With the #7 pick, the Portland Trail Blazers select....

If you think we're making and keeping our pick at 7, you either think that Cronin has something else up his sleeve in regards to moving the Bucks pick, our 36th pick and/or one or two of our young players while utilizing the TPE to get an impact vet... or I think you're not paying attention.

 

I really think the Blazers should try to trade down for two firsts. Use the later of the two with Bledsoe and go after Grant.
Use the better of the two(10-12?) and go after the best player available that is not a Guard, imo.
I would like to know more about the Blazers scouting staff. Im sure most agree that this is an essential part of drafting the right players.

 

illmatic99: "[...] And his shot release seems slow. The improvement in his shot came in three games to end his short season so as you say... Small sample size. I like the deflections and his smarts on defense so he fits the template of what people think we need, but i dont think he's it.
And are you sure the GLeague is better thanl some D1 competition on a nightly basis?"

"release seems slow" ... that's being kind. It is slower than it should be but with reps should be fine. As to the League ... I haven't checked on the ages of guys, but they are pros, grown-@$$ men, and coached more like what they'll see in the NBA. And then in practice there's a better chance to improve as it's about competition for $$$ and minutes to get noticed by the NBA. Limitations on college players and coaches -- while understandable for students -- dramatically changes for pros who are driven to improve.

 

I really think that San Antonio might be willing to give up pick 25 to move up two spots with the new idea that Daniels might have expanded the top 6 into a top 7 situation. I don't think 25 is enough to get us Grant, especially if you're sticking the Pistons with Bledsoe. I think we might be able to get Grant with 25, 36 or the Pistons' 2025 second, while utilizing the TPE but given what we know about our GM I could really see it being 25, the Bucks 2025 first and the TPE. Still if we came away from draft night with Grant, Sochan and the 36th pick, I'd be far more OK with this overpay than the underpay we accepted for our non-allstar veteran starters.

I will say that if Jovic impresses in some workouts we might see his name jump way up there too.

 

It was a joke (since you did the same exact thing with Ivey) but go off.

 

Tari Eason is the most Billups type player in this class btw. 7 seems a bit high though. Maybe they trade down, pick up another first (which they can trade for Grant) and then pick him up.

 

Jovic measurables are tantalizing. I liked him a few months ago but i havent paid much attn since. I will admit.... Those hot pink tshirt jerseys he plays in are tough on the eyes.

 

I agree. Not that I'm right about this, but if Murray is there, I'm guessing Cronin makes it Murray and Jerami Grant. I could see moving up to the 5 spot to get Murray (or Sharpe if Cronin, et.al. just love hime) and swap picks with Detroit ... 7, 36, MIL 2025, Little.

 

Dude we need to work on your quoting skills.

 

One guy i’d like to target in the second is Kenny lofton jr. That dude is gonna fall cuz he’s fat but he can move (unlike a Swanigan for example) and is super skilled. Also, coached by Edniesha Curry at the combine.

 

Wait.... Kenny Lofton has a fat son who plays basketball?

 

Fuck this imposter. His dad wasn't snatching home runs away from MLB players and stealing bases for 16 years in MLB. What a misleading no good...

He was just defending our country and delivering our mail??? Oops.

 

Just curious, as Ive seen trading down for 2 picks a lot, but one proposition has us using one pick for Sochan and trading the other for Grant. Another variant is trading a pick for Eason and the extra pick for Grant. They are all power forwards? If we draft a power forward, he needs to play.

 

Grant can/should play SF

 

It would be nice if he played but he doesn't necessarily "need" to. Not if someone else is better. IMO, we need to draft for the future, and trade for next year.....if possible.

Plus it is a long season with plenty of potential injuries. Both those guys you mentioned (Grant and Sochan) can guard multiple positions. But you can't rely on rookies to start off playing like seasoned vets. So if you can get someone like Grant for a decent price, take them for the next year or two. If the rook develops quickly then you play him too. But the goal is to win now and if someone like Winslow or Watford beats out a 19-year-old...so be it.

 

I will probably sound argumentative, but I am not. It just seems crazy to have a multi page thread asking if the Blazers can be contenders in 3 years, and have this thread where a large majority wants to draft and trade for the same position. The crazy in me says draft at 7, then go trade for a 4 if it didn't come via draft. Several players I am interested as 3's in this draft. Three of the top four 4's will be gone in first four picks. This team will be nothing next season. Draft BPA and if we don't have the assets to trade for Grant, whom I am not impressed with, just sign him as a free agent or s&t next season so he and Dame can get their admiration on. Grant's numbers are not inspiring in my opinion. This is all just my opinion.

 

It's all just our opinions.

I don't think people see it as talking about drafting and trading for two guys who play the same position, won't be able to both play at the same time and make this team better than they've been since Dame has been here. I think we can draft a forward and get Grant (if that's the best guy to get) and then the two can be synergetic. I think Murray fits that bill, I think Sochan fits that bill, I think there's a chance that Jovic fits that bill. If we went out and got Wood instead of Grant, then we'd probably want to draft a guy that's either a SG/SF to play the three like a better version of Hart (Mathurin or Agbaji) or a Jerami Grant type of forward that can guard and play either the 3 or 4 (the guys I mentioned at first or Eason). I think Wood is athletic enough to play with Nurk, I worry that if we acquired Randle we might have a problem with combined footspeed between our 4 and 5.

So if you trade for Grant you have to get someone who is going to be a more dedicated rebounder and weak side shotblocker, if you trade for Wood you need to get someone who can better switch onto guards and probably someone who can create off the dribble. I really wouldn't want to trade for Randle because I don't think he's a fit. Those are the three guys I've seen people saying that we could realistically get and our team seems to be fixated on one of them but that could be a smoke screen... Oh god wouldn't it be great if it turns out that Cronin is capable of some nuance or subterfuge or anything other than broadcasting to the league what he thinks he needs to do and therefore crippling himself in negotiations.

I think the fact is that we need to add a PF and SF who are as good or preferably better than Ant and Nurk if we're going to contend with Dame, Ant and Nurk starting with Hart, Nas and Justise as the core of the bench. We probably also need a legit backup big and for some real growth from one or more of our young players who haven't shown at this point in their careers that they're capable of meaningfully contributing to wins.

 

Agreed but I don't think he will start there. Actually, do to his lack of rebounding it makes sense to play Nas next to him.

 

Was Tolliver better than Little? How about Hezonja? Because Jackass Stotts were mortgaging our future for those guys.

Thankfully, Grant is way better than those guys and Billups is way better than Stotts. Our lottery pick will play, perhaps not start. I wouldn't be too concerned. Grant can play multiple positions.

 

An exec person I know once told me his philosophy on building a team. He was in a small market as well. His strategy is to try and take the player with the highest ceiling in the draft. He told me once that “you win with stars in this league.” Since free agents aren’t banging the door down to come play in Portland, or where he was, filling gaps with “fit” players is how he attacked free agency. Then finally trading for both fit and potential based on age and record. He also said high basketball IQ will beat high athleticism every time

So with that in the back of my mind, the only thing I would trade the pick for is up or down depending on who The team liked in the draft that they felt had star potential, or trading it for an actual star.