In a year where it’s a crapshoot and there’s no guaranteed star, I’d be very happy with this scenario: Two of the following at #7 and #14 (including trading up with #34 and #40): - Buzelis (6’8.75 barefoot, 8’9.5 standing reach, 6’10 wingspan). He does a bit of everything and won’t be a liability on defense. On defense, that’s all we can ask for. On offense, I think he can grow into a Franz-kind of player. - Williams (8’6.5 barefoot, 8’7 standing reach, 7’1 wingspan). I have similar feelings about him that I do about Buzelis. I like the long wingspan. He looks like he’ll be able to score and I was encouraged with what I saw in his ability to take the ball up the court. - Salaun (6’9 barefoot, 7’0.75 wingspan, 8’9.25 standing reach). I know he’s raw, but the best thing we can do it take multiple stabs at big forwards who could become do-it-all wings. - I’d be happy with Castle if he was selected by Schmitz though. I’d also like one of the following bigs by trading up from #34 and #40, or in a trade for Ant where we get a future 1st and a pick high enough to grab one of: - Tyler Smith (6’9 barefoot, 8’9 standing reach, 7’1 wingspan). Admittedly, with Reath becoming a reliable shooter, we don’t necessarily need Smith. But if Smith shows in the pre-draft process that he can be a high energy guy that can play defense, I’d love him on this team. - Yves Missi (6’10.75 barefoot, 9’1.5 standing reach, 7’2 wingspan). High energy guy that would be a great third big with Ayton and Reath. - Ware (6’11.75 barefoot, 9’4.5 standing reach, 7’4.5 wingspan). I still want to see if he will ever be a good defensive player. I like his potential on offense.
At the end of draft night, I would just like to have a team (torn down or not) that has serious SIZE. Currently, this is what I see our future as pre-draft: - Scoot ( 6’2.5 barefoot, what, a 6’11 wingspan and 220lb?, A grade athleticism): say whatever you want about his rookie season. He has the athleticism of a guy I want my franchise PG to be and isn’t too small. For all of the work he needs to put in on offense, I saw a guy who actually looks to set up his teammates and does not back down defending giants in the post. - Shae (6’4.25 barefoot, 7’0 wingspan, A+ grade athleticism): he still needs to get better at everything but has shown a lot of promise. This year, I hope he instills some alpha mentality. I’m learning more and more that it’s the determining factor of a star. - Camara (6’7 barefoot, 7’0.5 wingspan): he’s really what I would consider the most important glue piece to our future imo. A four year extension would take him to the end of his prime pretty much. He is a 3 point shot away from being one of those Shane Battier kind of guys. - Walker (6’6.75 barefoot, 7’0 wingspan): another one of those guys who is a A+ bench piece that I want here for a long time. He’s going to be the first young guy to get an extension, which makes it a bit easier to stomach because Shae’s extension won’t kick in until two years into Bari’s extension. - Rupert (6’7 barefoot now?, 7’3 wingspan): I still have no idea what he’ll be. He was projected to be this guy who could be a defensive ace, but he looks too slow to ever become an elite one to me, but maybe his height and wingspan will just be too overwhelming for even the best guards. Right now though, I see so much promise in his shot and being able to eventually push the ball down the court on the break off of a board. - Murray (6’7.75 barefoot, 6’11.75 wingspan): I thought drafting him was a miscalculation on Cronin thinking Dame would stay despite us drafting Scoot. I’m coming around to thinking Schmitz saw something in him. I got to see him live a lot this season. I saw a guy who was never out of place defensively and moved fluid in-game. He just wasn’t confident in his shot yet. I really do think we have a guy who will be almost as good as Keegan. I’m not going to list out the bigs’ measurements because I don’t know if Ayton will be here past ‘26, but neither Ayton nor Reath are little guys, both are better defensively than Nurk and Eubanks. That’s eight guys that I consider as part of the future—two may become stars, two are good stop-gap bigs (I still need we need to find a promising big in this draft and then eventually find an elite big prospect to truly contend), and four are good prospects with great size and intangibles to become valuable contributors at a premium position. Terrible season, terrible lottery results. However, I still see this draft changing the trajectory of our future. Add two more wings with size (or one wing with size and Castle to create the best young guard trio with Shae and Scoot) and another big to this team? That would be a 11-man rotation that I would tune in to watch every night. I believe a team with that core of young guys will become a contention team for MANY years. Grant, Ant, Brogdon, Thybulle, RobWill—I don’t particularly care how much we get for them at this point. We got okayish draft compensation in the the Dame deal (enough for me to not complain about at least) and Schmitz has found several possible long term contributors I can root for. We need the vets gone going into this season. Let Scoot and Shae have a full season to be the guys. Shae needs to develop a killer instinct, let him him get his 25ppg. Scoot, I want to see average 10apg. Add an A+ prospect next summer, and I see us as the next up-and-coming team.
