Detroit rookie center Andre Drummond was passed on by Portland in favor of Damian Lillard. Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

Got to have this one… Quick nap and we back at it again…

— JJ Hickson (@Hickson21) November 26, 2012

The nap mention isn’t the important part of the above Tweet from one James Edwards “J.J.” Hickson Jr. Such are the swings of this Blazer season in general and this seven-game road trip in particular. Sunday afternoon, the Blazers did the thinkable while almost achieving the unthinkable: they played neck and neck with the Brooklyn Nets without arguably their best player (I’m saying arguably because at this point LaMarcus Aldridge is still Portland’s most potent weapon) and managed to compete and lose and not ever embarrass themselves. I thought they could hang for awhile. I didn’t think they would ever have a chance.

Monday is a different task altogether. Portland’s opponent Monday evening is the Detroit Pistons. These Pistons started the season with eight straight losses. Although they did get a victory over the Boston Celtics, they have lost twice to the Magic. They’ve also lost twice to the Rockets, once to the Lakers, and once to the Kings, teams that Portland has beaten this season. Sunday, the Pistons lost by 21 to the Knicks. This is not a good team. And because this is not a good team, the Blazers must win.

I know it doesn’t make a ton of sense that beating a bad team is a whole lot more important than beating a good team, but that’s just kind of where we are right now with the development of this Blazer squad. I’ve said it before, but in my opinion it’s worth repeating. I believe that Portland will finish the season in the second tier of the NBA. Better than the worst teams, but not quite good enough to make the Playoffs (or at least not quite good enough to have a ceiling higher than the eight seed). To avoid that bottom rung of the league, the Blazers need to beat the teams below them. Considering that bad teams will also lose to good teams, the difference between finishing 9th or 10th in the West and 12th or 13th will be winning games against the Detroit Pistons of the world.

Blazers Starting 5: PG Damian Lillard, SG Wesley Matthews, SF Nicolas Batum, PF LaMarcus Aldridge, C J.J. Hickson

Pistons Starting 5: PG Brandon Knight, SG Kyle Singler, SF Tayshaun Prince, PF Jason Maxiell, C Greg Monroe

The position-by-position match-ups Monday aren’t nearly as bad as they have been Portland in their last two games. Minnesota and Brooklyn are examples of teams, the Los Angeles Clippers are another, with skilled big men who tried with varying degrees of success to exploit the fact that the Blazers don’t really have a center. Brooklyn had to deal with Meyers Leonard, who has the height of a true center but not the skills. Minnesota dealt with Hickson. J.J. is turning into a pretty good rebounder, but he can’t really muscle up with the bigger centers in the league.

Detroit has bigs, but they aren’t the kind of bigs Portland has faced in its last two contests. Greg Monroe is a serviceable third-year center who can carry the offensive load for a bad team but doesn’t have some of the more veteran moves and skills that make Brook Lopez or Nikola Pekovic such tough covers. Should Monroe be matched-up much with Meyers Leonard, there will be a good chance he’ll have a decent scoring night. Against J.J. Hickson, he probably won’t fare quite as well. Jason Maxiell is the kind of player who reached his potential early, when his team was still one of the best in the league, and has been in steady decline ever since.

Just as the Pistons do not have the level of front court as the Brooklyn Nets, so too do they offer a different type of back court. Where Deron Williams tried, and basically succeeded, to overpower Damian Lillard, second-year point guard Brandon Knight will try to use his speed to score. It’s not just at the point guard position where Detroit differs significantly from Brooklyn. Whereas the Nets again tried to overpower Portland on the wings with Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace, the Piston’s starting two and three are wispy over-the-top shooters.

In fact, it’s the wing positions where Portland has the biggest advantage when it comes to the starting five. Kyle Singler shouldn’t really be able to stop Wesley Matthews. Tayshaun Prince is a once great defender who is no longer so great. Nicolas Batum should, like Wesley, be able to get to the rim one-on-one. Nic should also be able to shoot over the top of Prince. Big games from the wings could lead the Blazers to a convincing win.

