Who are the Blazers taking in recent mock drafts?
By Ty Delbridge
Yes, it’s still early in both the NBA and college basketball seasons.
But with a relatively light week for the Blazer’s (two games), let’s take a quick look at some mock drafts and who they predict the Blazers selecting.
NOTE: The draft order is based on teams’ current records. If the season ended today, the Blazers (13-10) would be picking toward the end of the first round.
ESPN
Troy Brown (ESPN has the Blazers selecting 18th)
"The Blazers don’t have much depth on the wing and could be looking to upgrade at that spot this summer. Brown is one of the most versatile players in the freshman class, with his ability to defend multiple positions, rebound and make plays for others, even if Oregon has been somewhat disappointing so far."
My Analysis
Brown is a 6’7″, 215-pound freshman shooting guard out of the University of Oregon.
He is averaging about 27 minutes a game for the Ducks, 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and one steal. He comes from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Brown is a bigger wing that can do a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. He can handle the ball, shoot, drive, score in the post, is a smart passer, plays good defense, is just an intelligent basketball player.
He is one of the youngest players in the draft class and would give the Blazers some help on the wing. He would provide them with a bigger guard that can defend and shoot. The Blazers have Evan Turner, but he isn’t the best shooter. Brown can do a lot of the same things and would be a nice upgrade in the shooting area. He is also just down the road playing in Eugene, so he would have plenty of local support.
Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report
Hamidou Diallo (SI has the Blazers selecting 19th and Bleacher Report has the Blazers at 17th)
"For better or worse, Diallo has been what most NBA scouts expected so far at Kentucky. He’s an exceptional athlete whose skills and feel need added polish, but with first-round intrigue nonetheless."
"We’ve seen the good and the bad from Hamidou Diallo through eight games. Even if he continues to mix promising flashes with poor execution and decisions, the positives should still be enough to warrant top-20 interest."
My Analysis
Diallo is a 6’5″, 188-pound sophomore guard/wing out of Kentucky.
He is currently averaging 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and one steal.
Diallo almost declared in last year’s NBA draft after there was some rumors of him going into the lottery because of his freakish athletic ability. However, he decided to return to school just a few weeks before the draft.
He did still work out at the NBA combine. He had the highest vertical leap out of any participant, posting 44.5 inch hops. Diallo is still a very raw player and a explosive athlete, but needs to improve and sharpen his skills. He has the physical tools similar to Giannis Antetokounmpo (though Diallo isn’t as tall) and that should spark the Blazers’ interest enough that they pull the trigger on him. If he can improve his basketball skills, the Blazers could have one of the rare unicorns in the league.
CBS Sports
Dzanan Musa (CBS has the Blazers picking 22nd)
"Musa is a 19-year-old Bosnian who is averaging 18.1 points and shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range for Cedevita in the Adriatic League. Nobody questions whether he can score in the NBA. The only concern is whether he’s a good-enough athlete, and mature enough, to flourish."
My Analysis
Dzanan Musa is a 19-year-old, 6’9″, 195-pound small forward born in Bosnia and plays for Cedevita of Croatia.
He has played 7 games this season and is averaging 19.2 minutes, 11.4 points, three rebounds, and one steal. He’s also shooting 41% from deep.
Musa has been playing pro ball in Europe since 2015-2016. He’s a talented dude, and would be a nice player for the Blazers to add. They would also be able to bring him over and be on the team right away. Or, if they wanted to, they could leave him overseas as a “draft and stash” player. They would save money on their books and let him work on his skills over there. The Blazers then would be able to bring him over in a few seasons when he is older and is ready to contribute right away. It should also be noted that Musa is also from Bosnia, and might find a fast friend in fellow countryman Jusuf Nurkic.
FanRag Sports
Brandon McCoy (FanRag has the Blazers picking 23rd)
"McCoy is a flat-out behemoth around the rim, with an agile 7-1 frame and a nice touch around the basket. He recorded three straight double-doubles last week, most notably a 26-point, 17-rebound outburst against Utah. The vast majority of his production comes in the paint, where his footwork, length and soft hands are difficult to contain."
My Analysis
Brandon McCoy is 6’11″, 244-pound center out of UNLV. He is currently averaging 20 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. He has been very good in his Freshman season at UNLV with six double-doubles in his first nine games. He’s a big center who can get up and down the floor, and a solid rim protector as well. He has had a block in seven of his nine games, including a four-block game and a six-block game.
If the Blazers lose either Nurkic or Ed Davis in free agency, they will need a big body in that center position. Hopefully they will have a starting center on the roster so McCoy can play behind him and learn the NBA game. It would be interesting to see them go after another big man in the first round after they just drafted two of them last draft. That, of course, includes Zach Collins, who the Blazers traded up to get.
Next: Those Blazers and their shaky rotations
All three guys are different players with unique skills so they may actually be able to play together successfully.