3 perfect first-round pick combos for Blazers in 2024 NBA Draft

The Portland Trail Blazers are set up favorably in the 2024 NBA Draft, blessed with two lottery picks. Scoot Henderson arrived as the No. 3 pick last season. Deandre Ayton is a former No. 1 pick; Shaedon Sharpe is a former No. 7 pick. Portland is loaded with a ton of highly-touted prospects. Now, somebody will follow in Sharpe's footsteps, as the Blazers own No. 7 overall, as well as the No. 14 selection.

Obviously, Portland would have liked to move up and claim the No. 1 spot, but this is a great draft in which to own two middle-to-late lotto picks. There isn't a clear talent hierarchy at the top of the board. The prospect selected at No. 7 will have a better than usual chance of straight-up outperforming the No. 1 pick. The 2024 draft has been frequently compared to 2013 when Anthony Bennett was the first name off the board. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (No. 8), CJ McCollum (No. 10), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15) all came off the board around the back half of the lottery that year.

Portland's scouting department has done well in recent years, landing the right blend of skill and upside in the backcourt. Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe are bona fide stars on the rise. Scoot should get there eventually, even after a rocky first season. The Blazers front office wins on the margins, too, with the likes of Toumani Camara and Duop Reath making positive contributions as rookies.

There should be optimism in the talent Portland can acquire with these picks, even if expectations should be tempered relative to a more robust draft class. The Blazers are expected to focus on wing and frontcourt depth with these picks. The backcourt is loaded to the point of overflowing. I'm not sure Chauncey Billups can handle another guard with a claim to minutes.

Here are the best logical, realistic outcomes for Portland with their two lottery picks.

Donovan Clingan (No. 7) and Nikola Djurisic (No. 14)

A coordinated balance between upside and safety here.

Donovan Clingan is the headliner, on the off chance he tumbles to Portland in the No. 7 spot. After leading UConn to its second straight title game, Clingan has the full attention of scouts. He is 7-foot-3 in shoes with a 7-foot-7 wingspan and 9-foot-7 standing reach. He weighed 299 pounds at the Combine. So long as the mobility and endurance hold up, Clingan is going to change the geometry of the court as a rim protector.

The Blazers obviously have a (very expensive) starting center in Deandre Ayton, who averaged 23.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 57.0 percent shooting over the final month of the season. If that was the standard output for Ayton, maybe Portland would look another direction. It's not, though. Ayton has been historically unreliable, often oscillating between tantalizing displays of physical dominance and horrid stretches of indifference. He talks a big game, but Ayton does not always play up to his potential.

Where Ayton's weaknesses are most deeply felt is the defensive end. He's built like a 7-foot Grecian statue, and yet Ayton averaged 0.7 blocks and 0.9 steals over his electric final month. Blocked shots aren't the only indicator of rim protection, but Ayton's intensity and awareness tend to ebb and flow on that side of the court. Portland needs a proper defensive anchor behind its collection of guards. Clingan supplies just that.

Portland would be fully within the realm of reason to bet on Clingan as Ayton's eventual successor. Even if he starts his career with the second unit, Clingan is going to wall off the paint defensively, inhale rebounds, and provide the Blazers' guards with a towering lob threat on offense. He's not the most dynamic center, but Clingan does the simple, essential things at a very high level.

Nikola Djurisic is more of a calculated gamble with the No. 14 pick. Portland should be in the market for smart risks. At 20 years old, Djurisic has been kicking around draft boards for a couple years now, but a recent hot spell put him firmly in the first-round conversation. He looked good in Combine scrimmages. He offers intriguing upside as a 6-foot-7 shot-creator who can deliver advanced passes and score in a variety of ways. Inefficiency has plagued Djurisic in the past, but if he can hammer out a consistent 3-point stroke, the offensive upside is significant.

Even if the Blazers have plenty of shot creation in the backcourt, the best contenders are built around versatile, multi-faceted wings (Boston, OKC) and bigs (Denver, Minnesota). Both Clingan and Djurisic would have a bright future in Portland.

Stephon Castle (No. 7) and Dalton Knecht (No. 14)

Stephon Castle could look to maneuver around teams with established point guards in next month's draft, per Forbes' Eric Sidery. The 6-foot-6 UConn frosh views himself as a point guard and wants to get that opportunity at the next level. That's all good and well, but not getting a workout or "permission" shouldn't necessarily deter Portland from selecting the talented 19-year-old. Castle sacrificed for the betterment of the team at UConn and there's no reason to believe he can't do the same in Portland.

