2022 draft/prospects thread

[Goldbum]

If his athleticism returns you essentially have Cam Johnson in Nas Little's body. That's a heck of a prospect.

[Blazinaway]

depending on where we pick I like Jeremy Sochan

[DeBlazerRiddem]

It's seemed to be solidified now for a while, so I think its safe to say we are probably drafting from this list of people, just depending on how the lottery order and draft shakes out.

Murray
Sharpe
Mathurin
Griffin

That looks like a lot of empty calorie type of players so I would personally add Daniels to that list, and can see good argument for Duren to be there too. But we could easily move back to pick 8 or 9 if several teams jump us and then we might be lucky if Griffin is even still on the board.

[HoopsFanAZ]

The nice thing about currently being at 6 is getting one of ...
Murray
Sharpe
Mathurin
Griffin
... and highly unlikely of falling below 8. Just really low odds ... much worse than the Pelicans getting into the playoffs because of Paul George getting COVID just before ... ! Okay, so really low odds anyway.

There is significant value in players not listed above who will be there at the Blazers' pick.
The guards? (Johnny Davis, TyTy Washington ...) No. Forwards and maybe a PF/C.

Sochan, Eason, Duren. A starting quality player (not fringe starter) in a couple years? It's not what the Blazers want, but "that guy" would be useful if the promise becomes reality. Such a player is probably because of trading down ... which some have suggested to get an additional pick. If that additional pick became Jovic, then that's cool. But trading down (Martell Webster) is just NOT a great idea.

The Draft Lottery. It should be a holiday!

[Wizenheimer]

sure seems in about every draft there is at least 1 player from the 2nd half of the lottery (and later) who immediately becomes a solid starter with star potential. With Portland at #6 & #36:

2014:

6 Marcus Smart
7 Julius Randle
13 Zach LaVine
14 T.J. Warren
16 Jusuf Nurkić
25 Clint Capela
33 Joe Harris
38 Spencer Dinwiddie
39 Jerami Grant
41 Nikola Jokić

2015:

6 Willie Cauley-Stein
11 Myles Turner
13 Devin Booker
15 Kelly Oubre Jr.
16 Terry Rozier
22 Bobby Portis
32 Montrezl Harrell
37 Richaun Holmes
40 Josh Richardson
41 Pat Connaughton
46 Norman Powell

2016:

6 Buddy Hield
7 Jamal Murray
9 Jakob Poeltl
11 Domantas Sabonis
19 Malik Beasley
20 Caris LeVert
27 Pascal Siakam
29 Dejounte Murray
36 Malcolm Brogdon

2017 (thanks Neil):

7 Lauri Markkanen
13 Donovan Mitchell
14 Bam Adebayo
19 John Collins
22 Jarrett Allen
23 OG Anunoby
27 Kyle Kuzma
30 Josh Hart
42 Thomas Bryant
45 Dillon Brooks

2018:

7 Wendell Carter Jr.
10 Mikal Bridges
11 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
12 Miles Bridges
14 Michael Porter Jr.
19 Kevin Huerter
24 Anfernee Simons
27 Robert Williams
33 Jalen Brunson
34 Devonte' Graham
36 Mitchell Robinson
37 Gary Trent Jr.
54 Shake Milton

2019:

7 Coby White
8 Jaxson Hayes
11 Cameron Johnson
12 P.J. Washington
13 Tyler Herro
21 Brandon Clarke
28 Jordan Poole
29 Keldon Johnson
30 Kevin Porter Jr.
48 Terance Mann

2020:

10 Jalen Smith
11 Devin Vassell
12 Tyrese Haliburton
19 Saddiq Bey
21 Tyrese Maxey
25 Immanuel Quickley
30 Desmond Bane

obviously, that list looks a lot more encouraging because all the names of busts haven't been filled in around those players. But the reality is that it takes a decent portion of good luck to build a good team. Blazers will never sign an all-star in free agency, leaving the draft and trades as their only options. This will be Portland's first lottery pick since they took CJ in 2013...when Giannis was available - ouch!.

unless there's a great trade for a player using that pick (which is NOT for Grant...please god no) the Blazers have to roll the dice at 6 or 7 or 8 or 3 or 2 and hope luck shines on them

[Goldbum]

Love the post Wize. I just read an article on BE and the talent evaluator calls Eason a blend of P Williams and D Hunter... if that's true he's a fantastic fit next to J Grant. I really wish we could land H Barnes without the pick to play along side Grant but maybe Eason or Murray is that guy instead(or with if we can pull it off).

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Love the post Wize. I just read an article on BE and the talent evaluator calls Eason a blend of P Williams and D Hunter... if that's true he's a fantastic fit next to J Grant. I really wish we could land H Barnes without the pick to play along side Grant but maybe Eason or Murray is that guy instead(or with if we can pull it off).

Dyson Daniels moving up (while Eason is dropping), I think he measured bigger than expected and as a playmaker and defender those extra inches are huge. Maybe he could develop into a Batum type forward for us, not a go-to scorer like Murray might be but a more well rounded 2-way player.

