Summer league 2023

[The-Power]

Murray on the other hand is breaking the rule of "have an NBA skill"...it's hard to know if he'll have an NBA job in 5 years.

Being a very capable shooter at 6'8 without being a defensive liability is exactly how you stay in the NBA for a long time.

[BlazersBroncos]

Badji has been a huge letdown in SL - absolutely horrible so far.

[Dangeruss]

Badji has been a huge letdown in SL - absolutely horrible so far.

He’s an overseas big at best. He has no business at this level. Not athletic, skilled or savvy enough to play this type of competition.

You can tell he’s just been bigger than most players the majority of his life.

[HoopsFanAZ]

Before the draft, Lively was pretty high on my list of guys at 23, and he started rising. Getting an athletic big would’ve been ideal.

But when that wasn’t happening, my #1 get at 23 was Kris Murray. While Jabari Walker works at it making basketball plays as a rotation player — for years to come — Murray is a step or two up while making it look smoother, easier. How hard he works and how fast his motor will run will make the difference. Improving his handles and strength will help him stay on the court. Solid D and catch and shoot will pay off early.

Really like this guy.


Badji seems a bit slow to react and challenge at the rim, so he sometimes just doesn’t when he knows guys are already up. It’s early for him.
Reath is a big body guy who wants to be out there and just play. Moves well up and down. Ready to take shots. Work. He looks much more ready than Badji and his time with Australia’s national team with Matisse helps him. 2 way contract at least. Sign him.

[BlazersBroncos]

Walker has a ton to like - he is such a natural rebounder, plays within himself, developing 3. I wonder if he has added any weight. Would love if he could play backup small ball C. The PF spot is pretty crowded.

I guess the crowd changes if Kris can play SF - not sold on that but I guess his brother was mostly playing SF last season (I thought it was PF - but BB Ref shows SF).

Hope we can find a young C in a Dame trade, but dont see many avenues to doing so.

[DC_Melo]

Badji has been a huge letdown in SL - absolutely horrible so far.

He’s an overseas big at best. He has no business at this level. Not athletic, skilled or savvy enough to play this type of competition.

You can tell he’s just been bigger than most players the majority of his life.

Yea… He really lumbers around out there. Just doesn’t have NBA level agility and reactions. Looks like he’s wearing weighted shoes and wristbands when he moves.

[HoopsFanAZ]

Walker has a ton to like - he is such a natural rebounder, plays within himself, developing 3. I wonder if he has added any weight. Would love if he could play backup small ball C. The PF spot is pretty crowded.
I guess the crowd changes if Kris can play SF - not sold on that but I guess his brother was mostly playing SF last season (I thought it was PF - but BB Ref shows SF).
Hope we can find a young C in a Dame trade, but dont see many avenues to doing so.

Spot on.
Really like Walker. Fan favorite type.
Walker as a small ball center? A PF/C?

At his draft:
12.1% body fat. Build muscle, core, decrease fat. Use early contact on D, move’em out 1-2 steps, clear the paint and low block.
6’8 in shoes with 6’10.75” wingspan but only 214 lbs with the body fat.

That he works hard, has motor, blocks out … all good things. And his body type is better than Eubanks who at about an inch taller and 30 lbs heavier seems smaller.

Jabari has serious, transformational body work to do along with the skills. Trim up, get quicker and put on good muscle. Get him to 230-235 and I can see that small ball, switchable PF/C. He won’t get to 254 lbs and 6’9, but the ceiling he can shoot for is Brian Grant.

[zzaj]

Murray on the other hand is breaking the rule of "have an NBA skill"...it's hard to know if he'll have an NBA job in 5 years.

Being a very capable shooter at 6'8 without being a defensive liability is exactly how you stay in the NBA for a long time.

Well, let’s see if he can maintain being a “capable” shooter and non-liability on defense.

He looked good last night, I would imagine for some of these guys that aren’t chucking, 1v3 guards, actually getting some system practices in would help improve their play—Murray is certainly one of those. Seems like he’ll do well in a tightly run system.

I like Walker too. You can tell his BBIQ overall has gone up a few notches. I’d like to see more of him in the regular season.

The Blazers need a player with gravity weakside help and rim protection though.

