It's finally here. After months of speculation and weeks of workouts, teams will go about selecting 60 players from the college ranks during the 2017 NBA Draft, which takes place tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. And with the Trail Blazers owning the 15th, 20th and 26th picks in the first round, you'll want to tune into our edition of Courtside tonight on CSNNW starting at 4 pm. I'll also be covering the draft live from Brooklyn, and I'll try to provide you all the meaningful updates I possibly can.
But until then, let's take one last look at the various mock drafts put together by... experts from around the internet. With three picks, there's no real consensus among the mocks as to what the Trail Blazers will do, which isn't all that surprising when one considers how tight-lipped Portland's front office is when it comes to such things.
So for one last time, the 2017 mock draft roundup...
15. Harry Giles, Duke, Freshman, ForwardOther potential draftees: John Collins, OG Anunoby, Edrice AdebayoNo one can pinpoint exactly where Giles' reward outweighs the very real medical risks he poses. But a number of GMs have told me their medical staffs are comfortable with his knees and aren't red-flagging him.He has been impressive in workouts. He has elite length, athleticism and a motor. He might never live up to the hype he generated in high school, but there are few players in this draft with his potential. No. 15 seems like the right spot to swing for the fences, especially when the Blazers have two other picks.20. TJ Leaf, UCLA, Freshman, ForwardOther potential draftees: Jarrett Allen, Anzejs Pasecniks, Tony BradleyIt's sounding more and more as if the Blazers are going to keep all three of their picks. Owner Paul Allen does love draft picks.Leaf is one of the most skilled scorers in the draft. He lacks elite length and needs to add strength, but he can provide a spark off the bench offensively.26. Jarrett Allen, Texas, Freshman, CenterOther potential draftees: Terrance Ferguson, Semi Ojeleye, Derrick WhiteThis might be too much of a fall for Allen, who is getting looks as high as the late lottery.He's an athletic, mobile big man with some rebounding and shot-blocking ability. He just needs to get stronger. Adding him to the mix for the Blazers would give them a very nice haul of prospects.
15. Frank Ntilinkina, France, 18 years old, Guard20. Tyler Lydon, Syracuse, Sophomore, Forward26. Harry Giles, Duke, Freshman, Forward/Center
15. Jarrett Allen, Texas, Freshman, CenterThe Blazers feel like a dark horse in the Paul George sweepstakes, and they could also move picks in a bid to dump salary, so I don't want to put too much stock into their needs with any of these three first-round picks. Nevertheless, if they stay here, Allen has a ton of upside. He's got a massive 7'5.5" wingspan and he's fairly mobile. He's still raw and he may be a year or two from playing meaningful NBA minutes, but the Blazers have Jusuf Nurkic as a placeholder for the next few years. Grooming Allen behind him could pay off down the line.20. O.G. Anunoby, Indiana, Sophomore, ForwardIf he's healthy, O.G. Anunoby is probably the best defensive prospect in the entire draft. The odds of him turning into the next Kawhi are slim, but even if you could only draft a defense-only version of Kawhi, that's worth a top 20-pick, right? The questions will be health-related after Anunoby suffered a season-ending injury at Indiana, but this low in the draft, he's got enough upside to justify the gamble.26. Anžejs Pasečniks, Latvia, 21 years old, Forward/CenterI can't pretend to be a Pasečņiks expert, but this workout video is impressive, and he should land somewhere in the 20s. He's mobile, he's massive, and he's got good touch on his jumper. He'll be an enticing option for teams that don't necessarily need a rookie to matriculate to the league next year. If the Blazers keep all three of their picks, they'll fit that description.
