Say hello to your new backup small forward, and the player who thankfully was NOT compared to Luke Jackson immediately after being drafted. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

There is plenty to talk about regarding the poorly-time firing of Kevin Pritchard, but for now let’s discuss how the Blazers did in the draft. After all, it always comes down to the guys who get on the court.

Pick No. 16 — Luke Babbitt, 6’9″ SF, Nevada:
Babbitt, along with Ryan Gomes, was acquired in a deal for Martell Webster and, as sad as it is to see Martell Webster go, Babbitt will probably be better than him, at least offensively, very, very soon. While he isn’t a fantastic athlete and will have trouble guarding faster players, Babbitt is very skilled with the ball in his hands. He can play the high post and out on the wing, can hit a variety of different jumpers and can put the ball on the floor. He isn’t a playmaker, though, so don’t expect to mold him into a point forward or anything. Considering Babbitt isn’t great at playing off-ball, running off screens and such — the Blazers have Rudy for that still — he’s effectively the offensive player that Webster wasn’t.

He could struggle in the pros to get his shot off, but he’s not going to be asked to create as much of his own offense as he was at Nevada, which should allow him to pick his spots with greater effectiveness. Of course, the same could also have once been said about Josh McRoberts, who himself was considered a first rounder for a time before falling to the second round.

Numbers-wise, Babbitt had a low turnover rate (13.9) while collecting 19.6 of available defensive rebounds, shooting 41.6 from deep with a 61.4 true-shooting percentage (anything over 60 is gold) with an offensive rating of 119.8. So yes, the offensive numbers check out fine.

The Blazers lose a little defensively with Babbitt playing the three, but you probably make up for that with the lineup and roster flexibility Babbitt offers. Add in the fact that you get Ryan Gomes, a player of value himself, and this trade is a win all around. While Gomes is a good rebounder for his position, his contract is the best asset in that it is not fully guaranteed if he’s waived by June 30. Gomes is due to make $4.3 million next season, but if waived that number drops to $1 million, giving that team $3.3 million in savings. It’s been reported that the Miami Heat, who are trying to shed salary for free agency, were looking to trade Michael Beasley for Gomes’s contract. Gomes can’t be traded in a package deal for two months though, but he can always be traded by himself in addition to a separate trade.

Of course, drafting Babbitt also violates Blogger Law by taking someone who was once shut down by a team blogger, but that’s another story entirely. (More after the jump)
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Patrick Patterson...hearing you guys don't know who to pick. Wanna know why you should pick me? I was at the Barnstable Brown party this year. Google it. (Credit: YardBarker.com)

Sunday June 20th 2010 marks the official beginning to Draft Week. Due to the parity of the players involved, there is a certain sense of uncertainty surrounding Thursday’s event. In Blazer Nation there is a weird aura surrounding this year’s draft. It’s almost like a ‘calm before the storm’…except with anxiety, a pinch of excitement and some healthy doses of speculation. For the life of me it just does not feel like there has been a lot of focus on what the Blazers will do on Thursday night. The Blazers off-season has been more about the Eternal Sunshine of Prichard’s Mind than about personnel decisions.

In Portland, for the first time in recent years, the Draft is almost an after-thought. True, it’s tough to compete with years where the team had lottery picks or it was widely known they were attempting to move up. Not to mention the fact that the Blazers roster is loaded like a college freshman’s pantry after their parents come to town. Simply put the outside storylines are overpowering the draft itself. We have heard non-stop about the bristles that KP will be canned shortly after the draft…and word that he is looking to go out with a major bang. Does that mean a draft-day deal? Is Portland moving up? There is no clear cut solution except to hold on to your seat. Why? Because every year since he has been GM, Pritchard has lived for the draft…and it has proven to be his time to shine. With his job on the line, you can only imagine what could go down.

The key word there being “could”. The only thing we do know, for now, is that Portland is scheduled to have the 22nd selection in the 1st Round. 2010 is not a year where Portland is needing to get into the lottery or move up to acquire a key piece. They can afford to draft a project without all hell breaking loose. However, a major wrench in Portland’s draft is their own depth. It’s much easier to draft a player when you have a distinct need. In Portland, there is not really a need for a specific position, more a skill set. People argue about adding depth at PG. I ask, who in this draft at the #22 spot is an upgrade over Bayless? People argue for a shooter, and they have a valid point. However with KP’s second-round trickery there is no need to reach at #22. Portland could always find a cheap option in the 2nd round or even in free agency. Also, considering the already present log-jam on the perimeter, how much sense would it make to add another guy to the mix?

All of that brings us to the big question heading into this draft: Is there a need for a big man? If you’re asking me yes and no. Numbers wise…not really. Portland has 7 ‘bigs’ on the roster and all have shown they can contribute. It truly all depends on how good you (and Blazers management) think Cunningham and Pendergraph can be. Do you think they can grow? If so, you probably don’t see the need for a PF. If you think they (along with Juwan Howard) were a good temporary stop-gap this year, but ultimately not the solution…than you see the need for an upgrade. Drafting a center is a different equation, one that makes much more sense. Drafting a big man would make sense, to groom him for when Marcus Camby hangs his backward high fives up. With the future of Joel Przybilla up in the air, going in that direction seems smart.

Whether you agree or disagree, like it or not, all signs arepointing to Portland drafting a big man. Nearly every mock draft on the net has Portland drafting a 4 or a 5. The question is, which one would fit? After researching mock drafts and using my oh so powerful noggin, I narrowed it down to the following big men: Patrick Patterson, Larry Sanders, Hassan Whiteside, Craig Brackins and Solomon Alabi. I refuse to even mention the words Kevin Seraphin because the Blazers would be foolish to stash another player overseas. And foolish to pass up on NBA-ready talent again *ahem*CLAVEROVERBLAIR*ahem*.

(More on the prospects above after the jump)

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“We’re looking at trying to move up with our first pick,” says Mike Born, Portland’s director of NBA scouting. “We’re trying to have an early second-round pick, maybe even have another late second-round pick.

“If we find a guy we like, we’ll try to put ourselves in position to get him.”

The ‘big news’ is all in that first quote, as now it is ‘official’ that Portland will be looking to move up. Now, before everyone gets crazy he didn’t say anything about the lottery or #3 or #4 so don’t rush to the Trade Machine. As a matter of fact Kevin Pritchard outright denies Adrian Wojnarowski’s report that Portland was looking to move up to the #3 or #4 spot by saying this:

“I wouldn’t say 3 or 4 is where we’re looking to go,” Portland General Manager Kevin Pritchard says.

Portland has proven in the past that if they like a guy, they will make a move to make sure they can get him. Look at the Victor Claver trade from last year or the LaMarcus Aldridge trade a couple years back. That is nothing new. Also not new is Portland looking to have second-round picks. With the success of Dante Cunningham and Jeff Pendergraph, the Blazers know they can bring a talented guy in and put themselves in a ‘win-win’ situation of sorts. There are no guarantees with second-rounders so if it works, it works and if it does not…then it does not. It’s not surprising to me that Portland would want to move up considering they are drafting behind RC Buford and Sam Presti.

The article also focuses in on the Blazers’ recent philosophy regarding trading up in the Draft, their thinking with last year’s moves and their strategy for this year.