I’ve been following the draft pretty closely this year and as a lifelong Blazers fan thought making a post about the players l like would be interesting and useful for the sub. I’m tracking 7 players that are likely to go in the lottery that I want for the Blazers. I have a very clear top 3 who are players I would seriously consider trading our two picks to trade up if we drop in the lottery to grab them.
Let’s start off by acknowledging that this draft isn’t the strongest, but I still think there are players that can become fringe all starts / great rotational pieces. These players are imperative for a championship.
I will do a brief draft profile for these 7 players in order of my preferences for the Blazers. Feel free to drop any questions in the comments.
I split the prospects into tiers for the Blazers and for my most desirable category which is immediate impact / good fit I have 3 players. The first draft profile is my 1 pick and the player I want the Blazers to draft the most.
**Immediate impact / perfect fit**
**My top player for the Blazers in the 2024 draft:**
**Zaccharie Risacher**
Risacher plays in the French LNB Pro A for JL Bourg and is averaging 11.4 PPG, 3 rebounds and around a block a game. Risacher in my opinion js the best wing prospect and 3&D player in this draft.
Height – 6’10 with a 6’10.5″ wingspan (measured at the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit)
Projected range – 1 to 2
NBA comparison – Michael Porter Jr
– It’s an easy and well stated comparison but I do think it’s the most applicable. Nuggets don’t win the championship without MPJ
Age – 18 years old – April 8 2005
**Strengths -**
– Risacher has shown himself as the premier 3&D wing in this draft class. Risacher is shooting a scorching 46% from three with a 65% TS.
– Risacher is tasked with guarding the other team’s best player. Risacher has often shown great ability to guard 1-5 in the LNB Pro A.
– Has shown himself to be a great POA and off ball defender.
**Weaknesses **
– 72% FT shooter in the LNB Pro A – given the 3pt % I’d be surprised if this doesn’t go up in the NBA but definitely something to keep an eye out.
– Rebounding – needs to be stronger at his rebounding often gets beaten to the ball by more aggressive players.
– Negative assist to turnover ratio. He has shown flashes of passing but nothing consistent as of yet.
– Shot creation and using his handle to create scoring opportunities. Has shown more potential of this lately but can’t be considered a strength yet.
Overall – A 6’10 knock down shooter who is a good defender and has shown flashes of passing and creating his own offence. He’ll be just 19 for summer league with plenty of potential. With Scoot here it’s all about getting shooting and wing defending which is what Risacher excels at. I consider Risacher’s profile the perfect fit next to Scoot and Sharpe.
Highlights – https://youtu.be/BFgq7lPSSrQ?si=46xtrj3GH6WQAtOJ
Long shot idea – Blazers re-sign Malcom Brogdon and then trade Ant + our FRP for the pick to draft Risacher + other compensation
Next player – **Alex Sarr**
by ILikeSports0416
4 Comments
I’m high on Risacher, too. And I’m selling Ant. But I’m not selling Ant short like that.
Yeah I like Risacher, but I do think he has some weird splits. He’s never been a great free throw shooter which has me thinking he’s shooting way over his head (the shooting has been coming down over the past two weeks). I also think the lack of movement shooting makes me a bit skeptical about what his actual role will be. MPJ was a great movement shooter even in high school.
That being said I think he’s probably one of the safer players in the draft even if he is a 35% shooter in the NBA. His defense is solid and his passing flashes are interesting. I think if I’m getting Zach I’d want him at the 3/4 with another wing who can pass the ball at a high level.
I love Cody’s catch and shoot ability too. He would be great to team up with Scoot, who is able to generate a lot of open shots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz0RXGqsAJw
I saw his height and didn’t need to read anymore. Draft him now