The end is nigh for the Portland Trail Blazers, at least in terms of the 2022-23 NBA season.
Honestly, it might be a relief when it’s over. No more painful losses and 30 minutes of Skylar Mays running the point. Nothing against Skylar, but it’s not the most enjoyable basketball to watch when journeymen that a good chunk of fans have probably never heard of are on the floor rather than Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, or Jerami Grant.
Besides, the end of the year brings the most fun part of the NBA calendar, anyway: the offseason.
Fans and league insiders can speculate about free agency, blockbuster trades and, perhaps most enjoyable and most importantly, the draft.
As it stands, the Blazers have three picks in 2023 – two in the first round and one in the second. With four games remaining in the regular season, Portland has a hold on the fifth-best lottery odds, according to Tankathon.
The first-rounder the Trail Blazers got from the New York Knicks in the Josh Hart trade is currently slated as the 23rd pick of the opening round, and Portland has the 44th overall pick, a selection the franchise acquired from the Atlanta Hawks.
So it’s time to put together what should be the Blazers Big Board. This isn’t a best player available list.
Portland’s most significant need is size – whether that’s an interior big man who can protect the rim and set screens for Lillard and Simons, one that can add spacing and scoring to the offense, or simply depth behind Jusuf Nurkic, coming out of the draft bigger is a must for the Blazers.
Other needs include defense, floor spacing, additional scoring options, and depth behind Dame and Simons in the backcourt.
With that said, here are the prospects, ranked 10 to 1, that should top Portland’s list heading toward the draft (as of March 4).
Honorable mention:
A few prospects that just missed the top 10 but might appear here as the draft process goes on or could be available when Portland’s second pick comes up in the 20s (in no particular order):
Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite; Rayan Rupert, New Zealand Breakers; Kris Murray, Iowa; Sidy Cissoko, G League Ignite; Jett Howard, Michigan; Dariq Whitehead, Duke; Julian Phillips, Tennessee; James Nnaji, Barcelona; Colby Jones, Xavier
10. Taylor Hendricks, Central Florida
Hendricks is a 6-foot-9 freshman wing who plays bigger than his listed size, albeit against small-school competition. He projects as the ideal four in today’s NBA but has some experience playing small-ball center, as well.
He’s a versatile on-ball defender who uses his size and athleticism well, but he’s agile enough to be able to switch screens and strong enough to battle with bigger players. He can guard up and down the lineup, from two-guards to power forward and possibly centers, depending on the right matchup.
Offensively, Hendricks has shown himself to be a decent scorer and shooter who does the complimentary things needed to keep the ball moving and an offense humming, which would fit in Portland next to Lillard.
He’s hit better than 39 percent of his 4.6 threes per game this year at UCF, which would make him a perfect pick-and-pop threat who could space the floor. He’s strong enough and athletic enough to be a solid rim-runner in those situations as well.
9. Noah Clowney, Alabama
Clowney’s size and athleticism would immediately improve Portland’s interior defense and depth. Even if Jusuf Nurkic is still the Blazers’ starting center next year, Clowney could be a bench option or, in some situations, play alongside The Bosnian Beast.
The soon-to-be 19-year-old is 6-10 with a 7-2 wingspan. He hustles and plays with energy which, combined with his length and athletic ability, makes him a promising defender in terms of versatility.
Clowney would be able to switch screens and hang with guards or forwards, at least temporarily while the defense behind him recovers. Despite being listed at only 210 pounds, that activity and effort will make him a decent rebounder until he gets stronger.
He’s already a roll threat offensively, and there may be some room for his game to grow on that end of the floor, especially considering his age. Right now, though, Clowney would be responsible for displaying that effort and athleticism on defense, something the Blazers are seriously lacking.
8. Dereck Lively II, Duke
Lively was a five-star recruit and significant get for the Blue Devils out of high school, but he underwhelmed during his freshman campaign.
