2. With no clear-cut tiers, it’s not a bad year to fall to pick No. 7
The bad news is that the teams picking ahead of the Blazers likely value similar player strengths and needs. But the good news for Blazers fans is that even if the Pistons or Hornets select the highest player on the Blazers' front office draft boards, this would be the best year for them to do so.
In other words, this is viewed by many scouts and analysts as a weak draft class with no clearly defined tiers of lottery picks, at least compared to past drafts. So, although there may be a run on wings and forwards before the Blazers are on the clock for the first time, it wouldn't be surprising if the best player in this year's draft class came from outside the top five.
You could make a legitimate case for close to ten players to be a top-three selection, which is almost unheard of. For example, Colorado freshman forward Cody Williams was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick earlier in the season but has now fallen outside the top ten in the most recent CBS Sports mock draft.
Some prospects that fit the Blazers' needs include Matas Buzelis, Cody Williams, and Ron Holland. As mentioned, they also fit the needs of the teams drafting before Portland. But, even if the Pistons and Hornets draft players that fans wanted, who's to say they pan out? There are question marks surrounding virtually every prospect this season.
So this year, it may be better that Portland has two cracks at drafting a prospect that pans out and in hopes of one becoming a starting caliber player, as opposed to years past where it would be better to have one higher draft pick.