What to Watch Four

• The bench. Always the bench. Detroit’s bench is probably the worst thing Portland wants to see. The Piston’s reserves aren’t good, but they aren’t the Blazers’ bench either. Charlie Villanueva, Corey Maggette, and Will Bynum aren’t amazing players at all, but they are veterans who probably look at Portland’s bench as a glaring weakness waiting to be taken advantage of. Guys at the NBA level don’t need much motivation to have a big night, especially guys like Corey Maggette who in his opinion has never taken a bad shot in his life. If the Blazers bench can maintain or build on any lead the starters get (or should get) Portland wins.
• Meyers Leonard vs. Andre Drummond. Andre Drummond was one of the guys Portland was targeting in the draft. The Blazers would have had to take Drummond with the 6th pick (Detroit grabbed him with the 9th pick) meaning they would have passed on Damian Lillard. Considering that there is absolutely no way Lillard would have been around at the 11th spot should have Portland gone with Drummond, the Blazers would have very likely taken North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall. Kendall’s been buried on the Suns’s bench (which doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to play in Portland) and Drummond is averaging 6.5 points in 16.6 minutes per game. Leonard’s stats aren’t as good, fewer points (4.9) in more minutes played (19.2), but clearly the Blazers made the right choice going with Lillard and passing on Drummond. Watching Meyers Leonard face off against Drummond, though, might, emphasis on might, have some Blazer fans thinking if Portland maybe should have decided to build around a center and not a point guard. For the record, I’m glad they went PG over C, even if it’s true that you can’t teach height.
• Can Portland make this a blowout. The Blazers only have a few big wins, score differential wise. Getting those wins on the road is important since if a bad team is allowed to stick around on in their own home there’s always a chance they’ll be able to sneak out a win. Usually comebacks are driven by home crowd support. Luckily for Portland, nobody is going to be at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Should the Blazers get up double figures, maybe even 20, there’s a possibility this game is over in a hurry.

@mikeacker | @ripcityproject | mike.acker1@gmail.com

This is just a really quick rookie ladder that’ll get updated as the season rages on.

Oct 17, 2012; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Victor Claver (18) battles for a loose ball with Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) in the third quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The Blazers won the game 97-80. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-US

Honorable Mentions: Miles Plumlee: F/C, Indiana Pacers; Arnett Moultrie: F, Philadelphia 76ers; Evan Fournier: G, Denver Nuggets; Moe Harkless (Hernia): F, Orlando Magic

25. Kendall Marshall: Point Guard, Phoenix Suns
Preseason Stats: 3.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.3 RPG
Last 3: 8 pts, 2 ast vs. GSW; 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. OKC; 4 ast vs. POR

Kendall Marshall can’t shoot, and that’s always a red flag for point guards. But he’s easily the best passer/playmaker in his draft class and has kept his assist-to-turnover ratio positive by making good decisions.

24. Victor Claver: Forward, Portland Trail Blazers
Preseason Stats: 3.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG
Last 3: 1 stl, 10 min vs. UTAH; 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 stl vs. GSW; 13 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl, 13 min vs. DEN

Victor Claver makes this list solely because of his performance against the Denver Nuggets. He’s been aggressive on defense and has shown an ability to score in a variety of ways.

If you don’t remember him, it’s probably because he was drafted all the way back in 2009.

23. Meyers Leonard: Center, Portland Trail Blazers
Preseason Stats: 6.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.0 BLKPG
Last 3: 8 pts, 4 reb, 1 blk vs. UTAH; 4 pts, 6 reb, 1 blk vs. GSW; 6 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk vs. DEN

Many argued that the Blazers should’ve gone with Tyler Zeller over Meyers Leonard at No. 11, but he does everything Portland needs. He gets into heavy foul trouble (just like Greg Oden), but Leonard has been active on defense, somewhat crashes the boards and is super athletic, especially off the pick-and-roll.

