2010
Picks
- No. 22: Elliot Williams
- No. 34: Armon Johnson
- (Through trade) No. 16: Luke Babbitt (with Timberwolves for Martell Webster)
For Portland, the 2010 draft was overshadowed by the uncertain future of GM Kevin Pritchard. Pritchard had been on the hot-seat for months, and was finally ousted directly before draft night, although he still proceedings that evening for the Trail Blazers.
Pritchard left in an uneventful manner. With the 22nd pick, the Blazers chose Elliot Williams, a shooting guard out of Memphis. Williams showed promise in college, averaging 17 points as a sophomore, but injuries (imagine my shock) ultimately halted the southpaws career, as Williams played just 24 games over 3 seasons in Portland.
Williams bounced around different teams after leaving Portland in 2013, signing numerous 10-day contracts around the league. He eventually found some stability with the Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State’s affiliate), as he earned two D-League All-Star nods, a finals MVP and a championship.
The guards last significant time with a team came at Greek club Panathinaikos, where he averaged a little over 13 points whilst competing in the EuroLeague.
Verdict: Miss
Luke Babbitt was actually selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but his draft rights were traded to Portland later in the evening, in exchange for Martell Webster.
Although he hasn’t hit the heights he hoped for, Babbitt’s career lasted a lot longer than Elliot Williams’ did. Babbitt averaged played 126 times for the Trail Blazers, averaging 3.8 points.
In 2013, Babbitt’s career took an unusual turn, as he signed for Russian side Nizhny Novgorod. However, he lasted just six months in Russia, and left under controversial circumstances. Babbitt would play 255 more games in the NBA, split between the New Orleans Pelicans, the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks.
Babbitt had his moments, and was loved by some, but never really managed to make a significant impact. As of now, the forward is without a team.
Verdict: Miss
Armon Johnson was another guard picked by the Blazers, this time at No. 34 out of Nevada. Johnson wasn’t of the NBA level, playing just 39 games in total for Portland. He did manage to get a season out of the New Jersey Nets, but this turned into nothing, and proved to be his last appearance in the NBA.
Johnson hopped around numerous European teams for a few years, and returned to America in 2015 to sign a deal with the Austin Spurs. However, this lasted no longer than a year, and was the last we saw of Johnson on a significant basketball team.
Verdict: Miss
What If’s?
The Blazers didn’t miss out on too much in the 2010 draft. Aside from a few players, the list of potential picks below their No. 22 pick didn’t turn into much.
Hassan Whiteside and Nemanja Bjelica sandwiched the Armon Johnson pick at numbers 33 and 35 respectively; both could have turned into really nice value selections.
Elsewhere, the entertaining Lance Stephenson was available at No. 40- eventually picked by the Indiana Pacers.