15. John Collins, Wake Forest, Sophomore, ForwardHe went from 7.3 points and 54.7 percent shooting as a freshman in 2015-16 to 19.2 and 62.2, respectively, this season while playing against the very good competition of the ACC. The offense, beyond scoring inside and capitalizing on offensive rebounds, is very much a work in progress. But defensively, although hurt by foul trouble, he is active and could develop into a rebounder and shot blocker in the NBA.20. Jarrett Allen, Texas, Freshman, CenterThe size, the big hands, the long reach and wingspan -- he will be ready physically. It’s just that Allen does not play physical, doing most of his damage running the court hard and finishing, and following offensive rebounds. Beyond that, his offense needs a lot of work. His level of agility and reach equals the potential to become a good shot blocker and rebounder, and the Trail Blazers need front-court help.26. Ivan Rabb, Cal, Sophomore, ForwardRabb is an old man compared to much of the rest of the projected Draft class – a sophomore – who was a lottery candidate a year ago while playing with eventual No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown and second-rounder Tyrone Wallace before returning to school. Rabb remains a candidate for the teens, with the ability to score inside, either from the post with a nice touch or on the run with good mobility, and rebounds. But he will need to improve to make an impact when he moves away from the paint.
15. Zach Collins, Gonzaga, Freshman, Forward/CenterCollins played only 17.3 minutes per game for Gonzaga, but his per-40-minute stats are the reason teams have such interest: 23.2 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.1 blocked shots and 65.2 percent shooting. He has shown flashes of range out to the 3-point line, and has potential as a high-post playmaker. Collins’ limited playing time means there are questions about his defense and conditioning, but his potential is obvious, and the Trail Blazers, who are looking to deal some number of their three picks, would deem him a worthy risk.20. Jarrett Allen, Texas, Freshman, CenterAllen has some high offensive upside — he is raw but is a strong finisher in the paint and needs to add a jumper. Allen has gotten consideration from lottery teams, but some number of the pack of lottery-type big men are going to sweat out a fall on draft night, and that could mean guys like Patton, Allen, T.J. Leaf and John Collins. The Trail Blazers have also given long looks at Bell. Of course, with three picks, the Blazers might also deal No. 20.26. P.J. Dozier, South Carolina, Sophomore, GuardAgain, the Blazers might not actually make this pick, but if they do, they might have a chance to focus on a particular weakness — their inability to defend the perimeter. Dozier is a big guard (6-6.75 with a 6-11 wingspan) and an intense defender, something the Blazers need.
15. Harry Giles, Duke, Freshman, Forward/CenterA surprise pick here. With three first-round picks the Trail Blazers can afford to take a home-run swing on the biggest risk-reward pick since Joel Embiid. And I don't believe Giles will last until 20, when the Trail Blazers have their next selection. Leading into Giles' senior year of high school, he was one of the top three or so talents in this stacked draft -- then he tore an ACL for the second time. Giles is a gifted athlete who talent evaluators would mention in the same breath as Chris Webber and Kevin Garnett. If you watched Giles last season, you barely caught glimpses of that as he recovered from two knee injuries over the past calendar year. But he was once that good. The risk here is huge; so is the reward. He could become an All-Star, or he could never see a minute of NBA playing time. 20. TJ Leaf, UCLA, Freshman, ForwardA tall, white power forward from UCLA who can rebound and make 3s? Wait, I think I've heard this one before. No, Leaf isn't Kevin Love 2.0, but the comparison has some merit. Leaf is the type of guy who will fit on any NBA team, as that 46.8 percent 3-point shooting clip in college would suggest. A safe pick for the Blazers after the risky Giles pick at 15. 26. Bam Adebayo, Kentucky, Freshman, CenterIs he a tight end or a basketball player? Well, if the NBA doesn't work out, the NFL is only a phone call away. Adebayo was one of the most physically imposing players in college basketball last season, and at a cut 6-10 and 250 pounds, he'll be able to come into the league immediately and bang with 10-year veterans down low. He's no creative offensive force, but Adebayo can make a difference on both ends of the court based on sheer size, athleticism and motor. He could easily go eight to 10 spots higher than this.
15. Zach Collins, Gonzaga, Freshman, Forward/CenterCollins could go as high as No. 10 in this draft, but there’s usually one player who falls out of the lottery every year. There’s a lot to like about his game: a combination of shot blocking and perimeter offensive skill, namely. By the end of the season, he might have been the best player on Gonzaga’s first ever Final Four team.20. Ike Anigbogu, UCLA, Freshman, CenterAnigbogu profiles as a classic rim protector who can set screens and catch lobs on the offensive end. That’s a dimension Portland doesn’t have right now with Jusuf Nurkic. 26. Kyle Kuzma, Utah, Junior, CenterKuzma is a big 6’9 forward who is comfortable making decisions with the ball in his hands. Portland could use a different dimension at the four and Kuzma’s combination of size and feel for the game would offer it.