22. Austin Rivers: Guard, New Orleans Hornets
Preseason Stats: 7.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.0 APG
Last 3: 6 pts, 4 ast vs. MIA; 0 pts, 14 min vs. DAL; 11 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl vs. ATL

I’d go out on a limb and call Austin Rivers the least efficient player in this draft class, and I’m probably right. He took 59 shots in the preseason and only nailed sixteen (16) of them—that’s a droplet over 27 percent from the field over eight games.

What makes it worse is that coach Monty Williams is being extremely patient with him. Rivers has played more minutes than any guard drafted with him not named Damian Lillard and only has 7.3 points per game to show for it. He’s quickly falling down my power rankings, and if he doesn’t step it up, he’ll fall right out of it.

21. Terrence Ross: Shooting Guard, Toronto Raptors
Preseason Stats: 6.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG
Last 3: 10 pts, 2 stl vs. MEM; 2 pts, 5 min vs. NYK; 5 pts, 2 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk vs. DET 

I haven’t seen Terrence Ross play yet, but his stats have proven him to be more efficient than Austin Rivers in significantly less playing time.

20. Jeremy Lamb: Shooting Guard, Houston Rockets TRADED TO OKC
Preseason Stats: 6.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 APG
Last 3: 0 pts, 2 reb, 6 min vs. ORL; 5 pts, 3 ast vs. NOH; 2 pts, 1 stl, 12 min vs. MEM 

I love Jeremy Lamb in Oklahoma City. He gets to be on a winning team that will demand nothing but the absolute best from him. This is exactly what he needed for him to get out of his shooting funk.

19. Royce White: Forward, Houston Rockets
Preseason Stats: 2.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.0 APG
Last 3: 2 pts, 2 ast, 13 min vs. ORL; 7 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk vs. DAL

I’m probably the only guy who still has faith in Royce White, but he hasn’t gotten playing time to show his skills. He needs to somehow beat his anxiety disorder and travel with the team, but I think that, once he gets settled in, White will become the dominating player we saw at Iowa State.

18. Khris Middleton: Forward, Detroit Pistons
Preseason Stats: 6.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.0 APG
Last 4: 3 pts, 1 ast, 1 stl, 4 min vs. ATL; 5 pts, 3 reb, 10 min vs. MIA; 5 pts, 1 reb, 8 min vs. ORL; 11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. MIL

I’ve been so impressed with Khris Middleton’s ability to do so much in such a short bit of time. Lawrence Frank absolutely has to give this guy a solid spot in the rotation if he wants the Pistons to start turning the ship around.

17. Tyler Zeller: Center, Cleveland Cavaliers
Pre-Season Stats: 8.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG
Last 3: 13 pts, 7 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl vs. IND; 6 pts, 2 reb vs. PHI; 8 pts, 5 reb vs. ORL

Zeller hasn’t made much happen on defense, but we expected this. He’s a center that can pop out to around 15-18 feet and knock down jumpers. Great for Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters to have someone to dump the ball out to.

16. Dion Waiters: Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers
Preseason Stats: 8.6 PPG, 2.1 APG, 2.0 RPG
Last 3: 12 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl vs. IND; 5 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. PHI; 8 pts, 2 ast vs. ORL

Not impressed with Dion Waiters one bit, especially since he skipped the line to get picked up third in the draft. They’ve given him every chance to show what he’s worth, and he still hasn’t lived up to the hype.

I didn’t watch much of him at Syracuse either, so here’s to hoping Cleveland didn’t blow it with their 2012 NBA Draft pick.

15. John Henson: Forward, Miilwaukee Bucks INJURED
Preseason Stats: 7.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.6 BLKPG
Last 3: 4 pts, 1 reb vs. CHI; 12 pts, 6 reb, 4 blk, 4 ast vs. DET; 6 pts, 7 reb, 1 blk vs. CLE

Henson looked so promising until he sprained his left knee. Hopefully he doesn’t lose any of that bounce he had when he gets back to the court.

14. Perry Jones III: Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder
Preseason Stats: 9.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG
Last 3: 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast vs. DAL; 14 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast vs. CHI; 4 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl vs. DEN

I haven’t seen Perry Jones play once this entire preseason, but the general consensus is that OKC got a steal for him late in the first round. I’ll come back next time with a better analysis after I’ve seen him play a few games.

