Jan 29, 2012; Hartford, CT, USA; Connecticut Huskies center Andre Drummond (12) looks for the rebound in the second half against Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jack Cooley (45) at the XL Center. Notre Dame defeated the Huskies 50-48. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

The Portland Trail Blazers were blessed to have been gifted two lottery picks in this year’s draft. But now, the actual work begins.

In order to bring Rip City back to Western Conference Playoff status, newly-hired GM Neil Olshey will be neck-deep in scouting work, looking to add the best two prospects to the fold.

Luckily for him, I’m here to help out.

This will be a quick overview of the Blazers’ possible draft prospects at both No. 6 and 11, and how each of them would, or would not fit into the mix.

Andre Drummond (C, Connecticut)
10.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.7 BLKPG

The general consensus around Blazerland, including most mock drafts across the nation, is that if he’s available at pick No. 6, Portland will take Andre Drummond. After the short-lived Greg Oden experiment failed, the Blazers were essentially center-less, stuck with aging big men Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas. Now that they’ve abandoned ship and gotten rid of Camby, it’s time to find an enforcer to patrol the inside.

He’s looked at by many scouts as a project, but Drummond’s potential is through the roof. With great size, length and defensive awareness, the Blazers could mold the UConn product into… well, Greg Oden 2.0.

Damian Lillard (G, Weber State)

January 26, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Weber State Wildcats guard Damian Lillard (1) shoots the ball against the Sacramento State Hornets during the first half at the Hornets Nest. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

24.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.5 STLPG

One of the more popular prospects for the Portland Trail Blazers, NBADraft.net has the Blazers picking up high-octane guard, Damian Lillard, with the sixth pick in the draft, but ESPN’s Chad Ford has him going to the Blazers at 11, with them also selecting Drummond at six.

Lillard was second in the nation in scoring, but swears up and down that he’s a play-making, passing guard as well. Providing a secondary scoring punch for LaMarcus Aldridge, Lillard could be the missing link for a dynamic front court/back court duo in Portland. And if they could teach him how to run the pick-and-roll as well, he could very well be the Blazers’ PG of the future.

Harrison Barnes (F, North Carolina)
17.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.1 STLPG

Barnes is projected by several mock drafts to go to the Cleveland Cavaliers OR the Sacamento Kings at No. 4 or 5 respectively. Both teams need an athletic wing to put alongside their play-making guards, and Harrison Barnes fits that bill perfectly.

But on the off chance that he makes it all the way down to pick No. 6 and the Blazers decide Lillard isn’t the guard they want going forward, Barnes would be the best talent remaining on the board (assuming Drummond is taken already). Portland simply couldn’t pass him. The thinking here would be to pair him up with his North Carolina counterpart, and pick up Kendall Marshall with the 11th pick.

Tyler Zeller (C, North Carolina)
16.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.5 BLKPG

Ex-interim GM, Chad Buchanan was pretty high on Tyler Zeller when he reviewed his pre-draft workout with the Blazers. He doesn’t quite fit the bill of an athletic, defense-oriented big that the Blazers need, but Zeller is an instant impact center who has range out to about 15-18 feet and a pretty reliable low-post arsenal. Pairing him with L.A. would make for a pretty potent offensive front-court, but would also leave a gaping hole on the interior, with neither of them being defensively savvy in their own right.

Kendall Marshall (PG, North Carolina)

Mar 18, 2012; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kendall Marshall (5) dribbles in the second half. The Tar Heels defeated the Blue Jays 87-73 in the third round of the 2012 NCAA men

8.1 PPG, 9.8 APG, 1.2 STLPG

And thus completes Portland’s trifecta of UNC prospects.

If the Blazers select Drummond at six, they’ll likely look to pick up Lillard at 11. But even with the good chance that another team (New Orleans Hornets with Pick No. 10) could snag him off the board, Kendall Marshall to the Portland Trail Blazers with the 11th pick is a very real scenario.

While he doesn’t provide much of the scoring punch that Lillard does, Marshal is an established play-maker and would be an instant impact guard coming out of the draft. His accolades speak for themselves; as the all-time ACC assist leader, Marshall led the nation with 351 assists—a number that could’ve been drastically higher had he not injured his wrist (and elbow) early in the NCAA Tournament.

Marshall would be the heir to Andre Miller as a bigger, stronger guard that isn’t known for scoring, but for setting up his teammates.

Jared Sullinger (F/C, Ohio State)
17.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.2 STLPG, 1.1 BLKPG

DraftExpress.com has the Blazers picking up Jared Sullinger at No. 6, but it doesn’t make much sense given their needs and personnel.

Sully’s very undersized to be playing the center position, but he makes up for it with his bruising strength and offensive skill-set. He’s not an interior defender in any right, but his array of offensive attacks (mid range to three point jumper and an elite low post game) make him a great addition to any front-court league-wide.