15. T.J. Leaf, UCLA, Freshman, ForwardComment: The Blazers add some much-needed athletic help in the frontcourt with Leaf.20. Harry Giles, Duke, Freshman, Forward/CenterComment: Prior to his two ACL tears, Giles was widely viewed as the top player of the 2016 high school class.26. Semi Ojeleye, Souther Methodist, Junior, ForwardComment: The former Duke transfer has a 40½-inch vertical leap, has an NBA-ready body and is also quite agile for his size.
15. Justin Patton, Creighton, RS Freshman, CenterJustin Patton may be a 2017-18 G-Leaguer, but the Portland Trail Blazers will look at him through the long-term lens. With eye-opening size, length, mobility and a budding inside-out skill set, Patton offers enticing upside anywhere on the board. At this stage, he's shown questionable toughness inside and he isn't sharp enough to play around the perimeter. Patton's NBA-ready timetable appears lengthier than most, but this late, teams aren't looking for impact rookies. 20. O.G. Anunoby, Indiana, Sophomore, ForwardIt wouldn't be overly surprising to see the Portland Trail Blazers trade out of No. 20. OG Anunoby could be a target for someone else, given how unique his defensive versatility makes him. Concerns over his offense—plus a season-ending knee injury that forced him to miss workouts—cause him to fall to No. 20. If Portland keeps the pick, they could view Anunoby as the most intriguing player available. But this is also a likely trade-up spot on the board for another team looking to make a splash.26. Anzejs Pasecniks, Latvia, 21 years old, CenterThe Portland Trail Blazers were the only team Anzejs Pasecniks publicly worked out for. Whether they even keep this pick is debatable, but he makes sense as arguably the most intriguing player available. Pasecniks, who grew up playing next to Kristaps Porzingis for the Latvian junior national teams, moves ridiculously easy for a 7'2" big man.And he's flashed some shooting touch out to the three-point arc. Strength and toughness are the big concerns with Pasecniks, but he's a fascinating hit-or-miss play late in Round 1.
15. Justin Patton, Creighton, RS Freshman, CenterPatton is an excellent pick-and-roll player and rim-protector — basically a younger version of Dwight Howard who doesn't insist on getting touches with his back to the basket. He would bring a different element at center for Portland as Jusuf Nurkic's backup.The Blazers don't really need another big man, but Neil Olshey isn't one to pass on talent because of a little thing like fit. He'll figure out the rest later.20. Justin Jackson, North Carolina, Junior, Guard/ForwardPortland has an elite point guard in Damian Lillard, a dynamite shooting guard in C.J. McCollum, and an emerging big man in Jusuf Nurkic. What the Blazers need is a rangy wing who can fill it up from all areas of the court, and the 22-year-old Jackson is certainly that kind of player. He also has fairly significant "bust potential," which is why the former Tar Heel could fall outside the late lottery.26. D.J. Wilson, Michigan, Sophomore, ForwardAfter taking a project big man and an older scoring wing, the Blazers can complete a productive 2017 Draft with a stretch-four Wolverine who slots in well next to Nurkic, Lillard and McCollum.
15. John Collins, Wake Forest, Sophomore, ForwardThe Blazers probably aren’t going to keep all three of their first-round picks. But Collins might be a keeper. He's one of the most offensively talented big men in this draft, and his lack of defensive awareness could stem as much from coaching as ability — he’s a solid-enough shot-blocker when put in position for it.20. Anzejs Pasecniks, Latvia, 21 years old, CenterAgain, the Blazers cannot be expected to keep all three of their picks, but one solution would be to take the best draft-and-stash player in this class. Pasecniks is a known commodity who needs to add strength but has a massive frame and serious potential.26. Josh Hart, Villanova, Senior, GuardHart is a ready-made contributor. He’s an incredibly smart and efficient player who brings to mind Jimmy Butler in that regard. He’s also been lavished with praise from statistical analysts.