia
     

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#13 » by Moonbeam » Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:02 am

Given there is still great potential for change, I’ll grade just draft night. I gave it a B. Love the Scoot pick. Not sure on Murray. Know nothing about Rupert. I wanted Portland to free up the Chicago draft pick to open up the possibility for trades, so that prevents me from giving an A.
m0ng0
Rookie
Posts: 1,057
And1: 253
Joined: Jul 09, 2009
Location: Battle Ground, Washington

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#14 » by m0ng0 » Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:10 am

Tim Lehrbach wrote:Not using future SRP capital to get even more out of this draft is a fair concern. I can grant that. But I'm also trusting that the team just didn't hold the available bigs in high enough esteem to move for. A-, then?


Nonono please don't GRANT that :D
Tim Lehrbach
Retired Mod
Retired Mod
Posts: 26,111
And1: 4,379
Joined: Jul 29, 2001
   

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#15 » by Tim Lehrbach » Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:14 am

Moonbeam wrote:I wanted Portland to free up the Chicago draft pick to open up the possibility for trades, so that prevents me from giving an A.


Also a fair point. I wonder what Chicago's disposition towards the often-floated 23-for-pick-release deal was/would have been if offered. There's no guarantee the Blazers had any power to do anything about it.
Clipsz 4 Life

January 20, 2002-May 17, 2006

Saxon

February 20, 2001-August 9, 2007
Brandon-Clyde
RealGM
Posts: 23,365
And1: 5,791
Joined: May 29, 2008
     

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#16 » by Brandon-Clyde » Fri Jun 23, 2023 7:04 am

At some point the Blazers need to realize that if they want a Siakam or OG type player or a quality big the best way to get them is to draft them.
Not so fun fact- the last player taller than 6'8" Portland drafted and didn't immediately trade was Caleb Swanigan and the last center Portland drafted and didn't immediately trade was Meyers Leonard ( and before him it was Greg Oden). We aren't even taking chances in the second round. I understand the philosophy of BPA but at some point you also need to draft for need.
There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect." -- Ronald Reagan
Blazers20
Pro Prospect
Posts: 870
And1: 71
Joined: Jun 07, 2015

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#17 » by Blazers20 » Fri Jun 23, 2023 7:16 am

Blazers continued to stay small (one player taller than 6’9). Wish they would had traded 23 to the Bulls for flexibility in trades moving forward. Seems Mike Schmitz and Cronin did an average to below average job with 23rd and 2nd round picks but I could be wrong. Hopefully the Thompson Twins don’t haunt Portland in the future by becoming better than Scoot.
Blazers20
Pro Prospect
Posts: 870
And1: 71
Joined: Jun 07, 2015

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#18 » by Blazers20 » Fri Jun 23, 2023 7:17 am

Cronin blew it by not going after KP just like his old boss didn’t get Lauri.
DeBlazerRiddem
Forum Mod - Blazers
Forum Mod - Blazers
Posts: 14,617
And1: 6,612
Joined: Mar 11, 2010

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#19 » by DeBlazerRiddem » Fri Jun 23, 2023 7:44 am

I think it was pretty average. Zero execution really required on our end, we basically just took the no-brainer pick that was projected higher and fell to us.

Scoot was a no-brainer, you don't get credit for him falling into our lap but its a fantastic value add thanks lottery gods for giving us the 3rd pick in a top 3 draft.

Murry was a solid, unspectacular pick. Not very creative but not a bad pick.

Rupert looks like another solid unspectacular/uninspired pick.

Not bad by any means, don't get me wrong. We didn't F it up. But we didn't really do anything commendable besides that.
Goldbum
Analyst
Posts: 3,302
And1: 651
Joined: Jul 12, 2001
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
     

Re: Grade the draft! 

Post#20 » by Goldbum » Fri Jun 23, 2023 11:12 am

We could have drafted bigs and we didn't. That drops the grade for me. GG Jackson was on the board and we took Rupert(ELITE DEFENDER ) so I feel like this was BPA the whole way. I agree with BPA so I can't go below a B
From Portland to Reno to Vegas to LA to SLC and on to HotLanta. Winning at life. Too Blessed to be Stressed

Return to Portland Trail Blazers