As much as Castle's on-ball flashes improve his ceiling, the root appeal of him as a prospect is not his point guard skills. Castle is far better suited (at least short-term) to a connector role. He needs to hammer out the spot-up 3s and pose a real threat to defenses beyond the arc, but the rest of Castle's skill set is tailored to the wing. He's an active cutter, a willing ball-mover, and a dirty work champ. He was constantly attacking seams in the defense off the catch, making himself available for finishes backdoor, and even setting screens to free up teammates in the Huskies' pro-style offense.

Portland would surround Castle with enough shooting and playmaking to offset the jump shot concerns, ideally. Beyond that, however, Castle is arguably the best perimeter defender on the board. Listed at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, he can hound the point of attack and switch one through four. Castle is strong enough to combat NBA wings and quick enough to snuff out point guards. His intensity on that end of the floor stood out during UConn's title run.

That is what Portland needs the most, to be frank. A source of stops on the perimeter. Toumani Camara was the best on-ball defender in last year's rookie class. Castle can take that mantle in 2024. Toss Matisse Thybulle into the mix, and the Blazers have a few quality options to throw at the opposition's high-level creators.

To balance out Castle's weaknesses, Portland opts to select Tennessee senior Dalton Knecht at 14. The 23-year-old doesn't have the same ceiling as others in his range, but there's no harm in drafting a ready-now player that can complement the Blazers' core and help to establish winning habits. Knecht was off the charts this season, emerging as the best player in the SEC and one of the most prolific perimeter scorers in all of college basketball.

At 6-foot-6 with under-appreciated burst and real vertical pop, Knecht is going to put points on the board. He shoots a picturesque 3-ball, he's a sly slasher, and Knecht is comfortable in various roles within the offense. He can face up and score off the bounce, using changes in speed and direction to create driving lanes. Or — perhaps most valuably for Portland — he's comfortable in constant off-ball motion, making well-timed cuts to the basket and relocating into open space behind the 3-point line.

Knecht is going to keep his defender occupied, make the right reads in the flow of the offense, and covert on a healthy dose of challenging shots. His defense is a concern and he's not an advanced playmaker, but Knecht is primed to feast on setups from Portland's point guard collective. This is a great landing spot for the Vols' superstar.

Ron Holland (No. 7) and Kyle Filipowski (No. 14)

Ron Holland is my No. 1 prospect right now. He was historically productive (relative to the brief history of G League Ignite) despite a thoroughly rotten team around him. Holland was asked to carry the primary scoring burden in a pro league without stable guard play or adequate spacing. The results weren't always pretty, but he put up numbers in the same ballpark as former No. 2 pick Jalen Green, who'd probably go No. 1 in this draft.

Portland needs a real wing to tie this roster together. Holland measures at roughly 6-foot-7 in shoes, but he's equipped with the length (6-foot-11 wingspan) to cover ground and guard above his height. He was a more impactful defender at high school than in the G League, but his effort level and appetite for stops is well-documented. Perhaps a more streamlined NBA role will unlock Holland's standard defensive impact.

The offense is equally appealing, though. Holland is another talented wing who needs to figure out his 3-point shot, but the mechanics and touch are workable. He can step confidently into pull-up middies and Holland's slashing should pay off immediately. While not especially explosive, Holland is a quick and slippery driver. Holland still drives into a wall sometimes, and he needs to learn to mix speeds better, but he made progress in that department with Ignite. His turnover numbers waned late in the season and Holland showcased a few impressive gear-shift moments off the bounce.

Holland is going to apply rim pressure in the halfcourt and run the floor with fervor on the fast break. He's going to benefit from Portland's playmaking apparatus. Without so much on his plate, Holland should be able to refine his shot profile, pick his spots more wisely, and boost his efficiency, all while offering a real defensive playmaker on the perimeter.

Kyle Filipowski, meanwhile, anchors the Portland frontcourt. Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams are still around, and both are quite good when healthy and engaged. Flip offers potential insurance, but he's also versatile enough to share the court with another 7-footer. Concerns about Filipowski's defense diminished with his sophomore season, as Duke leaned on Flip's mobility in space and his shot-blocking. There are natural concerns about centers with a negative wingspan (6-foot-10½), but Flip is tough as nails with plus instincts and real athleticism.

As for the offensive fit, Flip is the ideal frontcourt tweener for Portland. He can work the pick-and-pop game with Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons, or he can operate as a short-roll passer and post-up hub. Flip's lack of length is cause for concern when it comes to finishing at the rim, especially when paired with his inability to hit pull-up jumpers. That said, 7-foot passers with coordinated handles and shooting touch tend to figure it out. Filipowski isn't afraid to put his shoulder down and play through contact, and he has a nice bag of tricks on the block. His touch and skill level are positive indicators.

The Blazers get two complementary pieces at positions of need, including the best prospect on the board in Holland. Can't do much better than that.