Almost a Zach Randolph-type big, Sullinger would be a great complement to an athletic, defensive-minded center—the very thing the Blazers don’t have. He’d be a better fit alongside Anthony Davis in New Orleans, or even next to Greg Monroe in Detroit.

Meyers Leonard (C, Illinois)
13.6 PPG, 8.2 PG, 1.9 BLKPG

In the event that Drummond is off the board at No. 6 and the Blazers absolutely wanted to pick up an athletic interior defender, Illinois’ Meyers Leonard would be the way to go.

The other big in the Blazers’ first pre-draft workouts, Buchanan labeled Leonard as a project, calling him a bit more raw offensively. But his athleticism, size and physical nature make Leonard a plausible option for the Blazers to explore. He likely won’t start over Joel Przybilla, nor will he get any real playing time in his rookie year, but with the right player development, he could become a decent big in the NBA.

Bradley Beal (G, Florida)

March 24, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Florida Gators guard Bradley Beal (23, right) shoots the ball against Louisville Cardinals guard Kevin Ware (23, left) during the first half in the finals of the west region of the 2012 NCAA men

14.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.4 STLPG

The Blazers already have Wesley Matthews and Elliot Williams in their back court, so I’m not too sure where he’d fit into their scheme, but if they continue with their “best available talent” draft technique, Bradley Beal would be the way to go.

Arguably the best perimeter scorer in the draft, Beal can score from virtually anywhere on the court. His knock-down shooting ability has him pegged as sort-of a Ray Allen Jr., but his ability to handle the ball and run the point guard position also has him labeled as a tweener—exactly what the Blazers had in Jamal Crawford.

Beal’s an incredible prospect in this year’s draft, but his position in Portland would be hard to figure out. Beal’s not a pure PG, so it’s unlikely they take him unless both Drummond AND Lillard are gone at No. 6.

Perry Jones III (F, Baylor)
14.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 0.8 BLKPG, 0.6 STPLG

With Jamal Crawford opting out of the final year in his contract, the Blazers depth has gone kaput. And since they moved Gerald Wallace to acquire the Nets’ draft pick, Nic Batum will be starting instead of filling that sixth man role.

If they need a scorer off the bench to contribute immediately, Perry Jones III is their guy. Essentially a two in a three’s body (think Paul George), Jones has the ability to score from virtually anywhere on the court. If the Blazers stick to what they said about filling their key holes with already established NBA talent, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them pick up Jones with the 11th pick.

Portland’s got their work cut out for them heading into the draft, but the reward is more than worth the work. If they proceed cautiously yet aggressively, GM Neil Olshey could turn the fortune of this franchise around in a hurry.

If Andre Drummond is on the board at No. 6, it’s a no-brainer to replace Oden with the UConn product. Then, if they get lucky enough, Portland should fill out the team needs with Lillard or Marshall at No. 11.

Should Drummond get picked up before the Blazers get a chance, then Lillard is the no-brainer, while they pursue any other player at No. 11.

Either way, the best scenario for Portland in this year’s draft would be to address their hole at C with Drummond, and pick up their PG of the future at 11.

What do you think?

Portland's new GM Neil Olshey. Photo courtesy of the LA Times

I was kind of aimlessly watching television the other day, just kind of flipping around, and I landed on Pulp Fiction playing on HBO. I came in right at the start of The Bonnie Situation. If you know the movie, you know the part I’m talking about.

Although I’ve seen Pulp Fiction about a hundred times, this time I was particularly taken with the following conversation between Jules Winnfield and Marsellus Wallace:

Jules: I don’t want to hear ‘bout no **EXPLETIVE** ifs. All I wanna hear from your **EXPLETIVE** is, “You ain’t go no problem Jules. I’m on the **EXPLETIVE**. Go back inside, chill them **EXPLETIVE**s out and wait for the cavalry, which should be coming directly.”

Marsellus: You ain’t go no problem Jules. I’m on the **EXPLETIVE**. Go back inside, chill them **EXPLETIVE**s out and wait for The Wolf, who should be coming directly.

Jules: You sending The Wolf?

Marsellus: Oh, you feel better now, **EXPLETIVE**?

Why exactly do I bring up this seminal scene from classic American cinema? Think of it like this. If the Portland Trail Blazers’ universe were Pulp Fiction as represented in that scene, the frantic Jules Winnfield is the team’s fan base and the cool and confident Marsellus Wallace is an amalgamation of Blazers’ billionaire recluse owner Paul Allen and Portland’s born to stonewall President Larry Miller.

Marvin, the low level thug who suffered an unfortunate pistol shot to face starting the series of events that is The Bonnie Situation, is the team itself, at one point living and breathing and now dead and in desperate need of cleaning up. Jimmie, the owner of the house in the valley where Jules and his partner Vincent Vega have ended up with a car full of blood and brains, is the city of Portland: ready to help, but also a half inch from just totally losing it should anything at all go incorrectly in even the slightest.

