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Portland Trail Blazers: Every prospect linked to the Blazers in the 2020 NBA Draft

By Spencer Poole

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 12: Aaron Nesmith #24 of the Vanderbilt Commodores celebrates in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on January 12, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 12: Aaron Nesmith #24 of the Vanderbilt Commodores celebrates in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on January 12, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Robert Woodard II, Mississippi State Bulldogs. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Robert Woodard II, Mississippi State Bulldogs. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

10. Robert Woodard II

1 selection

Woodard is far and away the biggest outlier on this list in terms of his rankings in most mock drafts. The Mississippi State product is ranked as a second-round pick by most outlets, with a few having him seek into the latter stages of the first round. So having him going 16th overall to Portland is certainly a bit of a headscratcher but one that can be justified.

Neil Olshey is known to draft based on fit more than anything and Woodard would certainly be a great fit on the Portland Trail Blazers roster. He has ideal physicals for a versatile NBA forward with his 6’7” 235-pound frame to go along with a 7’1” wingspan. Woodard is more than capable of guarding multiple positions due to his long frame, exactly what Portland needs on the defensive end.

On offense, Woodard is an efficient, albeit selective shooter. He doesn’t put up a ton of shots but his splits of 41 percent from deep and 50 percent overall show plenty of potential to be an effective off-ball scorer and spot-up shooter.

If other wings that the Portland Trail Blazers are looking at such as Saddiq Bey and Jaden McDaniels are off the board, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Portland picks up a player like Woodard.

9. Desmond Bane

1 Selection

Desmond Bane is another player projected to go well after the middle of the first round but he has been flying up draft boards as of late. Bane had a dominating senior season, earning All Big-12 First Team honors while finishing top ten in the conference in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. The senior out of TCU has been getting lots of attention for his already well-polished game with the potential to be a substantial contributor to any team right away.

For the Portland Trail Blazers, Bane could provide immediate value off the bench due to his ability to make plays on both sides of the ball. He was one of the deadliest shooters in college basketball last season, leading the Big-12 in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.

Bane does struggle to score at the rim and get to the line but still managed to put up over 16 points per game on good efficiency.

On the defensive end, Bane is not the quickest but his motor and energy are constant, leading to him being a menace in the passing lanes and being a surprisingly effective rebounder for his size. His impressive rebounding especially could give Portland the freedom to run some intriguing three-guard lineups with him, Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr.