Portland Trail Blazers: Two mid-major prospects to consider in the 2020 NBA Draft (Vol. 1)

If there’s one thing the Portland Trail Blazers have excelled at, finding mid-major gems has to be it. Here, we will begin a series of looking at mid-majors to consider in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Since 2015-16, no duo has combined to produce more points than Trail Blazers guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. We’ve long come to admire both their on-court synergy and one’s ability to step up in the absence of the other. What sometimes goes neglected is how rare their foundation is, starring on a team as two NCAA mid-major prospects.

And, because the Blazers found that “hidden money” in the 2012 and 2013 NBA Drafts respectively, Neil Olshey’s ability to seek out unheralded talent shouldn’t be overlooked.

Over the next few days, we’ll cover a few mid-major collegiate stars that should not only capture Portland’s intrigue, but run schemes and philosophies that are similar to the Trail Blazers. But first, let’s consider what exactly a “mid-major” is.

A “mid-major” is defined as any athlete not associated with the “Power Five” conferences — the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, PAC-12, and ACC. You likely remember McCollum’s enthralling post-game presser after 2019’s Game 7 against Denver:

"“Honestly, I’ve got enough motivation. I got it out the mud. I went to Lehigh University. No one’s ever been drafted out of here before, so for me, it’s just about showing what I can do every night, and keeping the door open for the next mid-major.”"

And that’s what he’s done. Regardless of if he never makes an All-NBA team, or wins a title, he can keep that accomplishment in his back pocket, adjusting the thought processing and patterns of NBA Draft scouts. Who would’ve imagined that the No. 1 pick in the 2019 Draft would go on to be Ja Morant, the future Rookie of the Year from little-known Murray State? (Shoutouts to Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Derrick Rose, and Gordon Hayward, among others for helping push that needle).

Fluff in mind, here, we’ll consider the first two in a crop of mid-major players the Trail Blazers could consider in the second-round (they own the No. 46 pick), or if they go undrafted.

Trail Blazers 2020 NBA Draft Target No. 1: Sam Merrill, Utah State Aggies:

• 19.7 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 3.7 APG
• 46.1 FG% | 41.0 3P% | 89.3 FT%
• 62.5 TS% | 9.9 BPM

Few players were victimized by the March Madness cancellation as much as Sam Merrill was. Mere days before the announcement, the 26-8 Aggies had punched their ticket into the March Madness tournament — on a game-winning, isolation pull-up three from Merrill no less — setting the stage for Merrill to potentially have his “McCollum Moment” with the lights on bright. He and the Aggies would have no such opportunity, but those who study college basketball know what he’s capable of.

Nicknamed the “smaller Luka Doncic of the Mountain West” by ESPN’s Mike Schmitz, Merrill was poised to put the cap on a remarkable four-year collegiate run. He excels offensively through his ability to score on all three levels at an efficient clip at 6-foot-5.

He doesn’t have breakneck speed, nor the athleticism needed to overpower players on either side at the professional level, but he’s smart and crafty. He ranked in the 91st percentile as a pick-and-roll ball handler, with a sneaky enough handle to get into midrange shots and floaters against dropped defenses, and an absolutely brilliant cross-court one-handed pass that he does to find shooters in the left corners.

For the Trail Blazers, the NBA’s premier pick-and-roll power, and a mid-range nonconformist to boot, he’s certainly an ideal fit. Just as impressive, he has a 39.7 free throw rate. He’s the type of player that doesn’t take shots away from Lillard, McCollum or Anthony, and already seems to know his role.

Defensively, he could be a liability against more athletic swingmen, but he’s disciplined in his stance, and avoids fouling. Portland drafting collegiate stars from Utah hasn’t failed them before. And while this one is much more low-risk, the rewards could be there. There are Duncan Robinson-lite, Joe Ingles vibes to be found here.

Trail Blazers 2020 NBA Draft Target No. 2: Lamine Diane, Cal State Northridge Matadors

• 25.6 PPG | 10.2 RPG | 2.2 BPG
• 48.0 FG% | 28.6 3P% | 66.3 FT%
• 53.8 TS% | 3.5 BPM

If Merrill was among the players most impacted by the March Madness cancellation, Diane accompanies his misery through a lost chance to showcase his physical specs at a 2020 NBA Draft Combine. Competition in Diane’s Big West Conference wasn’t extremely stiff — a conversation Diane could’ve put on the backburner with an eye popping Combine — but from a pure skill standpoint, he’s been compared to the likes of Zion Williamson and Pascal Siakam.

In fact, in a Zion-hype article last summer, The Ringer’s Mike Lynch ran off the list of players to average at least a 20-point, 9-rebound line, while adding at least two assists, two steals and a block per game. The list of players? Williamson, Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Wayman Tisdale, Lionel Simmons, and … Lamine Diane.

That’s some exclusive company. There are a few caveats; he could be a bit too similar to what the Trail Blazers are hoping to gather from Nassir Little or Wenyen Gabriel. Diane’s most redeemable trait is his ability to push the ball and tempo, thus getting to the line, something he did 14.6 times per 100 possessions.

His 28.6 percent shooting clip from deep is also worrisome, as is the fact that he’s 22-years-old. But to play devil’s advocate, he looks comfortable stepping into them off-the-catch. And Portland’s two stars were 22 and 23 before they played an NBA game. If the Trail Blazers are hoping to get more athletic in the 2020 NBA Draft, Diane could be among the players to garner a look.