With the 7th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, The Portland Trailblazers select. . .

Probably because the G-League experiment was not working. Kids were getting paid but not getting good coaching or competitive games where they work on weaknesses. They seem to be less prepared to play in the NBA than one and done college kids. That's just my eye test. Nothing to back it up than personal judgement of the kids being drafted from the G-League.

 

So Ayton

Clingan is Vanilla Gorilla 2.0

 

Wasnt’ he going like Top 2 last week?

 

Yup, the Ringer mock i posted was fresh after lottery, i found out later

 

What do you think it takes to get him?

After watching a two minute clips of him, he gives Manu Ginobili vibes, only taller

 

You mean like 2021 NBA Champion Brook Lopez?

 

The furthest we got in the playoffs since 99-00?

 

His shot creation has been said to be nowhere close, but I think people might be sleeping on his ability to create with the ball.

 

Top 3 pick.

Not sure what Houston would want. Not sure if he drops to 3rd though.

 

You'd have to trade with Atlanta to be in with a shot at him. And I don't think we've got what they want. They don't even have dead salary that they'd want to offload.

 

tbf, cronin and schmitz saw clingan when uconn played university of portland at the chiles in january; apparently clingan caught a ball on the left block, got doubled teamed, and threw a behind-the-back, no-look pass. that's when cronin knew he was a blazer.

 

lol.....but he didn't play for Gonzaga?

 

I don't see ZR as a sure thing that I'd give up 7 & 14 to get at 3. I'd rather come out of this with 2 shots at frontcourt guys...and I really like ZR.
I'm really hoping that Cronin trusts Schmitz as much as I don't trust Cronin.

 

Disagree... Clingan is a project that will be a backup next year (if he even gets any time as a rookie) and possibly a backup for many years. Scoot was a #1 pick quality franchise PG. Now Scoot didn't live up to the hype, but their not comparable level rookies or comparable situations at all.

 

The draft is for players that peak 5-10 years from now, what current temporary starter we have shouldn't factor into that at all.

 

Now I think this is a good point, yeah Clingan and Edey just don't seem like valuable NBA players even if they hit their potential. At best we'd be hoping for a Boban level backup and that's just not a very useful player. Those are vet minimum guys, or maybe tax MLE. Should never be a target with a lottery pick.

Makes me wonder how much drafting and later giving 60 million extension to Meyers Leonard was Olshey or Cronin agenda.

 

My meaning is that I prefer Portland not to combine 7 and 14 for say the 2 or 3, purely hypothetically. I would prefer they take two stabs at the lotto as they are currently scheduled to do. But, I am fine with them hypothetically packaging say, 7 and Brogdon for 2 and filler. I would prefer Portland not trade either of the last two lotto picks. I would love to see them play along side Ayton and whatever they get out of this draft. But Scoot/Sharpe are worth more than 1 in this draft, by a lot, in my perspective. But nobody is untradable.

 

How anyone could compare Meyers Leonard to Clingan is beyond me. Just two different universes.

 

In a trade idea from Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, the Blazers would send Jerami Grant and the No. 14 overall pick to the Houston Rockets for Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason and the No. 3 overall pick.