The Portland Trail Blazers now officially have two lottery picks in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft after landing picks No. 7 and No. 14. With four picks in total between the two in the lottery as well as their second-round picks, No. 34 and No. 40, the Blazers have an excellent opportunity to add pieces to their rebuild.
After looking at mock drafts, it's apparent that the prospects have a wider range of draft outcomes than usual, partly due to the weak draft class. Although the draft could be unpredictable, there's an emerging trend regarding who the Blazers select at pick No. 7.
Interestingly, all the prospects linked to the Blazers' No. 7 pick in these four mock drafts are defensive-minded, suggesting that this draft could be pivotal in reshaping the team's trajectory.
Bleacher Report: Donovan Clingan, Center, Connecticut
In Bleacher Report writer Jonathan Wasserman's mock draft, Portland selects two-time national champion Donovan Clingan.
Clingan's decision to bet on himself and stay an additional year at Connecticut helped his draft stock. He improved in almost every statistical category and now could be a top-five pick. In his sophomore season, Clingan averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game, shooting 63.9 percent from the field and 58.5 percent from the charity stripe.
The fit is questionable initially, with the Blazers already having Deandre Ayton and many other needs to fill this offseason. But Wasserman justifies the pick well in his article.
"With his exceptional pick-and-roll defense and outstanding rim protection, coupled with his towering 7'2" size and great mobility, he's a good fit for Portland's young guards as he would provide them with a reliable target for easy baskets."Jonathan Wasserman
Ayton had one of the best stretches of his career post-All-Star break, averaging 22.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 58/10/84 shooting splits. He looked like a different player, playing more comfortably and aggressively, showing why he was a former No. 1 overall pick. But the Blazers should still take Clingan if they view him as the best prospect available on the board.
For one, Ayton isn't the most consistent player, and the franchise's plans can't solely rely on him just turning the page and being the post-All-Star version of himself from here on out. Additionally, the Blazers are so early in their rebuild that they can prioritize stockpiling the best available assets rather than drafting for positional fit to a certain extent.
The Ringer: Zaccharie Risacher, Forward, JL Bourg (France)
The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor has Risacher falling to the Blazers in his latest mock draft. Like any other prospect in this draft, he's not a sure-fire pick. But if Portland somehow lands Risacher, the draft will already feel like a win despite having three more picks.
Last season in the LNB Pro A, Risacher averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.8 steals per game on 44/35/74 shooting splits. Those numbers are more impressive when considering that he's a teenager playing in a competitive professional league.
As O'Connor mentions, early in his career, Risacher would benefit from Henderson's drive-and-kick ability to get open looks. Then, as he continues to develop, Risacher could take an increased role as a shot-creator in the offense. It would be an ideal and seamless addition to their young core on both sides of the ball.
"Now the priority is about finding the right fit next to their young point guard, which is why Risacher is the choice here with his flashes of shot-making as a high-end role player who could flourish with a smaller playmaking guard."Kevin O'Connor
With so many question marks surrounding the lottery prospects this year, Risacher seems like a safe pick with a high floor as a 6-foot-8, two-way wing. Combine that with his potential to expand his offensive arsenal at only 19 years old, and it makes sense that he's a top prospect in this year's draft class.
The main question is if Risacher will be available at pick No. 7. In the three other mock drafts, the French wing goes no later than to the Houston Rockets at No. 3, with two of them having him land with the Washington Wizards at No. 2.
Yahoo Sports: Ron Holland, Guard/Forward, G League Ignite
Yahoo Sports NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek's mock draft has the Blazers going with a G League Ignite player again after selecting Scoot Henderson last season. The Blazers have a record of taking flyers on players who didn't play against collegiate competition. Anfernee Simons is another example, deciding to play at IMG Academy instead. Shaedon Sharpe technically went to Kentucky but didn't play a single game.
There are parallels between Holland and Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft class. Both highly ranked high school recruits have tantalizing athleticism and must improve their jump shot consistency. It would be a scary pairing if both could find a way to space the floor for each other. But if Holland can't improve his shot, this could be a bad fit for a Blazers team that was dead last in three-point percentage last season.
Last season with the Ignite, Holland averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 44/24/76 shooting splits. His scoring may be more challenging to transition to the NBA level of play, but his defense should be transferable on day one.
"Holland was a high-volume scorer on a struggling Ignite team, but teams might look past his score-first instincts with the lack of playmakers on the team this year. He's one of the best defensive forwards in this class, averaging 2.3 steals per game."Krysten Peek
At 6-foot-8, Holland's length, athleticism, and defensive instincts suggest he could be a future defensive stalwart who can guard multiple positions and switch seamlessly in pick-and-rolls.
Besides his questionable shooting, it's easy to see why some scouts and analysts love Holland as a prospect. John Hollinger of The Athletic considers Holland the top-ranked prospect in this draft class (subscription required), which shows the parity.
CBS Sports: Donovan Clingan, Center, Connecticut
In CBS Sports Insider Garry Parrish's mock draft, the Blazers take Donovan Clingan, the only repeating prospect selection. Clingan is more of a traditional center offensively but moves his feet well on defense for his size. His presence could significantly bolster the Blazers' interior defense.
"The only real thing preventing him from being an ideal big in the modern-NBA is a reliable jumper. But everything else — an ability to block and alter shots, switch comfortably onto smaller players, etc., — is pretty easy to see and why Clingan could be a great long term fixture in the middle for Portland."Gary Parrish
Even though the Blazers already have Ayton, Robert Williams, and an emerging Duop Reath, they could benefit from getting more size. For one, Williams is, unfortunately, injury-prone and has only played more than 50 games in a season twice in his career.
Secondly, adding another defensive-minded big man becomes more of a priority when considering the Western Conference's landscape. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are on a similar timeline as the Blazers, and both have versatile young centers in Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.
One or both teams will be on Portland's playoff path when they eventually return. With these two lottery picks, Portland should start thinking about how to best match up with this new generation of unicorn big men. From that perspective, Clingan makes sense if he's still available at pick No. 7.