Neil Olshey and the Portland Trail Blazers have an excellent record when picking in the second round of the NBA Draft. Who have some of these picks been?
The Portland Trail Blazers have struck gold on many occasions in the second round of the NBA Draft. Neil Olshey has made an art form out of selecting guys with later selections in past drafts.
Who are these second-round successes?
Will Barton
In the 2012 NBA Draft, Neil Olshey selected Will Barton with the 40th pick. Though he only played a small role with the Blazers due to the emergence of CJ McCollum, Olshey was able to identify Barton as a future contributor. The Denver Nuggets then traded for him where he has averaged a strong 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists over 352 games.
Pat Connaughton
In the 2015 draft, the Blazers selected Pat Connaughton with the 41st pick. They acquired this pick via the Brooklyn Nets on draft night, giving up Steve Blake and Rondae-Hollis Jefferson.
Connaughton was a slow burner in Portland, averaging just 3.7 points a game, but for the Milwaukee Bucks, he has been a regular role player, averaging 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds over 128 games in the two seasons he has played there.
Allen Crabbe
In the 2013 draft, the Blazers selected Allen Crabbe, acquiring him in a draft-night trade by sending two future second-round picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Crabbe had his best years with the Blazers, averaging 8 points a game on 41 percent from three over 226 games
Jake Layman
In the 2016 draft, the Blazers selected Jake Layman with the 47th pick, acquiring this via the Orlando Magic by giving up cash and a future second-round pick.
Layman was another slow burner like Barton, but in 71 and 23 games over the last two years, he has averaged 7.6 and 9.1 points per game.
Gary Trent Jr
Gary Trent Jr. may be Neil Olsheys best second-round selection. Again, trading for this pick on draft night in 2018, the Blazers sent two future second-round picks and cash to the Kings to get Trent.
He also started slowly, playing just 15 games in his first season, but he exploded in his second year, averaging 9 points a game on 41 percent from three while playing lockdown defense.
Though the above counting stats aren’t All-Star numbers, a lot of the guys in the second round don’t play roles at all in the NBA. Every one of these picks have had roles in rotations on teams either for the Blazers or for their next team.
Olshey deserves a ton of credit for the moves he has made in the second round over the last eight years.