So if we end up dropping down to pick 8 or something I might prefer him to someone empty calorie like Griffin or Murray (I think Murray ends up being a not good defender and a bit of a chucker offensively) but still better offensively than Sochan or Eason.

[Goldbum]

See I LOVE Dyson Daniels. I think he will be a top 4 player from this class in 3 years. If he's 6'8" like I'm hearing then he's a picture perfect SF for this team. That's why I would be willing to move down...If we pull him with 13 and 15 gets us Grant we still have the chips to nab another key contributor. His playmaking is already at Haliburton levels and his size as a connector on offense could be a windfall. I would be happy with Eason + Grant too..
So that's why I'm so willing to move off 6 if Sharpe or Griffen if BPA. If he's 6'6" then no way, but 6'8" he's a SF version of Simmons with a little less size, a better shot, and a whole lot less crazy(not a reference to his mental health, just his bizarre behavior).

Edit: How do we get Leonard Miller too?
That guy looks like a future stud SF who can flex to PF and even SG occasionally. A faster Lamar Odom? Sign me up.

[Case2012]

Daniels reminds me of Evan Turner. A guard/forward that plays alright defense, can't shoot and is a good play maker. We need defense and playmaking but that can be had cheaper than a top 10 pick IMO. Surely there's vets out there that can provide some of that on minimum deals?

[BlazersBroncos]

I think Dyson is a way more fluid athlete than Turner. His length, size and fluidity are much closer to Batum than Evan.

He is a work in progress shooting, but its generally accepted that improving a shot is one of the easier traits to make gains on.

Getting a Batum level guy at even 6 would be huge. I dont expect Murray, Mathurian, AJ or Davis to be as good as Batum.

[Case2012]

Wow, really? After years of hoping Batum would put it together, he never did and we traded him for pennies. But that turned out to be a blessing given the amount of games he missed after getting a max deal.

I expect all those guys to be as good or better than Batum, but I don't think that's a high bar.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

There are always busts at the top of the lottery. Honestly I think this year is even riskier than it usually is. There isn't a single prospect without some significant flaws before we even consider that injuries are statistically likely to derail more than a few careers. Chet's frame, Jabaris playmaking and 2pt %, Paolo's perimeter game, Ivey's defense, Sharpe's competition, Murrays playmaking and defense, Griffin's everything but shooting (and some dont think his slow mechanics will translate) and so on.

At this point the season its easy to dream about best-case scenarios from the draft but I think an actual GM needs to be considering worst case scenarios as well.

[BlazersBroncos]

Wow, really? After years of hoping Batum would put it together, he never did and we traded him for pennies. But that turned out to be a blessing given the amount of games he missed after getting a max deal.

I expect all those guys to be as good or better than Batum, but I don't think that's a high bar.

Batum never put it together? I must have missed that. He was probably the most ideal 4th option in the league for some time, he just never was allowed to play that role in his prime due to our inability to add a 3rd wheel to Dame and LMA.

His biggest issue was staying aggressive and engaged.

Batum caliber guys are great gets at the 6th pick. The mystery box allure and over assumptions that everyone becomes a 20PPG two-way all star at pick 6 is not validated by history.

I think Murray is a Tobias clone, and we need defense more than scoring. I rate Batum as a better player than Harris by a good margin.

I simply do not believe in AJ's shot much like I didnt believe in Nesmith's shot, and you take away 42%+ 3PT shooting and he is a tremendously pedestrian prospect. He has poor lateral mobility and his explosiveness seems to really have diminished with his injury.

Davis just seems like a master of none type, meh shooting and measurables and at 6'5 he is a pure SG which we really shouldnt be consitering at 6 unless star power is potentially there (And IMO its not w/ Davis, maybe w/ Sharpe)

Mathurian is my favorite of the above, it wouldnt be an easy decision between him and Dyson. But I like the defensive instincts of Daniels more than anything Bennedict brings.

While raw stats can be misleading, a guy at 19 posting 2.6 Stl+Bpg is really intriguing.

Right now my top guys up to 8 would be:

1. Chet Holmgren FC
2. Jabari Smith JR F
3. Paolo Banchero FC
4. Jaden Ivy G
5. Shaedon Sharpe G
6. Tari Eason F
7. Dyson Daniels GF
8. Jeremy Sochan FC

[JRoy]

Daniels reminds me of Evan Turner. A guard/forward that plays alright defense, can't shoot and is a good play maker. We need defense and playmaking but that can be had cheaper than a top 10 pick IMO. Surely there's vets out there that can provide some of that on minimum deals?

Don’t we already have Winslow?

[tester551]

Wow, really? After years of hoping Batum would put it together, he never did and we traded him for pennies. But that turned out to be a blessing given the amount of games he missed after getting a max deal.

I expect all those guys to be as good or better than Batum, but I don't think that's a high bar.

Batum never put it together? I must have missed that. He was probably the most ideal 4th option in the league for some time, he just never was allowed to play that role in his prime due to our inability to add a 3rd wheel to Dame and LMA.

His biggest issue was staying aggressive and engaged.

