Trail Blazers News: 2 Guard Prospects Selected in Recent Mock Draft

Who should the Blazers be targeting in the draft?

The Portland Trail Blazers will be selecting at picks No. 7 and No. 14 in the first round of the upcoming NBA Draft barring any changes. After a poor season that saw Portland finish with a record of 21-61, the Blazers will be looking to bring some real talent to the talent in this draft.

Despite the draft class now being ranked very high, it is strong with depth. Portland will be looking to add pieces to help build themselves back to a place of contention.

In a recent mock draft done by Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, Portland is projected to land two guard prospects. With pick No. 7, O'Connor has Portland taking Zaccharie Risacher out of JL Bourg (LNB Pro A), France.

"Scoot Henderson’s strong close to the season should make the Blazers feel optimistic heading into the summer. Now the priority is about finding the right fit next to their young point guard, which is why Risacher is the choice here with his flashes of shot-making as a high-end role player who could flourish with a smaller playmaking guard."

The Blazers are looking to build their backcourt up around last year's first-round pick, Scoot Henderson. Risacher could be a good option as he is a good decision-maker with the basketball, giving them someone to potentially run the offense.

At pick No. 14, O'Connor had the Trail Blazers grabbing combo guard Ja'Kobe Walter out of Baylor.

"With their second lottery pick, the Blazers could roll with a player like Walter, who  was projected far higher by some evaluators (including myself) ahead of the college season. Walter didn’t meet expectations but still flashed enticing scoring upside that could be a great fit next to Henderson, Risacher, and Sharpe."

Portland may have a lot of guards at this point but this would be a projection pick. He is a pull-up threat on offense and has shown promise on the defensive end of the floor. Walter could provide Portland with the type of skill set they need to build the team going forward.

All in all, Portland has a lot of different ways that they can go in this draft. They can be flexible with the choices or even try to move them for established players in the league.

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