NBA Draft 2012: 5 Players the Portland Trail Blazers Should Target

This year for the Portland Trail Blazers has been a complete joke and a disappointment. Players have not been playing up to expectations, and a lot of people are taking the blame for it. 

Portland needs to start rebuilding around key pieces like LaMarcus Aldridge and the rising star Nicolas Batum, who has played at an extremely high level since being promoted to the starting five.

Portland also has some other nice pieces they can build around, like the underused and underrated Elliot Williams, and arguably one of the best players last year in the NCAA, Nolan Smith.

This year, Portland has a chance to add two key pieces to the formula and rebuild the team quickly. 

Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal would bring to the team something they have been desperately missing this year outside of Batum: a consistent outside shooter and scorer.

Built in the mold of Ray Allen, Beal can light up the scoreboard with his shooting from outside. He's got a knack for scoring, and bringing him in can move make a deadly combo with Nicolas Batum.

Beal is also pretty athletic, strong and is also an above-average defender. He also is very unselfish, though he can improve his ball-handling a bit to be able to take it to the rack with his good strength.

All of these combine to make an NBA-ready prospect that can help the Blazer team.

Tyler Zeller

Tyler Zeller is as NBA-ready as a center can be coming out of college. 

He runs the floor great, rebounds with a great motor, can score in the post and already has a consistent jump shot that can help spread the floor out to the mid-range.

Zeller plays a smart game, and his scoring down low can help take some stress off of LaMarcus Aldridge. He'll need to bulk up just a bit more, though, but he is an overall great prospect for the Blazers. 

Zeller is a guy who plays with purpose and the kind of big man an organization like the Blazers would want on their team.

Harrison Barnes

One thing the Portland Trail Blazers need is a guy who can come in and contribute from day one. Harrison Barnes can be that guy.

He already possesses an NBA-ready game with his uncanny ability to hit the mid-range jump shot. He's not a project, so the Blazers wouldn't need to wait a couple years for him to come around.

Barnes and Nicolas Batum could play together on the wing, with Barnes playing at small forward and Batum at shooting guard, or vice versa. This could provide Portland with a young and dangerous tandem on the wings.

His ability to score would also be a huge benefit to a team lacking many players who can create their own shot from the perimeter.

Damian Lillard

Felton has shot the ball horribly this season, meaning Portland might want to pick up a scorer at the point guard position.

Lillard is the leading scorer in the nation, so adding him on draft night might be the right thing to do. 

Lillard's jumpshot is deadly, and he can be a huge addition to a team looking for a scoring spark off the bench and from the perimeter.

Although there are questions about his ability to create for others, the Portland Trail Blazers should take a nice, long look at adding Lillard through the draft.

Kendall Marshall

Marshall could be just the type of player to help Portland break out of its slump. Arguably one of the best passers to come out of college in years, he just does everything he can to make his teammates better.

Marshall's true value showed after his injury, which helped UNC find its way out of the tournament.

A possible pick-and-roll combination of Kendall Marshall, All-Star Portland big man Lamarcus Aldridge and newly-acquired JJ Hickson could be a really deadly offensive weapon.

If Marshall is still on the board when Portland gets to use their own pick, don't be surprised if he's taken without hesitation.