We keep shutting down young players to chase a good draft pick and players aren’t going to want to have anything to do with the organization. Crushes the morale. If you want to truly do a rebuild and suck ass convincingly you need to trade away Simons, Grant, Brogdon and Robert Williams for prospects and future draft capital and truly do a full on rebuild and not this half ass version.
This is what I have been saying. This is the time. Go full tank for Flagg. Trade away all the vets. Play the young guys.
Well it’s the troof. No reason we should be top 10 in payroll and teetering on the lux tax line. For what?
I think this is the draft to try to grab another lotto pick. There's some guys that could be either fringe stars or solid starters and there's this idea that the draft is terrible. Try to move up to 3 to grab Risacher, grab whoever the BPA is at 7 and then BPA at 14. Move the vets and just go all-in on youth.
you didn't know? that was back in the days when GM's were truly throwing darts at a board. There were 24 teams making selections for 10 rounds. Doc Rivers taken with the 31st pick; Manute Bol was taken with pick 97 the following year was Portland's infamous Bowie over MJ pick. Blazers then took Bernard Thompson at 19; Victor Fleming at 26 (never played a game); Steve Colter at 33 (very limited role player). And finally, getting one thing right they took Jerome Kersey at 46 the year after that Portland drafted Terry Porter at 24.
I thought the draft only went 7 rounds back in the day. I remember Portland always took a local guy, usually small college, with their last pick. My brother played at Eastern Oregon and had a teammate drafted by Portland.
Consolidation - best possible Forward over 6-9 consolidate layer picks to move up and draft the meanest, toughest, PF available
The best possible forward could possibly be anywhere on the board this year. No consolidation needed honestly. It is probably better to have two stabs in the lotto, with one high 2nd and another decent 2nd to trade up to secure who we want, or stay pat find a cheap fit. Right now, I like drafting Salaun at #7 or trading back for him, drafting Missi at #14, and securing Chomche with our 2nds + a Brogdon trade or something like that if neccessary. Missi is going to be effective almost immediately, DA/Missi/Reath is going to offer a diverse set of skills, with the hope that Missi turns into Mitchell Robinson++ by the time DA hits FA. Salaun might end up in the GL all season (which is fine considering Camara, Walker, Rupert, and Murray all need minutes) but once he stops growing and works on his hips, he is going to be a special player who can score at all 3 levels and bring the ball up the court. I think he will start to come alive towards the end of the season. With Camara on the floor, he will never have to worry about guarding the best wing on the floor, but he does have to be a good systematic defender, which I think he will be. Comche is a huge project as well, but it will be well worth it eventually. A ‘24 class headlined by Missi as our NBA-ready rookie to be excited about and Salaun/Comche who would both be the ultimate swing high prospects—I’d be happy with that. The rest of the roster would have to be filled out through a Brogdon, Ant, Williams, Thybulle, maybe Grant trade.
One of the bigger goals for me is also picking the right big man to finally stabilize the big man rotation. Above everything, the absence of a legit big man made Blazers basketball unwatchable. While I have learned to love Reath, he’s still a third big and a competent backup big in case of injuries to me. #14 pretty much guarantees us any big man not Sarr and Clingan—it would just be a matter of picking the right one. Missi, Ware, Smith would be my order. While I understand people wanting to bank on Ware turning his motor around to complement his offensive potential, I find that being one of the harder things for a prospect to do all of a sudden. I think Missi will make an impact on defense right away. Long arms and can get off the floor really quick. I’d love to see how DA and Missi would do on the floor together with Grant, Shae, and Scoot. I never liked the idea of playing DA at PF because I never believed we had the personnel. If Missi has the same defensive impact as Mark Williams early, I’d wanna see if DA would benefit playing 15mpg at PF next to a dominant defensive big man. Between Missi’s athleticism and defense, DA’s mid range shooting and switch-ability, and Reath’s shooting and ability to put it on the floor, there is a diverse set of skills at C with a possibility of playing more than one at a time.
Given the surprising performances he put up at the combine with regard to his shooting and athletic testing, Edey probably shouldn't be ignored.
I can't argue that Missi could be the better choice between the two. But it does seem like Ware already has turned his motor around. Most of the criticism came from his freshman year when Dana was trying to motivate him to play harder. And last year...he did.
To get better. We see how teams can rapidly improve. For three years the Blazers have tried to be bad in hopes of some draft miracle. Get a couple of good players who fit with Shae and Scoot, get a decent coach and teach them to win.