Lively finished the season averaging 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. Not staggering numbers, and certainly not ones you’d want in a first-round pick that would need to play legitimate minutes as a rookie.
However, Lively has more upside – both offensively and defensively – than Clowney, and began to show it as the season progressed.
The 19-year-old is solidly built at 7-1, 230 pounds, and has a 7-7 wingspan. He has great athleticism and soft hands, which make him an ideal rim runner in pick-and-roll situations. He is quick to turn defense into offense as well, often sprinting down the court and heading straight for the rim where those same skills come into play.
Similar to Clowney, though, Lively’s immediate impact would come on the defensive end where his athleticism, length, and agility allow him to be an above-average rim protector right now, and potentially an elite one. He can help on a switch and recover quickly to fly in for blocks near the basket.
Another athletic big man who could provide depth, size, and improve Portland’s interior defense.
7. Cason Wallace, Kentucky
Watch Cason Wallace for 30 seconds and you see four-time All-NBA defender Jrue Holiday, whose arrival with the Milwaukee Bucks coincided with a championship.
Wallace is a 6-4 guard with a 6-8 wingspan who plays stronger than he looks. More than anything, though, it’s clear he loves taking the assignment of guarding the opposition’s best scorer. He’s tough, long, determined, and smart.
Those skills also lend themselves to great off-ball defense; think Matisse Thybulle’s closeout block in the corner during his first game in Portland, except more of it.
Much like Holiday, he’s also an above-average spot-up shooter and a floor general who makes smart reads, smart passes, and doesn’t turn the ball over much.
Wallace showed his total package in Kentucky’s loss to Kansas State in the Round of 32 in this year’s NCAA Tournament, nearly dragging the Wildcats to a win with his all-around game. He finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals while going 9-of-11 from the floor.
6. Jarace Walker, Houston
There’s a reason Walker is ranked fifth on The Ringer’s NBA-wide Big Board. Those same reasons are why he’s toward the top of Portland’s, as well.
Despite having yet to turn 20 years old, Walker is physically ready to play significant minutes at the pro level. He’s listed at 6-8, 240 pounds with a 7-2 wingspan. Even better for the Blazers, his calling card at this point in his career is his defense. (Sensing a theme here?)
As is the case with Wallace, Walker looks like he enjoys playing defense. He’s competitive and has the physical traits – size, athleticism, length, agility – that allow him to play in switchable schemes and guard 1 through 5 at times.
There are similarities between Walker and Golden State linchpin Draymond Green. They can both play as undersized centers, have defense-centric games, and have enough basketball IQ to be able to master rotations and schemes.
The similarities between Walker and Green continue on the opposite end of the floor. Walker shows potential as a playmaking forward, but is more gifted physically than Draymond, with the ability to play above the rim more than the former Michigan State Spartan.
If he lands in Portland, Walker would fit well as a defensive stopper, rebounder, and ball-mover on offense.
5. Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite
Amen Thompson and his brother, Ausar, will both be top-10 picks by the time the 2023 draft rolls around. Physically, both brothers have similar profiles, but certain areas of their games are different.
Amen is more of a playmaker than Ausar – imagine Derrick Rose, but in a skinny 6-7 frame.
Amen is a terrific on-ball defender who can force turnovers and flash from one end of the floor to the other in transition. Despite his age and lack of experience, he’s an intelligent help defender, as well.
He’s a blur in transition, but he doesn’t go so fast that he loses control and just chucks passes all over the place. He’s smart, calculated, and has the apparent ability to slow his brain down even when his body is flying.
He can start and stop on a dime and use his length to finish near the rim, although his slim frame makes it difficult for him to play through contact. He’s also an exceptionally poor shooter, even from the free-throw line, and has odd-looking mechanics that are worrying as far as any potential long-term improvement.
He’s limited in the half court as a scorer, but his physical tools have carried him to this point. He’s extremely raw, however, as his experience has come with Overtime Elite rather than high-level college basketball or the G League.