Batum caliber guys are great gets at the 6th pick. The mystery box allure and over assumptions that everyone becomes a 20PPG two-way all star at pick 6 is not validated by history.

I think Murray is a Tobias clone, and we need defense more than scoring. I rate Batum as a better player than Harris by a good margin.

I simply do not believe in AJ's shot much like I didnt believe in Nesmith's shot, and you take away 42%+ 3PT shooting and he is a tremendously pedestrian prospect. He has poor lateral mobility and his explosiveness seems to really have diminished with his injury.

Davis just seems like a master of none type, meh shooting and measurables and at 6'5 he is a pure SG which we really shouldnt be consitering at 6 unless star power is potentially there (And IMO its not w/ Davis, maybe w/ Sharpe)

Mathurian is my favorite of the above, it wouldnt be an easy decision between him and Dyson. But I like the defensive instincts of Daniels more than anything Bennedict brings.

While raw stats can be misleading, a guy at 19 posting 2.6 Stl+Bpg is really intriguing.

Right now my top guys up to 8 would be:

1. Chet Holmgren FC
2. Jabari Smith JR F
3. Paolo Banchero FC
4. Jaden Ivy G
5. Shaedon Sharpe G
6. Tari Eason F
7. Dyson Daniels GF
8. Jeremy Sochan FC

I pretty much agree with you here.

I'm lower on Sharpe. He didn't seem to stand out as much as I had hoped in the limited video I've seen of him in HS.

I'm also lower on Banchero. I think you are underselling Murry's defense & I'd put Dieng on this list.

[BlazersBroncos]

I have Dieng around the late 1st, with Leonard Miller and to a lesser extent Josh Minott. I think he is pure mystery box, and guys touted as being that 6'10 but natural SF's with a good handle but w/o much production are commonly busts IMO.

Now Dieng has done more than Miller or Minott, but he really is a ball of clay. Similar to Greg Brown in that way, but a much better handle. He just has so far to go.

I was lower on Banchero but he has grown on me a bit. I think he can provide decent man defense in the post, but wont be great on switches or in space. On offense he has a workable J and surprising handle, with some really underrated passing instincts.

He wont be as explosive as Blake, but I think he plays smarter and with more IQ on D. I think he can bring prime David West caliber production as a rookie and from there who knows. Not ideal, but pretty darn good.

Sharpe to me is just all gamble, but I like his frame and length + jumper. The physical comparison that I saw that really seems apt is JR Rider. Big frame, elite vertical athlete, not elite quickness but uses acceleration / deceleration well, good but not great jumper (I think slightly better than Edwards), should do much more work at the FT line than guys like CJ and Ant. Thing is he really doesnt fit unless we rebuild, or your super optimistic and see him as a SF moving forward (Which might not be crazy, he is likely longer than AJ and the same height.

[Goldbum]

So IDK if the risk is too high...but I think k we can get Jonathan Isaac. Maybe the TPE #36, #57 plus a future 2nd... Cronin can still make his Grant trade by Using Bledsoe, Keon and (fill in the blank). A healthy Isaac plus Grant gives me a lot of hope. Probably not going to happen but I like it. I also like the idea of a sign and trade for Mo Bomba. The guy I would LOVE to be our starting PF is Achiuwa not sure how we would get him but that guy would be a game changer for us. Lastly Cam Reddish is a fantastic pick up if he could be had. Maybe we could create a trade exemption with the Knicks by Sign and trading Nurkic for Mitchell Robinson then slot Cam into that TPE Nurk would need to be paid what Robinson/Reddish make combined.

[BlazersBroncos]

So IDK if the risk is too high...but I think k we can get Jonathan Isaac. Maybe the TPE #36, #57 plus a future 2nd... Cronin can still make his Grant trade by Using Bledsoe, Keon and (fill in the blank). A healthy Isaac plus Grant gives me a lot of hope. Probably not going to happen but I like it. I also like the idea of a sign and trade for Mo Bomba. The guy I would LOVE to be our starting PF is Achiuwa not sure how we would get him but that guy would be a game changer for us. Lastly Cam Reddish is a fantastic pick up if he could be had. Maybe we could create a trade exemption with the Knicks by Sign and trading Nurkic for Mitchell Robinson then slot Cam into that TPE Nurk would need to be paid what Robinson/Reddish make combined.

NYK just bought Cam for a FRP, I dont think they move him. And I dont think Mitch is an improvement over Nurkic, not in the slightest.

Bamba isnt a starting caliber guy IMO. Like Mitch he is just not a high IQ guy, but unlike Mitch he also doesnt play with effort or urgency. Nurkic is, IMO, much better than either.

But, I would love to turn Bledsoe, TPE, Keon, 36, future SRP's and MIL 25 FRP into JI and Grant. That would be huge.

[Goldbum]

Moussa D has really caught my eye. If we keep #36 I hope it's him or Leonard Miller, unless of course someone really falls.


Edit: Should we start a thread for sleeper and second round guys? Seems like we all have some players we like but that discussion always get drowned in the Lotto talk...

[Dame Lizard]

Half a day until Portland gets the #1 pick .