Despite Portland only having one pick, the Blazers have brought in a large number of players who are not projected anywhere close to the 25th pick, even bringing in a good number of potential undrafted free agents (UDFA’s) and/or summer league candidates. To be honest, I have not watched film at all from Young down, so I based my evaluations essentially just off of numbers, but all of those players are likely so close together that it does not really matter.
If any of these prospects make Portland’s opening night roster, color me shocked.
Shamorie Ponds
Ponds is a prolific scorer from the point guard position who has also shown potential with his playmaking. However, he needs to improve his efficiency and shot selection before he can thrive at the NBA level.
Jalen Lecque
A highly touted high school recruit who chose to enter prep school instead of college, Lecque legitimately has Westbrook-esque athleticism for his position, but will need to develop his skills as a basketball player.
Jaylen Hoard
Entering this season as a first round pick due to his potential as a 3 and D wing, Hoard was massively disappointing, but still contains hope due to his age.
James Palmer Jr.
Palmer is a very good offensive scorer but was not able to convince scouts of many other translatable skills.
Rayjon Tucker
Tucker, who transferred to Arkansas-Little Rock and showcased his potential as an athletic combo guard who showed flashes with his shot and defensive. However, the lack of high caliber competition raises some questions about his viability in the NBA.
Ky Bowman
Another shotmaking guard, Bowman is essentially a poor’s mans version of Ponds.
Amir Hinton
After getting buckets on the Division II level, Hinton needs to show scouts that there is more to his game than his scoring.
Stephen Thompson
Thompson was a solid guard at local Oregon State who proved to have nice scoring and playmaking chops. The rest of his game seems to just shown up in flashes, and needs to be more consistent in those areas in order to make the NBA.
Cameron Young
Young is a solid scorer and adequate playmaker and defender but just does not have an NBA frame.
Jeremiah Martin
Martin did a little bit of everything for Memphis during his senior season but does not have the physical tools nor the shooting prowess to currently project well in the NBA.
David Crisp
Crisp was a calming influence at Washington providing leadership and shooting. While he plays the point guard position and racked up a decent number of assists, he likely does not have the right positional tools to succeed in the NBA.
Shelton Mitchell
A three year starter at Clemson but doesn’t show much NBA potential outside of his high, but inefficient scoring numbers.
Jaylin Walker
A prolific scorer for Kent State, Walker can also rebound well for his position. However, he needs to improve in the other aspects of his game.
Markis McDuffie
McDuffie was a solid scorer and finisher at Wichita State in a impressive body but did not show much else to scouts.
Vic Law
Law was a decent shooter and playmaker at Northwestern, but his lack of upside will make it tough for NBA teams to see a bright future in the United States.
Samir Sehic
A more traditional back to the basket power forward, Sehic showcased his work ethic due to his intensity on the glass, but will almost assuredly play overseas as a result of not many skills otherwise.
Matur Maker
The younger brother of Thon Maker, Matur’s appeal also largely comes from his physical structure and athleticism. He has not shown many discernible pro level skills even after spending some time overseas, but might get a look due to family name and profile.