13. Andre Drummond: Forward/Center, Detroit Pistons
Preseason Stats: 9.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG
Last 3: 13 pts, 10 reb, 2 blk vs. ATL; 2 reb, 9 min vs. MIN; 8 pts, 7 reb vs. CHA

People talk about Andre Drummond the same way they talk about Perry Jones. They can play at a high level if they feel like it. Their stats reflect that same mentality. Some games they put up monster numbers, and the next day, you can’t even find them on the court.

I do think, though, that Drummond will develop into the best center in this draft class.

12. Donatas Motiejunas: Forward-Center, Houston Rockets
Preseason Stats: 9.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Last 3: 12 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast vs. ORL; 8 pts, 5 ast, 1 blk vs. DAL; 16 pts, 8 reb vs. SAS

I almost forgot to include Motiejunas in this list because he was picked up in last year’s draft. I had him pegged as a sort of Dirk Nowitzki 2.0, but he’ll have to develop his jumper a lot more before earning that honor.

Motiejunas does many things well. He’ll have to bulk up to avoid getting shoved around down low, but his offensive game is so well-rounded, it more than compensates for his frame. Still, at seven feet and only 22-years old, the Lithuanian big man has a chance to become one of the better shooting bigs in the NBA.

11. Terrence Jones: Power Forward, Houston Rockets
Preseason Stats: 10.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.2 BLKPG
Last 3: 4 pts, 2 blk vs. ORL; 15 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk vs. NOH; 9 pts, 5 reb, 2 blk vs. MEM

Terrence Jones has been a great blue-collar type of player who’s getting his minutes by doing all the grunt work down low. I’d like to see him get a few more looks in the low post, though.

10. Jae Crowder: Forward, Dallas Mavericks
Preseason Stats: 11.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.875 STLPG, 1.6 APG
Last 3: 11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk vs. CHA; 21 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. OKC; 12 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk vs. NOH

Crowder made a name for himself as a do-it-all kind of guy in the Summer League, and has kept his reputation in tact. He’s rebounding better than some of the bigs drafted next to him and has been a better scorer than many of the bigger named guards picked up in the first round.

Talk about a steal for Dallas.

9. Thomas Robinson: Power Forward, Sacramento Kings
Preseason Stats: 7.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.2 STLPG
Last 3: 17 pts, 8 reb,1 stl vs. PHX; 6 pts, 4 reb vs. LAL; 8 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl vs. LAL

That is all.

8. Jonas Valanciunas: Center, Toronto Raptors
Preseason Stats: 8.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.8 BLKPG
Last 3: 15 pts, 7 reb, 1 stl 1 blk vs. MEM; 10 pts, 8 reb, 4 blk, 1 stl vs. MIL; 4 pts, 10 reb, 1 blk vs. NYK 

How many of you guys forgot that Toronto picked up Valanciunas in last year’s draft? He’s been a monster on the boards, and had a sick highlight where he had a monster dunk against the Wizards.

He’ll be a great piece to build around with Terrence Ross, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

7. Harrison Barnes: Small Forward, Golden State Warriors
Preseason Stats: 10.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG
Last 3: 16 pts, 7 reb, 1 stl vs. PHX; 9 pts, 3 reb vs. LAC; 6 pts, 1 ast vs. POR

Once Harrison Barnes learns to create for himself, he’ll be the best player in this draft. Barnes shoots well, can defend and gets out on breaks, but if there’s a defender in his face (like Nicolas Batum was for Portland), the ball is coming right out of his hands.

6. Jared Sullinger: Forward, Boston Celtics
Preseason Stats: 10.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 
Last 3: 11 pts,6 reb vs. PHI; 10 pts, 8 reb, 1 stl vs. NYK; 12 pts, 6 reb vs. BKN

I was a HUGE Sully fan back when he was at Ohio State, and seeing him destroy all the teams that passed up on him brings nothing but endless joy to my life.

Sullinger’s showed every facet of his game: He’s shot the ball well, posted up and crashed the boards. He’s not an athlete or a shot blocker, but Boston doesn’t need him to be. He’s filling the role of a stretch four very well.

