The Portland Trail Blazers are desperate to capitalize on the window to win with Dame Lillard. The 31-year-old has only been beyond the Conference Semi-Finals once and was swept by the Warriors in that series. Lillard has stuck by his blind loyalty to the franchise and the Trail Blazers are determined to reward him. Lillard was held out of all but 29 games this season due to an abdominal injury. Portland finished the season with a 27-55 record but was not rewarded with the pick they had hoped. The reaction from Dame Lillard when it was announced they would receive the 7th pick was very telling.

While the Trail Blazers certainly have more work to do than just the draft, this will be at the forefront of their mind. There has been plenty of talk about Portland trading the pick for a win-now veteran. This certainly makes a ton of sense given the current state of the team and the goals at hand. However, there are plenty of talented players in this draft that should make the Trail Blazers careful about trading out. If they do end up using the selection they must be sure to add a player who can make an immediate impact and raise the team's ceiling. Here are three guys who do not fit this category and should be avoided by the Trail Blazers.

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Blazers 2022 NBA Draft prospects they must avoid

Shaedon Sharpe

There is not a player with more question marks surrounding him than Shaedon Sharpe. The 6'5″ guard has intriguing skills but little evidence that he is ready to put them together. Sharpe was ranked the Number 1 prospect in the 2022 high school class before reclassifying to join the current crop of rookies. He enrolled at Kentucky in January with the intent of playing but never suited up for a game.

While his ridiculous athleticism and intriguing highlights are tempting, Sharpe is set to make a very difficult leap in competition. His last notable live-action was in high school. The NBA is a different beast that even seasoned college players are not always prepared for. The 19-year-old may still have a bright career, but it is certain he will take a few years to settle in. The Trail Blazers do not have this type of time at their disposal and Sharpe would be a much better fit on a team without such a rushed timeline.

Johnny Davis

There is a lot to like about Johnny Davis. The Wisconsin guard is a dynamic scorer and was one of the best players in college basketball last season. He averaged 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while serving as a valuable defender. Davis is 20 years old and plays with a high motor. The well-rounded nature of his game holds great appeal at the NBA level and plenty of teams are lining up to draft him.

The Portland Trail Blazers should not be one of these teams. As intriguing as Johnny Davis is, he is far from the missing piece on a championship team. His ball-dominant nature and perimeter-oriented play would be repetitive next to Dame Lillard. The Trail Blazers should have learned their lesson that pairing Lillard with another ball-dominant guard is not the route to a championship.  As great as CJ McCollum was in his time with Portland, it did not translate to postseason success. Adding Johnny Davis to the current roster would bring on similar concerns and is not what the organization needs.

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Jalen Duren

Dame Lillard has never played with a player with the size and athleticism of Jalen Duren. The monstrous 7-footer has a 7'5″ wingspan and can jump out of the gym. He plays with an impressive motor and is a game-changing shot-blocker. Duren averaged 12 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in his lone season at Memphis. While his defense would certainly be impactful and there would be some exciting highlight-reel dunks, there are too many holes in Duren's overall game.

The 18-year-old is still fairly early in his developmental process and has a lot of growing still to do. Duren reclassified in order to go to Memphis a year ahead of schedule. While he can dominate on the defensive end and his rebounding would translate immediately, there is little offensive game. Duren is capable of catching just about any lob thrown in his direction, but that is about the extent of his offensive game. The Monteverde product scored just 0.77 points per possession in post-up opportunities and shot 40% from the floor on these attempts. He also has some foul concerns that could show face at the NBA level. Getting Dame Lillard some frontcourt help should be high up on the Trail Blazers' list of priorities. However, an 18-year-old with little offensive game should not be the target.

The Trail Blazers are currently in a difficult spot as a franchise. They are dangerously close to wasting the prime of the franchise's best player and have little assets to retool. Capitalizing on the 7th overall pick is essential to giving the franchise a chance at contending. Staying away from these three players is the first place they should start.