Here are the good players taken after the 15th pick, for the past ten years: 2010 18 Oklahoma City Thunder Eric Bledsoe G, 6-1, 190 Kentucky 19 Boston Celtics Avery Bradley G, 6-3, 180 Texas 33 Sacramento Kings Hassan Whiteside C, 7-0, 235 Marshall 35 Washington Wizards Nemanja Bjelica F, 6-10, 223 Serbia (Red Star Serbia) 40 Indiana Pacers Lance Stephenson G, 6-5, 225 Cincinnati UNDRAFTED: Jeremy Lin BOBAN!!! Ish Smith 2011 16. 76ers Nikola Vucevic C 19. Bobcats Tobias Harris PF 20. Timberwolves Donatas Motiejunas PF 23. Rockets Nikola Mirotic SF 24. Thunder Reggie Jackson PG 30. Bulls Jimmy Butler SF 31. Heat Bojan Bogdanovic SF 38. Rockets Chandler Parsons SF 42. Pacers Davis Bertans SF 55. Celtics E'Twaun Moore SG 60. Kings Isaiah Thomas PG UNDRAFTED: Brad Wannamaker 2012 20. Nuggets Evan Fournier SG 21. Celtics Jared Sullinger PF 32. Wizards Tomas Satoransky SG 34. Cavaliers Jae Crowder SF 35. Warriors Draymond Green SF 39. Pistons Khris Middleton SF 40. Trail Blazers Will Barton SG UNDRAFTED: Kent Bazemore JaMychal Green 2013 17. Hawks Dennis Schroeder PG 18. Hawks Shane Larkin PG 21. Jazz Gorgui Dieng C 22. Nets Mason Plumlee C 24. Knicks Tim Hardaway Jr. SG 26. Timberwolves Andre Roberson SF 27. Nuggets Rudy Gobert C 30. Cavaliers Allen Crabbe SG 43. Mavericks Mike Muscala PF 46. Hawks Raul Neto PG UNDRAFTED: Robert Covington Seth Curry Daniel Theis 2014 16. Bulls Jusuf Nurkic C 19. Bulls Gary Harris SG 23. Jazz Rodney Hood SG 30. Spurs Kyle Anderson PF 33. Cavaliers Joe Harris SG 38. Pistons Spencer Dinwiddie PG 39. 76ers Jerami Grant SF 40. Timberwolves Glenn Robinson III SF 41. Nuggets Nikola Jokic PF UNDRAFTED: Khem Birch Norvel Pelle 2015 20. Raptors Delon Wright PG 22. Bulls Bobby Portis PF 23. Trail Blazers Rondae Hollis-Jefferson SF 24. Cavaliers Tyus Jones PG 27. Lakers Larry Nance Jr. PF 30. Warriors Kevon Looney PF 32. Rockets Montrezl Harrell PF 37. 76ers Richaun Holmes PF 40. Heat Josh Richardson SG 41. Nets Pat Connaughton SF 46. Bucks Norman Powell SG UNDRAFTED: Quinn Cook Royce O'Neal Christian Wood 2016 19 Denver Malik Beasley (SG) Florida St 20 Indiana Caris LeVert (SG) Michigan 27 Toronto Pascal Siakam (PF) New Mexico St 29 San Antonio Dejounte Murray (PG) Washington 32 LA Lakers Ivica Zubac (C) Croatia 36 Milwaukee Malcolm Brogdon (SG) Virginia 47 Orlando Jake Layman (SF) Maryland 50 Indiana Georges Niang (SF) Iowa St UNDRAFTED: Alex Caruso Dorian Finney-Smith Bryn Forbes Danuel House Derrick Jones Jr. Fred VanVleet 2017 19. Hawks John Collins (F) Wake Forest 20. Kings Harry Giles (F/C) Duke 22. Nets Jarrett Allen (C) Texas 23. Raptors OG Anunoby (F) Indiana 27. Lakers Kyle Kuzma (F) Utah 29. Spurs Derrick White (G) Colorado 30. Lakers Josh Hart (G) Villanova 45. Rockets Dillon Brooks (SF) Oregon 51. Nuggets Monte' Morris (PG) Iowa State UNDRAFTED: Chris Boucher 2018 17. Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo (G) Villanova 26. Sixers: Landry Shamet (G) Wichita State 27. Celtics: Robert Williams (F/C) Texas A&M 32. Grizzlies: Jevon Carter (G) West Virginia 33. Mavs: Jalen Brunson (G) Villanova 34. Hornets (from Hawks): Devonte Graham (G) Kansas 36. Knicks (from Bulls via Thunder): Mitchell Robinson (C) 37. Blazers (from Kings): Gary Trent Jr (G) Duke 39. Lakers (from Knicks via Sixers): Isaac Bonga (F) Germany 54. Sixers (from Blazers via Mavs, Nuggets): Shake Milton (G) SMU UNDRAFTED: Duncan Robinson Jaylen Adams Wenyen Gabriel 2019 20. Celtics draft Matisse Thybulle 21. Thunder draft Brandon Clarke 22. Celtics draft Grant Williams 23. Jazz draft Darius Bazley 41. Warriors draft Eric Paschall (Too soon to tell with a lot of these) UNDRAFTED: Luguentz Dort Tacko Fall So let's not give up on getting a good player with the #16 pick yet.
