In the past couple days, I have covered the Portland Trail Blazers’ situation heading into the draft and some possible areas of need that they have on the roster.
Wednesday, there was a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported that the Blazers were one of a few teams that would look to move into the first round of the draft “if the opportunity strikes.” There were other reports from national media that said they expected General Manager Neil Olshey to be aggressive heading into Thursday night’s draft.
For Blazer fans, that can make for an exciting draft night.
To help prepare for the evenings’ festivities, I have put together my top 5 prospects that I think the Blazers should keep an eye on.
Denzel Valentine – Michigan State University – PG/SG
Projected Draft Range – 10-25
Valentine is one of those rare 4-year guys that has really developed into a good leader and well-rounded basketball player. There have been some rumblings about a possible knee issue that may have been flagged in the draft process. That seems a bit interesting seeing as Valentine never missed a single game at MSU with a knee injury.
A lot of the time, Valentine was the point-man for his offense at Michigan State. He is 6’6” and 210 pounds. He doesn’t have a prototypical point guard game or body, but I think that he could be a very productive backup swing-guard in the NBA. Look at what the Warriors have been able to do bringing Shaun Livingston off of their bench.
His senior year, Valentine averaged 19.2 points, 7.8 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game. That is a stat line that should catch the attention of any NBA front office.
Domantis Sabonis – Gonzaga University – PF/C
Projected Draft Range – 10-25
It’s hard not to be connected to a team in draft talk when your father was one of the best players to ever play for that team. Going back to last season, Sabonis has been rumored to be a target for Portland’s front office.
Sabonis plays a bit different game than his dad, Arvydas, but his size could help the Blazers. If Meyers Leonard were to leave in free agency this summer, Sabonis would be a good replacement.
During his sophomore year at Gonzaga, Sabonis averaged 17.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 36% behind the 3-point line. His block totals leave little to be desired as he isn’t known for his defensive game, but that can be developed.
Would be worth taking a look at if he started to fall closer to the end of the 1st round.
Thon Maker – Canada’s Athlete Institute – PF
Projected Draft Range – 20-35
There has been a ton of talk and speculation for the past two years surrounding Maker, a prospect that was once deemed as the next Kevin Durant. In a lot of ways, he is a mystery man, and so his stock in the draft remains a mystery. Once thought of as a top-5 pick, Maker is likely to slide to the end of the 1st or beginning of the 2nd round.
While there is still a ton of mystery and intrigue (and doubt) around Maker, what we do know is still impressive. He is a raw, 7’1” power forward with a 7’3” wingspan. He can shoot the 3, and has a knack for blocking shots. But all of that has been at the high school level. No one, not even Maker, knows how he will fare against top-level talent.
Maker was being recruited by some of the top colleges in the United States but opted for the NBA Draft. That choice will either be boom or bust for Maker, a lot like his career is likely to be.
Tyler Ulis – University of Kentucky – PG
Projected Draft Range – 20-40
As I wrote about in Part 2, the Blazers need to bring in another point guard. Brian Roberts wasn’t cutting it after they let go of Tim Frazier. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were great at running the offense but one of the biggest holes on this roster is at the back-up point guard position.
The biggest dig on Ulis heading into the draft is that he is small. Ulis measured 5’9.5” and 149 pounds at the NBA Combine. While small point guards have made it work in the NBA in the past, the point guard position has never been stronger in the NBA. A guard like Ulis is going to have a tough time guarding stronger guards like Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul.
At Kentucky, Ulis was a playmaker. He averaged 7 assists to go along with 17.3 points per game. With his vision and playmaking ability, he will be able to find a way to contribute at the next level.
If the Blazers were able to find their way into the 2nd round to draft Ulis, that would be a steal.
Gary Payton II – Oregon State University – PG
Projected Draft Range – Second Round
Defense is never something that you can have enough of in the NBA. Payton has a strong pedigree, son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton Sr.
At 6’3” and 184 pounds, Payton may have a tough time defending shooting guards in the league, but could be a lock-down defending backup point guard. During his senior year, he was able to lead the Beavers to the NCAA Tournament, something they hadn’t done in 26 years. Payton was a huge part of the program’s resurgence.
Averaging 16.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game, Payton may not have as high of a ceiling as a lot of other prospects, but could come in and contribute as a rookie.
If he is available after 45, I would pounce on that if I were the Blazers. Bringing a NW kid back home would be a great story to follow.
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