[Norm2953]

It'll be interesting to see what Portland does at center if Nurk ends up in a Lillard trade.

Presumably the long term center is in the 2024 draft but in 2023, unless a player comes in the
Lillard trade

[mighty_duck]

It'll be interesting to see what Portland does at center if Nurk ends up in a Lillard trade.

Presumably the long term center is in the 2024 draft but in 2023, unless a player comes in the
Lillard trade

This becomes especially problematic if we start our best players. A Scoot/Ant/Sharpe/Grant lineup has 3(!!) players playing up one position.
Adding some PF masquerading as a C would further exacerbate this problem.

[zzaj]

It'll be interesting to see what Portland does at center if Nurk ends up in a Lillard trade.

Presumably the long term center is in the 2024 draft but in 2023, unless a player comes in the
Lillard trade

This becomes especially problematic if we start our best players. A Scoot/Ant/Sharpe/Grant lineup has 3(!!) players playing up one position.
Adding some PF masquerading as a C would further exacerbate this problem.

Not to mention it would likely be the worst rebounding team of all time.

[Blazinaway]

Badji has been a huge letdown in SL - absolutely horrible so far.

looked very bad so far, not sure what Schmidt sees in him

[DeBlazerRiddem]

It'll be interesting to see what Portland does at center if Nurk ends up in a Lillard trade.

Presumably the long term center is in the 2024 draft but in 2023, unless a player comes in the
Lillard trade

This becomes especially problematic if we start our best players. A Scoot/Ant/Sharpe/Grant lineup has 3(!!) players playing up one position.
Adding some PF masquerading as a C would further exacerbate this problem.

Not to mention it would likely be the worst rebounding team of all time.

Hellllllo #1 pick 2024

[DusterBuster]

This becomes especially problematic if we start our best players. A Scoot/Ant/Sharpe/Grant lineup has 3(!!) players playing up one position.
Adding some PF masquerading as a C would further exacerbate this problem.

Not to mention it would likely be the worst rebounding team of all time.

Hellllllo #1 pick 2024

Hoping the talk of 2024 being so bad is just hangover from overhype of 2023

[Dangeruss]

Not to mention it would likely be the worst rebounding team of all time.

Hellllllo #1 pick 2024

Hoping the talk of 2024 being so bad is just hangover from overhype of 2023

Well we know one player is a top 5 lock on paper currently. But yea it’s little sparse otherwise as far as hype goes.

[DC_Melo]

Not to mention it would likely be the worst rebounding team of all time.

Hellllllo #1 pick 2024

Hoping the talk of 2024 being so bad is just hangover from overhype of 2023

Despite the 2024 class’s perceived weakness, there are a few intriguing Lottery projected C prospects to keep an eye on his year…

Aday Mara- C, 7’3, 233, Spain (possibly coming to UCLA?!)
Some Pau (Gasol) to his game and size to his frame, interesting prospect with a versatile offensive skill set.

Aaron Bradshaw- C, 7’1, 217, Kentucky
Athletic above the rim finisher, offensive game needs polish and body needs muscle but has a nice J and possibly highest ceiling among C prospects

Donovan Clingon- C, 7’2, 260, UConn
Big big boy that locks down the paint and has nice touch, mobility, and hands for his size.

As long as we have a top 10 pick, we should be able to land one of these prospects. However, if we get another top 3 pick, things get more complicated… cuz the top 3 prospects next year are (currently) a couple of wings and another PG

[m0ng0]

I want the Klingon!!!

[Dangeruss]

PtF Matas Buzelis, Ignite
C Aday Mara, Spain
C Aaron Bradshaw, Kentucky
C Donovan Clingan, UConn
PF Bobi Klintman, NBL/Sweden
PF Adem Bona, UCLA/Nigeria

Players of note/need I’m looking at as we approach the 2024 draft

[BlazersBroncos]

The 2024 top talent seems to overwhelmingly be at the F and C spots which works out really well.

I like some of the C, but the F class looks even more promising IMO - Matas is the clear cut early #1 IMO, not as generational as Flagg (2025) but really, really good. Franz Wagner level at least IMO.

[zzaj]

I like Mara a lot...but yeah, it's simply too early to really know how this 2024 is going to look. I haven't even really looked at 2025.