With the 23rd pick in the 2015 draft...

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Pinwheel1 said:
Bobby Portis. He does not have elite jumping ability like Ibaka but his motor, running the floor, and shooting form
reminds me of Ibaka
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Oh, okay. I didn't list him because he's gone by our pick in all projections. (Chad Ford says "13-20 range".)
 
Frank the tank Kaminsky is projected to go #12 - 15, so he won't be around at #23, which is too bad. There is talk about him being overrated, but I'm a believer after watching him play against Kentucky in the semi-final game. UK's game plan was to shut Frank down, and it seemed likely with how athletic and deep their bigs were. I was expecting he would be overmatched, getting his shot blocked, turning it over, etc. It was shocking to see him time and time again come down with boards in traffic, beating guys to loose balls, and making plays all over the court offensively. He's way undervalued because it's assumed his lack of athletic ability will show up at the next level. He was the best player on the floor against Kentucky, with apologies to Lyles. But Frank's ability to play inside/out . . . just a dynamic offensive force. He could be Dirk 2.0. If the team thinks LA is going to walk, Maybe we can trade up to get Frank. I'd feel good about Kaminsky/Leanard at the 4, at least offensively.
 
BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94 said:
Frank is going to need one hell of a help defender next to him.
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I view him more of a PF and like other taller PFs in the league he will have a tough time covering the stretch 4's on the perimeter. But other than that I think he will be fine on D. (Covering PF's..... not centers)
 
Just cause we have the #23 pick now, doesn't mean its set in stone. If Olshey sees someone he really likes I can easily see him moving up a couple spots.
 
If LMA is staying, there is no big incentive to move up a few slots. This is one of those drafts where the difference between 15 and 25 is pretty minimal. If all they are looking for is to bolster the bench, it is very likely somebody they like will be available at 23.

If LMA is leaving, you package Batum with #23 and claw your way up as much as you can. It probably won't be far enough - but at that point you are just going for broke.

:hairout: I admire those of you who are able to act as if there is nothing to be worried/frustrated about!
 
Here's a game featuring 3 prospects:

Willy "Fez's Fave" Hernangomez is #9 in white
Mouhammadou "Mam" Jaiteh is #14 in blue
Timothe Luwawu is #10 in blue



Here's the game report.
And here's the FULL GAME if you're REALLY bored.

Here's Luwawu's best game of the tournament, against Italy:




The All-Tournament team featured Hernangomez, Vezenkov and (MVP) Cedi Osman:

 
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My (current) Big Board right now for 23:
1) Justin Anderson
2) Robert Upshaw
3) Delon Wright
4) Christian Wood

Thoughts:
The blazers have to try to not end up with the 23rd best player.
position needs: C, SF (assuming they resign our guys)
Anderson will be a great 3 and D guy immediately, and in a position of need.
Upshaw - lottery skills/athleticism and in a position of need as well. Does he love the CoCo more than he does playing? To me, a risk worth taking.
 
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Blazinaway said:
The one thing that intrigues me about Delon is if he can play SG and therefore be paired with Lillard, which gives us another good ballhandler and Dame can play off the ball more - the key is whether he is (or can become) a good enough outside shooter (like Wes or CJ)?
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it doesnt matter if he can play SG, just as long as he can guard SGs which he definitely can. Basically on offense Wright would be PG and Dame SG. On defense Dame would be PG and Wright SG unless you were playing someone like LAC where Wright would guard CP3 and Dame would guard Redick
 
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Rastapopoulos said:
International:
Alexsandar Vesenkov, SF/PF, 6'8" (too small, too slow? Star as a teenager in Greek league)
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I think it's actually with a "z".

He's a puzzler: if you look at him, you think he can't be an NBA player. He's got narrowish shoulders, he's only around 6'8" and skinny. I mean, we're talking Adam Morrison kind of bad body. BUT: unlike Ammo he can't just shoot, he can rebound and pass, too. So he's got the whole bag of tools. And he's doing it already against grown men:

"Vezenkov and Aris beat Olympiacos"

Granted Olympiacos wasn't at full strength, but this is one of the top 4 teams in Europe, and one that really focuses on defense, and Vezenkov had 28 points against them.
Maybe the best comparison is a cross between Luis Scola and Ersan Ilyasova. It has to be the right team, but I think he has a niche in the NBA. I bet the Spurs could work him in somehow.