Which brings me to…The Wolf.

Coming in to save the day and doing it in a way that is at once slick, calculated, and carried off as if the positive end result were never in question, The Wolf is Portland’s newest General Manager Neil Olshey.

Or at least that was the impression we were all supposed to get when Olshey was formally introduced to the media Tuesday afternoon at the Rose Garden as the Blazers’ GM.

And as far as I’m concerned, the organization succeeded in making us believe that help had finally arrived. If I could use one word to describe Olshey after spending nearly a half an hour listening to him talk and field questions, it would be “polished.”

This guy was ready. The Portland media isn’t the New York or LA media, but there are questions to be answered, and now there’s a guy to answer them. And answer them Mr. Neil Olshey did.

Using words like “deal flow,” and “long term,” and “no quick fixes,” and “Western Conference Championships,” Olshey laid out a generalized plan of attack to resurrect a franchise that took a step backwards in 2011-12.

It wasn’t all softballs and home runs of prognostication though. Olshey answered a few tough questions about Chad Buchanan, Kaleb Canales, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, drafting, and potential free agents.

His answers were concise and clear: Buchanan is part of the staff for now and he and Olshey will talk about the future when not working together to decide which former college players get to be drafted by the Blazers; other people are welcome to come knocking for Portland’s available head coaching job but they’ll have to prove they are better than Coach K; Nic and LA are Portland’s Blake Griffin and Chris Paul; the Blazers are going to work hard on the 2012 NBA Draft, and will not go all out to land big name free agents (Steve Nash) that aren’t going to be around seven seasons from now.

Certainly some of what Olshey said came off as lip service, but given a choice, I would take a guy with a sunny façade that ends up being not quite the truth than a guy that can’t or doesn’t answer the more difficult questions because he chooses not to be dishonest.

The big question though on everybody’s mind Tuesday was Olshey’s reaction to the disarray that has gone hand-in-hand with the Blazers’ General Manager position over the last five-plus seasons. Olshey handled questions of this nature by saying what everyone would expect him to say: he and Paul Allen are on the same page, and they share a vision of what Portland should strive to look like in the future. Let’s see how long all that lasts.

I expect Allen to extend his new GM as long a leash as he needs, but there’s always a chance yet another GM/owner relationship can turn sour at a moments notice.

My primary takeaway from Olshey’s first press conference, apart from his natural ability to schmooze like a champ, is that his main goal as General Manager of the Blazers is to make his team into winners, and not just winners next season, but winners period end of sentence.

He brought up that his former team, the LA Clippers, traveled with a deep tissue message therapist, and that everything he and the rest of the front office staff does and will do is and will be done to better serve the players, the ones who actually do the work on the court.

In the NBA, winning is the only thing that really matters. The city of Portland, the fans, the team, the ownership, all of it will take care of itself as long as the Blazers are winning. And ultimately, that’s why Olshey is here.

In Pulp Fiction, The Wolf does his job; The Bonnie Situation is handled. Jules and Vincent go get breakfast dressed as a couple of dorks.

The first step in handling any situation, The Bonnie Situation and The Blazer Situation alike, is to prove that the right person has been brought in to do the job.

In what he described as his favorite press conference ever, Larry Miller introduced Olshey as that right man for this job. Now, like The Wolf, it’s up to Olshey to make good.

email me: mike.acker1@gmail.com

Twitter: @mikeacker | @ripcityproject

From left to right, Jules Winnfield, Vincent Vega, and The Wolf

Nolan Smith is the newest Blazer point guard of the future. Will he be the difference maker? Photo courtesy of the Gustavian Weekly.

We’ve finally made it. The very last sanctioned activity of the NBA as we know it has been completed, and now we are left with many things to ponder as the offseason creep begins and the protracted labor negotiations inch toward a positive conclusion and barrel headlong towards a work stoppage.

Leading up to draft day, there was a definite sense that change was in the air when it came to Portland’s roster. 2010-11 left the Blazers shy of some of their unstated pre-season goals, the conference finals, and saw the gradual demise of a once great player, the continued struggle of a player with an indefinite amount of greatness, and the exposure of an offense with more than just a few glaring deficiencies.

In the NBA, there are two times when big moves can be made. In-season, this time is the trade deadline. Out of season, it’s the draft. Just like the lead-up to the trade deadline, the days before the draft are chalk-a-block with rumor and conjecture. When the dust of the 2011 NBA Draft settled, the Blazers had made some changes, bringing in some new faces both young and not so young.

When professional basketball resumes in the Rose City, the home team won’t quite be the “new look” Blazers, but they will have something of a different look. Let’s break it down a little shall we?

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