The Portland Trail Blazers took significant strides this season but still have their toughest challenge ahead: going from a middle-of-the-pack team to a legitimate playoff team in the competitive Western Conference. They need to avoid becoming the next Chicago Bulls -- a team that winds up fighting for a play-in spot annually.
The Blazers are fighting a major uphill battle as they lack the star power to contend with the perennial MVP candidates out West. Deni Avdija has emerged as a go-to option for Portland, but they still need to find him more help.
Portland hasn't missed on their recent top ten picks of Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan, but they haven't quite hit home runs, either. Where the Blazers are in their rebuild, and the strength of this draft class makes this a crucial pick they must nail.
Ben Saraf, Ratiopharm Ulm
After finishing the season tied with the Phoenix Suns, odds are the Blazers will wind up picking at either No. 9 or No. 10 overall. That still may be too early for some to consider Ben Saraf. However, ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony has Saraf ranked as the No. 3 international prospect, with a projected draft range of 8-20.
There would be some risk in Portland selecting Saraf at the earlier end of that range, but his high-risk, high-reward profile could pay off in a major way if his unique style of play translates to the NBA.
At 6-foot-6, Saraf has excellent positional length, which would be great as a combo guard to come off the bench to spell both Henderson and Sharpe. He also possesses the upside of becoming a starting-level guard if he can drastically improve his three-point shooting and figure out how to limit his turnovers while maintaining that creative style of play, which makes him an intriguing prospect.
His length, feel for the game, and overall craftiness make Saraf a hidden gem that lottery teams could regret passing on.
Egor Demin, BYU
Egor Demin is a somewhat similar prospect to Saraf in terms of strengths and weaknesses. He can also be an effective combo guard at the next level, at 6-foot-9, with some of the best court vision in the class.
There are valid questions surrounding Demin's shooting (27.3 percent from three) and ballhandling; he's good enough to hold his own, but his ceiling will be limited if he can't blow by defenders and consistently create opportunities for both himself and his teammates.
At worst, Demin can be a versatile role player as a connective piece. But there's also a tremendous upside here if Demin becomes a Josh Giddey-type player who can effectively initiate the offense while contributing in multiple aspects.
The Blazers added more length and versatility last summer in Avdija and should continue to trend in that direction by considering someone like Demin in the draft.
Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
Collin Murray-Boyles is a difficult player to project at the next level. He's a bit of a tweener at 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, which isn't ideal for someone who relies so heavily on scoring inside the paint. Typically, that player archetype would be enough to immediately turn us away from spending a valuable lottery pick. There's too much of CMB's game to like to do that.
Many rookies struggle to adjust to the NBA's pace of play because they don't read the game quickly enough, but that's one of Murray-Boyles' strengths. His ability to anticipate plays is reminiscent of Draymond Green as a two-way playmaker.
Defensively, CMB's rare combination of basketball IQ, physicality, and versatility makes him someone who could become one of the best defenders in the class. Offensively, he could be valuable as a hub to run the offense through in dribble handoffs or as a short roll playmaker.
Those are crucial traits in today's NBA and could be enough to make him a lottery pick. If his paint dominance translates or if he can improve his three-point shooting, CMB has the makings of a draft-day steal.