2023 NBA Draft Team Recap: Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers found themselves in a very interesting position on draft night with the third overall pick in what many deemed a three player draft. That selection got even more compelling as the Charlotte Hornets passed on what most believed was the second-best prospect in the class, Scoot Henderson.
For most teams this would seem like an overwhelming positive but considering they already have all three of Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe under contract for at least three more seasons it makes that backcourt fairly crowded.
Even with the lineup issues - assuming Damian Lillard would not request a trade - there are worse scenarios than having a talent like Henderson fall into your lap at No. 3.
Fortunately, or maybe not, for the Blazers this logjam and the backcourt has seemingly taken care of itself with Lillard requesting a trade. Henderson is a powerful and athletic lead guard that has played professionally the last two seasons for the G League Ignite.
There are concerns around his shot but he has been good from the mid range in his young career and as much as people like to talk about his physical tools, and rightfully so, the nuance in which he plays the game can sometimes be overshadowed.
Henderson is a good passer and creator that is comfortable in ball screens and shows a nice ability to change the speed and pace that he plays with which is often uncommon for a young player with his athleticism.
At his height there are obviously defensive limitations in terms of versatility but he is strong and has a 6-foot-9 wingspan that may allow him to guard someone bigger than you might think.
Chauncey Billups will have to build a new identity with Lillard leaving town but Henderson is the ideal young point guard to take the reins. While Henderson will take most of the shine from this class, the Blazers did select a couple other very intriguing prospects.
Even with the return of Jerami Grant on a massive contract, the Blazers lost Cam Reddish, and Matisse Thybulle is a pending restricted free agent as of now.
This makes the selection of Iowa forward, Kris Murray, one that makes a ton of practical sense. Murray is already 22-years-old which limits his upside but could make him more NBA ready than many draft picks.
While Murray can sometimes get compared to his twin brother, Keegan, he does not offer the same shooting versatility or athleticism. The 6-foot-8 Iowa Hawkeye projects to be a solid forward that should give the Blazers some immediate depth at a position that has some open minutes.
The final selection for the Blazers was at pick No. 43 and involved a French prospect not named Victor Wembanyama. Rayan Rupert is a 6-foot-7 versatile defender that spent last season with the New Zealand Breakers.
Rupert has some real room to grow offensively, especially with his efficiency scoring the ball, but offers upside on that end of the floor while projecting to be a very good defender.
It’s hard to see him cracking the rotation this season - unless the Blazers go full rebuild mode after the Lillard situation plays itself out - but Rupert could be the first Blazers pick to receive the benefits of the team finally having a G League affiliate.
As of today, the Portland Trail Blazers have also added these players:
- Malachi Smith (Exhibit-10)
- Antoine Davis (Exhibit-10)
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