It’s been 17 years since the Portland Trail Blazers had the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, and there’s about as good of a chance as there has been since for the franchise to get the top selection.
However, the decision as to who should be the No. 1 pick isn’t as clear-cut as it has been in prior years. There’s a plethora of prospects who could be available at No. 1, and it will likely come down to how each of the top players fit the team that has the first pick.
CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone is not so concerned about fit in his latest mock draft, which has the Blazers taking USC point guard Isaiah Collier.
In six games to start the season, Collier leads all freshmen in points per game while putting up averages of 18.2 points, 4.0 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game — shooting in the process a cool 41.2% from 3-point range. His dynamism as a downhill creator and outside shooter is electric and makes him someone who can be a true lead guard at the NBA level like he is with USC.
Collier is a great prospect, and he has potential to be a top guard for an NBA team someday. But his potential fit with the Blazers is wonky at best.
Portland already has devoted its top picks in each of the last two drafts to guards Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson. The team also has Anfernee Simons in the guard rotation when he’s healthy, so adding another guard to the mix doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially when other forwards and bigs like Alexandre Sarr and Matas Buzelis are available.