4. Cam Whitmore, Villanova
Whitmore has yet to turn 19 and should expect to see his name skyrocket up draft boards once the pre-draft process gets underway.
At 6-7 and already more than 230 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, Whitmore is physically built to start in the NBA from day one. The only thing more ready than his body may be his intangibles.
Whitmore’s motor seemingly never stopped when he played for the Wildcats. He’s relentless driving to the rim and can explode with his burst and size. He doesn’t need much room to get a step on a defender, use his physicality, and finish with power.
He’s a willing passer. More experience, especially once he gets used to the speed of the NBA, will see his offensive decision making improve as he learns when to aggressively hunt his own shot and when to defer.
He doesn’t have the side-to-side quickness or agility some other wings in this class do, but he’s quick enough and strong enough to be a good on-ball defender, and his size allows him to bang in the post against small-ball forwards and centers.
There’s plenty of room to grow, however, as Whitmore gets comfortable and develops the rest of his offensive game. There aren’t many spots better to do that than in Portland, where shot-creation isn’t going to be an immediate need.
3. Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
His brother Amen may be the more heralded prospect, at least for now, but Ausar Thompson is a better fit for Portland.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer sees Shaun Livingston with elite athleticism, but Ausar could easily be Lonzo Ball with elite athleticism because of his potential as an All-NBA defender.
Similar to his brother, Ausar is nearly impossible to stay in front of when he gets moving, and it doesn’t take much for him to go from standing still to a controlled blaze.
He keeps the ball moving offensively. He’s shown more improvement as a shooter than Amen, but he still has a long way to go.
The most attractive part of Ausar’s game for the Blazers, though, is his defense. It hasn’t been much of a challenge for him to guard 1 through 4 to this point in his career. He’s not only fast, he’s quick, long, battles through screens, and is a terrific off-ball defender who can fly in from off camera to swat shots at the rim.
Amen might be the more talented offensive prospect, but Ausar looks like a future elite wing defender, which would pair nice with Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant.
2. Brandon Miller, Alabama
Miller’s poor NCAA Tournament shouldn’t be a reason for NBA teams to forget how talented and unstoppable he looked during the regular season. That should especially ring true for Portland.
Miller averaged almost 19 points and more than 8 rebounds per game as a freshman for the Crimson Tide. He shot 38 percent from deep on 7.5 attempts a night.
His 6-9, 200-pound frame, 6-11 wingspan, and offensive skillset are perfect fits for today’s NBA. Miller makes scoring look easy, whether it’s off the dribble, in catch-and-shoot situations, or as either player in a pick-and-roll. His size allows him to get his jumper off over 99 percent of defenders.
His playmaking might be almost as good as his scoring. Miller has said he likes to mimic Paul George. Regardless of where he is on the floor, Miller can find and make the right pass.
As a defender, the 20-year-old uses those same tools to stick with his man while remaining aware of what’s going on around him. He’s as good of a help defender as he is an on-ball defender.
Miller’s ability to score, create and make shots, and defend at a high level set him apart from almost any prospect in the 2023 class in terms of being an ideal fit for the Blazers.
1. Victor Wembanyama, Metropolitan 92
There are more than two months left before the draft, and already there’s not much left to say about Victor Wembanyama. Maybe there wasn’t much to say in the first place.
How do you use words to describe this?
Victor Wembanyama is unearthly 🤯😱pic.twitter.com/APecmy4LyM
— FIBA (@FIBA) April 2, 2023
Height, length, athleticism, versatility, skill, shot creation, shot making, rim protection, rim running, emerging 3-point threat, on-ball defender, off-ball defender … Wembanyama can do everything, and he can do it at 7-3. (Some scouts argue for 7-4 or even 7-5).
Whoever lands the No. 1 pick will be getting the greatest prospect since LeBron James.
Maybe the NBA lottery universe will favor the Blazers this summer. If not, there are other top-10, maybe even top-5, prospects that would look good in black and red (or teal).