Oct 24, 2012; Uniondale, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets power forward Andray Blatche (0) fouls New York Knicks small forward Chris Copeland (14) at the net during the second quarter at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

5. Chris Copeland: Forward, New York Knicks
Preseason Stats: 15.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG
Last 3: 16 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast vs. BKN; 15 pts vs. PHI; 34 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl vs. BOS

Here’s a guy who nobody knew about that came to arguably the biggest market of them all and hijacked the spotlight. The guy’s a 28-year old rookie that defied the odds and made the N.Y. Knicks’ jam-packed roster.

Chris Copeland can fill it up, but like many of the Knicks on the roster, he struggles defensively. With Amar’e Stoudemire out for a couple weeks recovering from a knee injury, we might get an early dosage of Copeland in our diets.

October 19, 2012; Orlando FL, USA; Indiana Pacers center Luke Nevill (26) and power forward Miles Plumlee (13) defend Orlando Magic power forward Andrew Nicholson (44) during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Indiana Pacers 112-96. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

4. Andrew Nicholson: Power Forward, Orlando Magic
Preseason Stats: 10.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.14 BLKPG
Last 3: 5 pts, 7 reb vs. HOU; 5 pts, 6 reb, 1 stl vs. MEM; 18 pts, 2 blk vs. SAS

I don’t know much about Andrew Nicholson, but he’s been great at helping Orlando forget about Dwight Howard. Especially after that 18-point outburst against San Antonio, he and Jameer Nelson will become best friends once he gets set in the rotation.

Oct 15, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots over Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

3. Bradley Beal: Guard, Washington Wizards
Preseason Stats: 11.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.5 APG
Last 3: 0 pts, 19 min vs. SAS; 9 pts, 4 reb, 3 stl, ast vs. MIA; 10 pts, 4 reb vs. MIL

Brad Beal’s been in attack mode all preseason long which is exactly what John Wallneeds to help get the Wizards back to being relevant in the NBA.

The young Ray Allen comparisons were a bit too extreme, but Beal’s got a cocked-and-loaded rifle that he’s unafraid to fire. Playing next to Wall, he should get plenty of open looks.

Oct 22, 2012; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (0) speaks with Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts during a break in the third quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The Blazers won the game 120-114. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

2. Damian Lillard: Point Guard, Portland Trail Blazers
Preseason Stats: 16.2 PPG, 5.8 APG, 2.5 RPG
Last 3: 12 pts, 5 ast vs. UTAH; 21 pts, 8 ast, 4 reb, 2 stl vs. UTAH; 15 pts, 7 ast vs. GSW

There have been a few menial rookie mistakes here and there, but Damian Lillard has been all that AND a bag of chips (yes, I went there) for the Portland Trail Blazers.

He’s a bit prone to turning the ball over, but Lillard’s shown a poise in running this Blazers team that no other rookie in the draft class has. He can shoot the three, but more importantly, he’s been great at running the pick-and-pop with LaMarcus Aldridge and dumping the ball out at the perfect moment.

Damian Lillard for president, anyone?

Oct 26, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New Orleans Hornets power forward Anthony Davis (23) shoots over Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem (40) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

1. Anthony Davis: Power Forward, New Orleans Hornets
Preseason Stats: 14.9 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.57 BLKPG
Last 3: 24 pts, 11 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk vs. MIA; 13 pts, 8 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk vs. HOU; 6 pts, 17 reb, 2 blk vs. DAL

We knew he’d make some noise in the NBA once he was selected to travel with Team USA, but Anthony Davis has lived up to and exceeded the hype that latches itself onto a No. 1 overall pick.

The Brow has been incredibly efficient, as any big man should be, but has also shown the ability to help from the weak side and close out on shooters on the wing.

While Lillard will give him a run for his money, Davis is looking like the clear front-runner for the 2013 Rookie of the Year Award.

