The 16th pick

[Rastapopoulos]

Here are the good players taken after the 15th pick, for the past ten years:
2010
18 Oklahoma City Thunder Eric Bledsoe G, 6-1, 190 Kentucky
19 Boston Celtics Avery Bradley G, 6-3, 180 Texas
33 Sacramento Kings Hassan Whiteside C, 7-0, 235 Marshall
35 Washington Wizards Nemanja Bjelica F, 6-10, 223 Serbia (Red Star Serbia)
40 Indiana Pacers Lance Stephenson G, 6-5, 225 Cincinnati
UNDRAFTED:
Jeremy Lin
BOBAN!!!
Ish Smith

2011
16. 76ers Nikola Vucevic C
19. Bobcats Tobias Harris PF
20. Timberwolves Donatas Motiejunas PF
23. Rockets Nikola Mirotic SF
24. Thunder Reggie Jackson PG
30. Bulls Jimmy Butler SF
31. Heat Bojan Bogdanovic SF
38. Rockets Chandler Parsons SF
42. Pacers Davis Bertans SF
55. Celtics E'Twaun Moore SG
60. Kings Isaiah Thomas PG
UNDRAFTED:
Brad Wannamaker

2012
20. Nuggets Evan Fournier SG
21. Celtics Jared Sullinger PF
32. Wizards Tomas Satoransky SG
34. Cavaliers Jae Crowder SF
35. Warriors Draymond Green SF
39. Pistons Khris Middleton SF
40. Trail Blazers Will Barton SG
UNDRAFTED:
Kent Bazemore
JaMychal Green

2013
17. Hawks Dennis Schroeder PG
18. Hawks Shane Larkin PG
21. Jazz Gorgui Dieng C
22. Nets Mason Plumlee C
24. Knicks Tim Hardaway Jr. SG
26. Timberwolves Andre Roberson SF
27. Nuggets Rudy Gobert C
30. Cavaliers Allen Crabbe SG
43. Mavericks Mike Muscala PF
46. Hawks Raul Neto PG
UNDRAFTED:
Robert Covington
Seth Curry
Daniel Theis

2014
16. Bulls Jusuf Nurkic C
19. Bulls Gary Harris SG
23. Jazz Rodney Hood SG
30. Spurs Kyle Anderson PF
33. Cavaliers Joe Harris SG
38. Pistons Spencer Dinwiddie PG
39. 76ers Jerami Grant SF
40. Timberwolves Glenn Robinson III SF
41. Nuggets Nikola Jokic PF
UNDRAFTED:
Khem Birch
Norvel Pelle

2015
20. Raptors Delon Wright PG
22. Bulls Bobby Portis PF
23. Trail Blazers Rondae Hollis-Jefferson SF
24. Cavaliers Tyus Jones PG
27. Lakers Larry Nance Jr. PF
30. Warriors Kevon Looney PF
32. Rockets Montrezl Harrell PF
37. 76ers Richaun Holmes PF
40. Heat Josh Richardson SG
41. Nets Pat Connaughton SF
46. Bucks Norman Powell SG
UNDRAFTED:
Quinn Cook
Royce O'Neal
Christian Wood

2016
19 Denver Malik Beasley (SG) Florida St
20 Indiana Caris LeVert (SG) Michigan
27 Toronto Pascal Siakam (PF) New Mexico St
29 San Antonio Dejounte Murray (PG) Washington
32 LA Lakers Ivica Zubac (C) Croatia
36 Milwaukee Malcolm Brogdon (SG) Virginia
47 Orlando Jake Layman (SF) Maryland
50 Indiana Georges Niang (SF) Iowa St
UNDRAFTED:
Alex Caruso
Dorian Finney-Smith
Bryn Forbes
Danuel House
Derrick Jones Jr.
Fred VanVleet

2017
19. Hawks John Collins (F) Wake Forest
20. Kings Harry Giles (F/C) Duke
22. Nets Jarrett Allen (C) Texas
23. Raptors OG Anunoby (F) Indiana
27. Lakers Kyle Kuzma (F) Utah
29. Spurs Derrick White (G) Colorado
30. Lakers Josh Hart (G) Villanova
45. Rockets Dillon Brooks (SF) Oregon
51. Nuggets Monte' Morris (PG) Iowa State
UNDRAFTED:
Chris Boucher