Here's "Eurohopes" on him:

Defensive upside

As far as the defensive side goes, there’s a lot to be desired in Vezenkov as an individual defender. Limited athletic ability and lateral quickness can hurt him when guarding the ball in open spaces. Lack of strength seems like another issue as Vezenkov struggles absorbing contact either in the post or when defending screens. For sure Vezenkov has his limitations defensively, but personally I don’t think that that’s a red flag concerning his NBA upside. If there’s a defensive coach and an overall defensive-oriented culture in place Vezenkov won’t be hurting his team’s defense. You can have a decent defensive unit with Vezenkov on the floor because he’s smart and understands rotations and proper team defense. Yes, he will be struggling is some one-on-one situations or two-man games, but if gets put into the right system the net difference will always be on the positive side given the things he brings offensively. Character and work ethic are unquestionable factors as well.

NBA potential

Vezenkov can be more off an asset to an NBA team than someone capable of producing right away. Physically is not read to play in the NBA, and the transition from one game per week to 3-4 games a week, practices and lots of travels gonna be difficult for him to afford. Playing at least a year for a Euroleague team, in a strong European league, can boost his stock before putting his name in the draft. NBA people would want to see him play at the highest level possible prior to selecting someone with limited athletic and defensive upside. His NBA potential seems like someone who could stretch defenses from the power forward position and add to the system with precise ball movement and shifty passing. A-Luke Babbitt type player who can be an important cog to different offensive systems, mostly on good and role-oriented teams.
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tester551 said:
Stay away from Decker. He is going to bust. He doesn't do anything well enough to be a good NBA player. He is an "ok" shooter - not "great". Not a defender, not a distributor, mainly he just floats.
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Imo he has no big weaknesses.. big SFs have a really good track record after the lottery. Hes a better shooter than Kawhi was we he left San Diego State. He's not a bad defender, he's athletic with an NBA ready body and a decent finisher around the rim.
 
DraftExpress just expanded their entry on Vezenkov.

At 6-9, 225 pounds, Vezenkov has decent size for the power forward position he mostly plays, even if he lacks athleticism in a serious way. He's not particularly quick, nor explosive, relying on his tremendous scoring instincts, basketball IQ and competitiveness to find productivity, rather than on his physical tools.

Vezenkov is one of the best scorers in European basketball, regardless of age, averaging an impressive 21.5 points per-40 minutes pace adjusted. What's impressive is how efficiently he does it, with a 58% TS% (54% 2P%, 38% 3P%, 78% FT%) and a minuscule 9% turnover rate. Only 10 players in our database (which goes back around 15 years) have accomplished that feat (21.5 points per-40+, 58%+ TS%) in a major European league at that age, five of whom were NBA first round picks, and all had a significantly higher turnover rate.

Vezenkov scores in a wide variety of ways at the Greek league level, but the one that looks the most likely to translate is his perimeter shooting ability. He has deep range on his jumper, with consistent lefty mechanics that aren't the most conventional, but certainly work for him.

With time and space, he dips the ball significantly on the catch, but can also get his shot off more quickly when he needs to. This ability to make jumpers in different ways is an indication of his instincts as a shooter, and a very good sign for his future.
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According to my anonymous source, if the translation is correct, Venzenkov’s ball deflating skills are very raw.
 
The Blazers must not be too high on G. Lucas -- their profile comparison: Orien Greene.

Ouch.
 
Fez Hammersticks said:
The Blazers must not be too high on G. Lucas -- their profile comparison: Orien Greene.

Ouch.
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This article from NBADraft.net '2015 Adidas Eurocamp: Day 1 Recap' also wasn't too high on George Lucas De Paula -
http://www.nbadraft.net/2015-adidas-eurocamp-day-1-recap
Today the Brazilian with a freakish wingspan struggled mightily. Playing against inferior European athletes, he managed just 2 and 4 points in two games while running the show for his team. As attractive as he is defensively, thanks to his length, lateral quickness and eagerness to be a pest on D, he has major deficiencies offensively. Unless his offensive game makes a drastic transformation, it is difficult to imagine him making it in an NBA offense. He can’t shoot, he doesn’t really have the explosiveness to get by athletic defenders and even when he does he doesn't have much of an idea of what to do next.
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Vezenkov looks Luke Babbitt in the video. Same size, lefty......
He could very well end up being better than Luke, but we have our stretch 4.
He just not fill a need IMO.
 
Pinwheel1 said:
Vezenkov looks Luke Babbitt in the video. Same size, lefty......
He could very well end up being better than Luke, but we have our stretch 4.
He just not fill a need IMO.
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It's true that you couldn't really play him and Leonard at the same time (without being killed). He would probably work best in Memphis, as they have kind of a unique style.
 
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