I'm sure there's a chance for plenty of players picked at 16 and later to be solid NBA players. Looking at the lists, how many were guys ready and able to contribute right away to a team? Not that that has to be the end all requirement, of course. Looking at our current roster, without free agents Lillard/Simons McCollum/Trent Ariza/Hood/Little/Hezonjia Collins Nurkic Assuming things stay generically the same, I don't see much of any playing time at the 1 or the 2 for a rookie. There seems to be an abundance of time at the 4/5, especially with the injury histories of them. The 3, and 3/4 is the most "crowded", but just with guys. At the same time, is someone at 16 beating out Little for the scrap minutes? I'd love to get up high enough to get Okongwu. I think he could contribute right away at the 4 and 5. I don't see us getting up high enough to land him, unfortunately. Otherwise, outside of trade, I see it one of two ways. A guy who won't contrbute for 2 years, ala Simons, Little(maybe), etc., or trying for a guy with low floor, but ending up with a fat sack of shit like Swanigan.
What could Collins + a pick net us? Anything good at the 4? Edit: I know everyone probably wants to trade CJ (which makes sense from a basketball sense), but would piss off Lillard who is all about loyalty. Thus, I see Collins maybe as a player that could generate some trade value for a better starting 4.
Definitely agree with the OP. When Nurk sets that 16th pick in a single game, we win. The 16th pick is really important!
I think they let Whiteside and use that money to sign someone like a Harrell or Crowder or somebody else. They could blow everyones minds and trade Nurk for a legit 4 and keep Whiteside and Zach at the 5?
Of course, the glass half empty message is that there are a LOT of shite players in every draft, including the vast bulk of the second round. And if this draft is like 2010 or 15...
I'm sure that some good players will come out of this draft, but I am left with 2 questions. First, is "good" good enough for where the Blazers are as a team? Don't we need a guy who can "move the needle"? Second, can we trust the Blazer front office to be one of those that actually finds the good players in a draft full of red flags and question marks? Our last 3 first round picks contributed almost nothing last season. (and no, you can't blame it all on injuries!)
Yes, but our second round pick looked great! And I still think Simons has value, and I think you CAN blame a lot on injuries with Nassir. (Biggie was a bad pick, that I'll grant you. Oddly, you could have taken either Brooks or Boucher and been better off. Is there a bias AGAINST home-state players?)
It isn't so much that this draft lacks talent, as that it is full of talented players with all sorts of red flags. I'm not sure I would trust any GM to sort out this mess!