	Player	Pos.	Team	PER	Chg
1.	Anthony Davis	PF	NOH	16.43
2.	Damian Lillard	PG	POR	14.50
3.	Bradley Beal	G	WSH	10.12
4.	Andrew Nicholson	PF	ORL	9.86
5.	Chris Copeland	F	NYK	11.67
6.	Jared Sullinger	PF	BOS	14.12
7.	Harrison Barnes	F	GSW	8.88	—
8.	Jonas Valanciunas	F/C	TOR	11.83
9.	Thomas Robinson	PF	SAC	9.17	—
10.	Jae Crowder	G/F	DAL	13.88
11.	Terrence Jones	PF	HOU	10.83
12.	Donatas Motiejunas	F/C	HOU	9.83
12,	Andre Drummond	PF/C	DET	12.83	—
13.	Perry Jones III	F	OKC	10.00
14.	John Henson	PF	MIL	9.00
16.	Dion Waiters	G	CLE	5.14
17.	Tyler Zeller	PF/C	CLE	9.71	—
18.	Khris Middleton	G/F	DET	7.00
19.	Royce White	F	HOU	1.25
20.	Jeremy Lamb	G	OKC	7.50	—
21.	Terrence Ross	G/F	TOR	5.2
22.	Austin Rivers	G	NOH	5.86
23.	Meyers Leonard	C	POR	9.57	—
24.	Victor Claver	F	POR	3.8
25.	Kendall Marshall	PG	PHX	4.75

Any questions, comments,or concerns? Leave ‘em below, and I’ll be sure to address them!

Thanks for reading.

@BriscoXCI | KrisWinfield@gmail.com

Position: Center/Forward

Height: 6’11’’

Weight: 270 lbs

School: Connecticut

Short summary of the player and his stats from college

Drummond earned Big East All-Rookie honors while averaging 10 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks a game as a freshman. Drummond is second only to Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for youngest player available in the draft, and comes with an intriguing mix of unquestionable talent and bust potential.

Why the decision was made to select this player

Portland has two huge holes to fill in the off-season, and the point guard position is the one I don’t think they should try to address through the draft. Drafting a point guard can be dangerous. Even if there’s a chance that Portland’s draft choice turns into Derrick Rose, the chances that he ends up like Sebastian Telfair or worse is much much higher. For that reason, I think the Blazers should use their first pick on a center. Drummond is raw and young. We all know what happened the last time Portland picked a raw young center, and if the Blazers do end up taking Drummond with the sixth pick expect to hear plenty of Greg Oden references. That being said, I don’t think the Blazers’ brass should let GO’s history stop them from going after a legit big guy. There are very few in the league right now. Taking Drummond, and building him into an elite level player could mean victories for Portland for a long time. Looking for an aging center in free agency, or making a two or three to one deal to get Dwight Howard probably won’t.

How he will fit in with the team

The nice thing about what Portland has going for them right now is that their best scorer is also a big. Drummond won’t have to try and score a lot to be effective. He’ll have to take up space in the middle and block shots on defense and rebound and keep low post guys honest on offense. One of the major problems Greg Oden had when he was playing was trying to get him touches when Brandon Roy and LaMarucs Aldridge also needed to get their touches. There’s no reason to think that Drummond would come in and demand to be made the centerpiece of the offense right away, or ever. Drummond fills out Portland’s starting five, or he backs up Joel Przybilla for a while so he can get his sea legs against second unit bigs. Playing in the West, Drummond is going to get a chance to see a few of the best big guys in the league up close and personal. He’s also going to get to bang with two of the best young big guys around. That should give him plenty of opportunities to learn on the job. If Portland goes with Drummond, they need to think of him as a 20-minutes a night type guy, whether starting or coming off the bench. That’s how he’s going to learn. And that’s how he’s going to make the Blazers a better team.

Best case and worst case scenarios for this player

Best-case scenario would probably be one of the better more athletic shot-blocking bigs. Serge Ibaka or Tyson Chandler. Best best-case scenario: A’mare Stoudamire (a comparison from his assistant coach in college).

Worst-case scenario: Greg Oden (obviously)

Andre Drummond could be Portland's top pick in the 2012 draft. Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE