Portland Trail Blazers: 2022 NBA Draft Big Board Lottery Picks

With just four games left in the 2021-2022 NBA regular season and the finale of the NCAA tournament around the corner, the Portland Trail Blazers should be nearly done with their big board for the upcoming draft.

Just as they are rounding out their final picks, so am I. Portland ideally will have two selections in the lottery — so long as the New Orleans Pelicans miss the playoffs and their pick lands outside of the top four — so it’s crucial that Interim General Manager Joe Cronin really solidifies his top-14.

I’ve already covered the top-10 on my board, with the breakdown as follows:

1. Jabari Smith Jr.
2. Chet Holmgren
3. Paolo Banchero
4. AJ Griffin
5. Jaden Ivey
6. Keegan Murray
7. Jalen Duren
8. Tari Eason
9. Shaedon Sharpe
10. Jeremy Sochan

For more details, you can read about the top-3 here and prospects 4-10 here.

The Pelicans pick will likely land somewhere between the 11th and 14th picks, so this section of the big board required some thorough dissection.

Portland Trail Blazers 2022 NBA Draft Big Board Prospect #11: Bennedict Mathurin

Bennedict Mathurin is another prospect in this year’s draft that improved their stock by returning to school. After spending the majority of his freshman year as a catch-and-shoot, complementary piece, Mathurin was able to spread his wings a little more on offense in his second year with the Arizona Wildcats.

That picture-perfect stroke didn’t go anywhere either, though.

While he was able to show the athleticism and ball-handling that will make him a likely lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, he’ll probably mostly be a catch-and-shoot weapon in his rookie year.

Mathurin has a tight enough handle and quick enough first step to create for himself off of the bounce, but his interior finishing will need to improve before he’s able to consistently generate offense inside of the arc.

Still, Mathurin’s value as an athletic 3-and-D plus will make him an enticing pick for any team that’s hoping to get immediate contributions from their pick — like the Portland Trail Blazers. At 6’6 with a 6’9 wingspan, he should be able to guard most NBA wings from day one. He’ll have to improve his effort and consistency on that end of the court to be an impactful defender, though.

Mathurin’s blend of immediately useful skills and ceiling make him a great prospect for Portland in the late lottery.

NBA Comp: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope