How close are the Portland Trail Blazers to building a playoff contender around guard Damian Lillard?
Portland ended its 2022-23 campaign with a record of 33-49, putting it at 13th in the Western Conference and seven games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the Play-In tournament. Guard Shaedon Sharpe, along with Lillard, guard Anfernee Simons and center Jusuf Nurkic, highlight the returning options for the Blazers during the 2023-24 season, according to Spotrac.
Portland possesses the No.3, No. 23 and No. 43 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Blazers will have the chance to select G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson with their top choice, adding point guard depth behind Lillard and a potential franchise cornerstone for the future. With a hopeful home run pick at their side, the Blazers will have plenty of opportunities to either play it safe with a potential role player to build around Lillard and Simons or take a risk with a player who could be a reliable option in the long run.
Would Barcelona center James Nnaji be able to provide the rebounding help Portland needs? And would he be the ideal player for the Trail Blazers to roll the dice on with their later first-round pick?
Size and rebounding help
Nurkic is the only center listed on Spotrac's 2023-24 Salary Cap grid for Portland. Forward Drew Eubanks, who placed third on the roster last season with 5.4 rebounds, is listed as an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
Nnaji, a 6-foot-11-inch center from FC Barcelona, appeared in 45 total games for Barcelona last season, according to Basketball Reference. He had limited time during his 19 games of Euroleague play, averaging two points and 1.3 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per contest. He played in 26 games in Liga ACB, the top Spanish professional basketball division, averaging 4.9 points and three rebounds in 12.2 minutes per outing.
“Despite his lack of playing time, NBA scouts consider Nnaji perhaps the most physically gifted player in the 2023 draft, standing 6-foot-11, 226 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and tremendous quickness and explosiveness that make him a highlight-reel caliber finisher and shot-blocker,” ESPN NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony wrote in an April article.
It may take time, but Nnaji can provide some much-needed size and rebounding help for a Blazers squad that placed 28th in the NBA in rebounds per game with 40.5.
Sky-high potential at the center spot
Nnaji will need time to grow into a reliable piece for the Blazers, but his potential at the five may be too intriguing for Portland to pass up.
Nnaji is the second-youngest player currently projected to be drafted, Givony wrote in April. And his 6-foot-11-inch height and 7-foot-5-inch wingspan can make him a fantastic option in the future. He completed 76.2% of his field goal attempts during his limited time in the Euroleague and 66.3% of his field goals in Liga ACB play.
If the Blazers want to take a risk and bet on Nnaji's potential, they can try turning to free agency and use their Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level or Bi-Annual exceptions to find a stopgap option at the backup center.
He will likely need time on the Blazers bench or with the G League to further refine his craft and build up strength during his first few years in the league. But his energy and upside on the defensive end will make him an ideal fit for a team that ranked 28th in the league with a defensive rating of 118 last season.
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