The NBA scouting combine took place last week following the draft lottery on May 12, leading to a host of new mock drafts hitting the web.
The Portland Trail Blazers took the No. 11 pick in the June 25-26 draft. It’s not ideal, but the Blazers could land a potential impact player with some deft scouting and evaluation mixed with good fortune.
And they need impact players.
Nine mock drafts combine to present six different players being selected by the Blazers at No. 11.
Some projections don’t make sense positionally. However, the Blazers (36-46 last season) aren’t good enough to pass on the best player available for need, which makes the mystery surrounding what they could do extremely intriguing.
It’s still early in the draft process, so take these predictions with a grain of salt:
Rasheer Fleming | Saint Joseph’s | 6-9 | Power Forward | 20
Site: CBSSports.com
Statistics: Fleming was named first-team all Atlantic 10 after averaging 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds (second in the conference) and 1.5 blocks per game as a junior. He shot 53.1% from the field and 39% from three-point range (62 of 159).
Analysis: Many mock drafts have Fleming going off the board in the 20s, but he appeared to elevate his stock at the combine. His 7-5 wingspan helped his cause, along with already having NBA size at 232 pounds.
He is one of the best shooters in the draft, making him an ideal stretch four. He also provides defensive versatility.
Team fit: The Blazers are deep at forward, but Jerami Grant’s days could be numbered. Portland desperately needs to improve its three-point shooting, where it ranked 26th last season (34.2%). Fleming, while working to develop into a potential starter down the road, could instantly provide shooting off the bench as a backup to Deni Avdija at power forward. Most of the other power forwards expected to be available at No. 11 lack his shooting prowess.
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Kasparas Jakucionis | Illinois | 6-6 | Point Guard/Shooting Guard | 18
Site: BleacherReport.com and The Athletic.
Statistics: Jakucionis averaged 15 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 31.8% from long distance. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and second-team All-B1G.
Analysis: Jakucionis is regarded as a smart, shifty creator who can set up teammates and create for himself. His three-point shooting needs work, but he is just 18 years old. Injuries slowed him down a bit in his first college season, but his ability to adapt, work through issues and thrive appear to have impressed scouts and analysts.
The knock is his lack of ideal athleticism, but that was said about Luka Doncic when he entered the NBA in 2018, and he has done just fine.
Like Doncic, Jakucionis is above-average in size for a point guard, making him even more enticing.
Team fit: The Blazers already have two point guards on the roster juggling 48 minutes. Adding a third would muddy the waters unless Anfernee Simons is traded. That would allow Jakucionis to back up Scoot Henderson.
If the Blazers are serious about making the postseason next season, however, they would likely have to find a veteran point guard to backup Henderson rather than rely on Jakucionis to produce at a high level as a rookie on a winning team.
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Collin Murray-Boyles | South Carolina | 6-8 | Power Forward | 19
Site: NBA.com, Sports.Yahoo.com and SBNation.com
Statistics: The sophomore averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists, shooting 58.6% from the field.
Analysis: Murray-Boyles would bring brawn to the Blazers’ lineup at 245 pounds, the ability to get to the basket, score with touch and rebound with ferocity.
But he offers little in the way of outside shooting.
Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor believes Murray-Boyles “operates like a defensive savant the way he locks down every position, uses his ninja-quick hands to swipe at the ball, and inhales rebounds.”
Team fit: Blazers coach Chauncey Billups loves defensive-minded players, but one must wonder if Murray-Boyles can defend more agile forwards and if his lack of ideal height will hurt him inside. However, most mock drafts praise his defensive acumen, motor and 7-2 wingspan.
Murray-Boyles averaged 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks last season.
Bringing such a force off the bench behind Avdija would certainly offer a change-of-pace the Blazers could exploit while he develops into a future starter.
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Derik Queen | Maryland | 6-10 | Power Forward/Center | 20
Site: The Ringer.com.
Statistics: Queen averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists during his freshman season.
Analysis: Queen might be the best inside scoring big man in the draft and is considered a good playmaker with high-end court vision. His outside shooting (20% on threes) needs work, but that could come with time. He only took 35 threes last season (made seven). Unlike Murray-Boyles, Queen can be mediocre at times on defense, and some have questioned his motor.
Team fit: If the Blazers must choose between Queen and Murray-Boyles, the latter would appear to be the better fit because of his defensive acumen. Most mock drafts have Queen going off the board before No. 11.
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Nolan Traoré | Saint-Quentin (France) | 6-4 | Guard | 18
Site: USAToday.com. Most mocks have him going far later than No. 11.
Statistics: Averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 assists last season. He shot 39.2% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range.
Analysis: Traoré, who turns 19 in late May, has plenty of time to work out his offensive inconsistencies, decision-making and shooting. However, according to reports, he demonstrated improvement in all areas during last season. He has elite speed, but isn’t regarded as a plus-athlete.
Team fit: As mentioned before, adding a point guard wouldn’t be ideal. Especially a young one in need of development. That might not come with the Blazers, who have plenty of guards and are looking to win next season, not groom green players in need of minutes.
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Noa Essengue | France | 6-10 | Small forward/Power | 18
Site: NBADraft.Net
Statistics: Averaged 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 56% from the field and 26.7% from three-point range.
Analysis: Considered to be a raw by a dynamic forward with high upside, sort of along the lines of Rayan Rupert when the Blazers selected him in the second round of the 2023 draft. Essengue offers more size. Mocks have him all over the place. CBS Sports has him going No. 16 while Bleacher Report, which compared him to Blazers forward Jerami Grant, has him off the board at No. 9. He finishes well at the basket, can run the floor and showed off some post moves last season.
Team fit: Adding a 6-10 forward with the potential to play inside and run the floor would give the Blazers something they don’t really have. But he will need time to develop and might not be ready to enter the regular rotation next season.
His three-point shooting is suspect, but he could rapidly develop in that area with NBA coaching given his smooth shooting stroke.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)
