The Portland Trail Blazers are back to .500 on the season after a 112-101 road loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, one takeaway was how great Carter Bryant would've looked in a Blazers jersey.
San Antonio's rookie finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from three. It served as a reminder of the Blazers controversial draft day decision, trading back with the Memphis Grizzlies to shock the world with the selection of Yang Hansen at pick No. 16.
The Blazers' initial selection was Cedric Coward at No. 11, who is having a promising season in Memphis as an immediate contributor and already emerging as a building block in their rebuild. But Bryant was right in the mix for Portland at No. 11, ultimately falling just a few spots to San Antonio at No. 14.
Either Coward or Bryant would've been excellent additions to the Blazers' young core, making the Hansen selection that much more puzzling.
Carter Bryant just reminded Blazers of their draft mistake
The comparisons are frequently between Coward and Hansen, given the obvious trade connection and the contrasting starts to their NBA careers. But that always felt like an unfair comparison, seeing as Coward is 22 and was viewed as one of the most NBA-ready prospects entering the draft. Meanwhile, Hansen was going to be a multi-year project, despite Portland's optimism that he'd be ready to contribute right away.
Bryant was closer to Hansen in terms of being a project. He had a relatively quiet freshman season at the University of Arizona, averaging 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in just 19.3 minutes per game. But the flashes for a valuable 3-and-D wing were always there, given his physical tools and the fact that he shot 37 percent from beyond the arc.
Some of that has already translated to the next level, as Portland saw firsthand in this loss. It's also clear Bryant still has untapped potential on a deep, talented Spurs roster, giving him intriguing upside to justify the lottery selection.
Coward was the safe floor, while Hansen was the high ceiling. But it may actually turn out that Bryant was the optimal option, given his blend of floor and ceiling.
Portland's decision to pass on Bryant is even more questionable given Hansen's poor fit on the roster. Both Donovan Clingan and Hansen play drop coverage, making them redundant as neither is quick enough to effectively share the floor. It's not like Hansen provides them with another dimension or the versatility of a Robert Williams III. He's just buried on the bench, making it that much harder for the theoretical upside to become reality.
Meanwhile, Bryant's 3-and-D player archetype makes him effective in both forward positions. That would've been an ideal fit in Portland, considering their lack of depth and the positional versatility of fellow wings Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara.
Overall, Bryant has had a quiet rookie season. But that's more a testament to San Antonio's talent than anything. He'd be playing a much bigger role in Portland and giving them confidence that they made the right decision. We can't say the same about Hansen a season later.
There's a reason Bryant was constantly mocked to Portland, and he just reminded the Blazers what they missed out on.