Unless their jumping into the top 4 pushes us down to 6th or 7th. Someone will fall. I want top 3 to be safe, but I think one of the following will be there at 4. In no particular order, Sarr, Risacher, and Williams all are long and athletic.
If the GSW pick is top 4, that means they keep it. Portland would get the GSW pick in '25 (only top 1 protected) in a MUCH better draft class. It's a gamble, but my calculus works out like this: #13 in 2024 <=> #19 in 2025 So if we think it will be difficult for GSW to improve significantly this summer, it's probably a better bet to hope for the GSW pick in '25.
I understand, and your theory is a pretty good backup plan. I certainly would not be bummed if it happened. But anyone who jumps into the top 4 from the 12th or 13th spot is going to knock someone currently in the top 4 down a few spots. And it will still potentially leave room for maybe someone from the 5th -7 spot to jump up too. So I would prefer if GS' name is called early on lottery night. I am not worried about losing their pick, I am worried about our pick dropping to 6th or 7th.
what great talent is Portland going to miss out on dropping a spot or two in 2024? They all look like projects to me even up at the very top STOMP
Maybe we take Bronny with the 2nd round pick then Lebron forcing Lakers to accept the a future 1st round pick plus Simmons? I can dream! P.S. a 40 year old Lebron is still a Super star albeit with an expiration date.
Yes, they are all projects, they are all 19 years old. But that does not mean they won't be good. In no particular order, Sarr, Risacher, and Williams. I think Risacher can easily be as good as Brandon Miller. This pick is for the long run, not next year. But they are all long, athletic, and skilled. Think a year or two from now. And if we slip to 6 or 7 we could miss out on them. Maybe Williams slips but I would not count on it. There are others who could turn out to be just as good, but I really believe in those 3 forwards.
let me guess....you're suggesting trading the picks because the draft class reportedly sucks. If that is a wide consensus, and it seems to be the case, then the 'secret' is out there and trading the picks will fetch piss-poor value. Why do it then? Would be better to just roll the dice and hope to land a hidden gem with one of the picks
Sarr and Risacher are everyone's projections to go in the top 3 (most have them going 1 & 2) so they're completely irrelevant to this fret of yours about slipping from 5-7. Portland will need to move up in the draft to be in position to select one of them. When I said they're all projects, obviously I think whoever is picked is going to have to be looked for the long term & not next year's savior so I don't need to be chided about having to think a year or two from now. I generally want defense from the front court and love the play of his brother, so I like Williams too... on paper. The 3 games I watched the Buffs he was invisible bringing nothing to the table, but people keep talking potential. From what I've seen, he seems a real reach as a top 10 selection but man this draft class seems to suck unless you're looking for a small shooting guard. Ideally for my long term Blazer hopes, Portland AND the Warriors beat the odds and land the #1 and #4 picks respectively. STOMP
I think getting to #4 is important as I have seen many mocks with a guard in the top 3. I have also seen a couple of Mocks where Williams is projected as #1. So if we are at #4 I think we will get a pretty good forward. If Williams is the one to slip I am good with that. He was hurt on and off during the season. That often causes players to be "invisible" when they come back. But the talent IMO is there. I love his game and his length. The combine hopefully will give us his accurate measurements but I have read he has between a 7'2 and 7'3" wingspan to go with his shooting ability. He just needs to add another 10-15 lbs
Neither Sarr or Risacher are lasting to 5 without some sort of scandal or injury, which is my point about including them in your complaint. They seem the consensus top 2 talents in the draft, which I agree with fwiw. I hope you're correct about Williams being legit. If true his size, length and 3nD projected game would fit in perfectly on pretty much any team & Portland has a need of more forward talent I recall Cody's brother Jalen crushing the combine in every phase. STOMP
Can I ask what's so much better about the 2025 draft class than the 2024 draft class? Is it the first pick, the first and second pick, 1-4, 1-7, 1-14, 1-20 or 1-32. In any of those cases I would love to see a breakdown of a simple greater than less than from a mock draft of 2024 and 2025. I realize Cooper Flagg is in 2025 and there is not clear cut 2o24 number one but seriously I need a breakdown or why so many in here think this draft sucks so bad compared to next year and others. @THE HCP feel free to get your pro scout friends to ring in on this and give us a pick by pick breakdown on why none of the guys in this year's draft class will be difference makers. Let's have some people go on the record with this because I see a lot of talent in this draft and many people in this forum are telling me that I'm not seeing that accurately. Oh and we have no fucking clue what kind of moves the Warriors are capable of to put a team around Steph next season. Most analysts are saying the team will look very different from this season and none that I've heard will commit to the Warriors going all in on a better supporting cast for Steph or youth. If they're looking at KD or more accurately their guy CP3 in Phoenix the results can't be too encouraging towards a youth movement. I personally think the Warriors will be in the playoffs next season even if it's at the detriment to their future.
I look at it as I'll celebrate either way (not many times a year to do that now as a Blazers fan) If they move into top4 (ideally 4th) then yeah we get a pick next year possibly as high as #2 overall in a much better draft. If they don't move up - getting a lottery pick is WAY better than I expected at the Jrue trade. Tons of people were talking about how the Warriors were 14 months from winning the title and the pick is likely the 25th pick or worse. Yeah it sucks Brogdon/Timelord have been injured - but this was the second best asset in the trade, and even in weak drafts a late lottery pick can become a very good player. I guess the most disappointing thing will be if one or two teams jump them pushing the pick back.
I think Malcolm would have played most of the final 33 games he missed if we were in the playoff race and that would have put him at around 70 games played. That's not an injury riddled season by any means. Both him and JG were being rested out of an abundance of caution and I'm hoping that means Joe already has agreed upon trades for sending them out just like he had that brought Jerami in. I do think that the Warriors could put things together next season and wind up outside of the lotto. I don't think that's guaranteed to happen but I wouldn't put it past them. So I'd rather get the pick now while it has as many guys to pick from as it does... because while everyone has been saying that this draft doesn't have any sure fire superstars in it, I haven't read a lot about it being shallow as far as guys with NBA rotation upside. So I doubt let's say the 22nd pick next year is going to be worth more than the 13th pick this year.
Nah...most disappointing thing will be if they jump us and get one of the top players we're interested in, and they're all gone by the time we pick.
