As I covered in Part One, the Portland Trail Blazers are entering the 2016 NBA Draft without a draft pick. In a lot of markets that would basically make Thursday just another day on the calendar. But like GM Neil Olshey said, “We always have a draft pick, we work for Paul Allen.”
In the four years that Olshey has been here, he has preached that the draft is an asset acquisition tool, similar to free agency and trades. With the reputation of not being an ideal free agency destination, I look for Olshey and company to utilize the draft to fill some needs on this young team.
Heading into this draft, there hasn’t been a whole lot of talk about it in Portland, probably because of the lack of a draft pick. A lot of the talk nationally has surrounded the top two prospects of Brandon Ingram and Ben Simmons, however there is talent up and down this draft. The Blazers will be looking for the bargains at the end of the first round or in the second round.
To prepare for the draft, each team spends countless hours scouting and meeting with the prospects, but even before all of that happens, the team must identify which needs they must fill. A lot of people around the league will preach that you should always draft the best player available, but realistically, General Managers around the league have to build a well-rounded roster that will win games.
By making it to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, the Blazers exceeded everyone’s expectations this season. If they want to continue the upward progression and be able to contend next season, they must address a couple needs this off-season. A lot of that work will be done in Free Agency and through trades, however the draft can be a very cost-efficient way to bolster a roster.
So what are the most pressing needs to the Portland Trail Blazers heading into the 2016 NBA Draft?
1 – Scoring Big Man
Losing LaMarcus Aldridge was a huge blow for the Blazers. Although they made the Playoffs with the same seeding that they did the year before, not having a big-man that could score on any given possession really hurt the Blazers. Coach Terry Stotts is an offensive mastermind and was able to establish sets that were efficient despite a proficient post scorer; however that can’t be a long-term plan. Adding a scoring big-man will space the floors for the shooters, and keep the defense on their heels with so many offensive weapons.
2 – Back-Up Point Guard
CJ McCollum was a fantastic revelation for the Blazers all season the back-up point guard. McCollum can create his own shot as well as anyone else in the entire league. He proved that he was a legitimate option by winning the Most Improved Player award and helping the Blazers advance in the playoffs. With all of that said, the Blazers need another option at point guard. Damian Lillard and McCollum both play a lot of minutes and need to have a competent guard come off of the bench to spell them every night. Tim Frazier was good in stretches, Brian Roberts was adequate at best. They need to bring someone in that can handle the offense, especially if either of the other two were every injured.
3 – Lock-Down Wing Defender
Look around the league and you see incredible performances every night from shooters. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson almost won back-to-back championships by being a predominately three-point shooting team. Kevin and Russell Westrbook continue to dominate teams from outside-in. Oh ya, and the Blazers get to play the Warriors and Thunder a combined 8 times every season. The value of a lock-down defender such as Tony Allen or Avery Bradley can’t be overlooked. If the Blazers can find a guy that they think can develop into a premier wing defender, they need to find a way to grab him.
There you have it, the top three needs of the Portland Trail Blazers headed into Thursday’s draft, and also headed into Free Agency on July 1st. Tomorrow, in Part Three, I will examine a few players in the draft that may be able to fill these needs for the Blazers.
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