2018
17. Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo (G) Villanova
26. Sixers: Landry Shamet (G) Wichita State
27. Celtics: Robert Williams (F/C) Texas A&M
32. Grizzlies: Jevon Carter (G) West Virginia
33. Mavs: Jalen Brunson (G) Villanova
34. Hornets (from Hawks): Devonte Graham (G) Kansas
36. Knicks (from Bulls via Thunder): Mitchell Robinson (C)
37. Blazers (from Kings): Gary Trent Jr (G) Duke
39. Lakers (from Knicks via Sixers): Isaac Bonga (F) Germany
54. Sixers (from Blazers via Mavs, Nuggets): Shake Milton (G) SMU
UNDRAFTED:
Duncan Robinson
Jaylen Adams
Wenyen Gabriel

2019
20. Celtics draft Matisse Thybulle
21. Thunder draft Brandon Clarke
22. Celtics draft Grant Williams
23. Jazz draft Darius Bazley
41. Warriors draft Eric Paschall
(Too soon to tell with a lot of these)
UNDRAFTED:
Luguentz Dort
Tacko Fall

So let's not give up on getting a good player with the #16 pick yet.

 

[RR7]

I'm sure there's a chance for plenty of players picked at 16 and later to be solid NBA players. Looking at the lists, how many were guys ready and able to contribute right away to a team? Not that that has to be the end all requirement, of course.
Looking at our current roster, without free agents

Lillard/Simons
McCollum/Trent
Ariza/Hood/Little/Hezonjia
Collins
Nurkic

Assuming things stay generically the same, I don't see much of any playing time at the 1 or the 2 for a rookie. There seems to be an abundance of time at the 4/5, especially with the injury histories of them. The 3, and 3/4 is the most "crowded", but just with guys. At the same time, is someone at 16 beating out Little for the scrap minutes?

I'd love to get up high enough to get Okongwu. I think he could contribute right away at the 4 and 5. I don't see us getting up high enough to land him, unfortunately.

Otherwise, outside of trade, I see it one of two ways. A guy who won't contrbute for 2 years, ala Simons, Little(maybe), etc., or trying for a guy with low floor, but ending up with a fat sack of shit like Swanigan.

 

[Sedatedfork]

What could Collins + a pick net us? Anything good at the 4?

Edit: I know everyone probably wants to trade CJ (which makes sense from a basketball sense), but would piss off Lillard who is all about loyalty. Thus, I see Collins maybe as a player that could generate some trade value for a better starting 4.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Definitely agree with the OP. When Nurk sets that 16th pick in a single game, we win. The 16th pick is really important!

 

[Hoopguru]

What could Collins + a pick net us? Anything good at the 4?

Edit: I know everyone probably wants to trade CJ (which makes sense from a basketball sense), but would piss off Lillard who is all about loyalty. Thus, I see Collins maybe as a player that could generate some trade value for a better starting 4.

I think they let Whiteside and use that money to sign someone like a Harrell or Crowder or somebody else. They could blow everyones minds and trade Nurk for a legit 4 and keep Whiteside and Zach at the 5?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Of course, the glass half empty message is that there are a LOT of shite players in every draft, including the vast bulk of the second round. And if this draft is like 2010 or 15...

 

[Buffalo Custard]

I'm sure that some good players will come out of this draft, but I am left with 2 questions.

First, is "good" good enough for where the Blazers are as a team? Don't we need a guy who can "move the needle"?
Second, can we trust the Blazer front office to be one of those that actually finds the good players in a draft full of red flags and question marks? Our last 3 first round picks contributed almost nothing last season. (and no, you can't blame it all on injuries!)

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I'm sure that some good players will come out of this draft, but I am left with 2 questions.

First, is "good" good enough for where the Blazers are as a team? Don't we need a guy who can "move the needle"?
Second, can we trust the Blazer front office to be one of those that actually finds the good players in a draft full of red flags and question marks? Our last 3 first round picks contributed almost nothing last season. (and no, you can't blame it all on injuries!)

Yes, but our second round pick looked great! And I still think Simons has value, and I think you CAN blame a lot on injuries with Nassir. (Biggie was a bad pick, that I'll grant you. Oddly, you could have taken either Brooks or Boucher and been better off. Is there a bias AGAINST home-state players?)

 

[Buffalo Custard]

Of course, the glass half empty message is that there are a LOT of shite players in every draft, including the vast bulk of the second round. And if this draft is like 2010 or 15...

It isn't so much that this draft lacks talent, as that it is full of talented players with all sorts of red flags. I'm not sure I would trust any GM to sort out this mess!