Go big or go small? Blazers have questions to answer as draft day looms

Could Kenneth Faried be the missing piece for Portland? (Photo: REUTERS/Rick Wilking)

What the Portland Trail Blazers were missing this past season was clear. They lacked a low-post scorer alongside LaMarcus Aldridge, a spark-plug off the bench, a consistent backup point guard, and a dependable threat from three-point range.

Finding players to fill these holes is a difficult task, especially for an interim stopgap General Manager in Chad Buchanan. But they have the chance to fill one and vastly improve in this year’s NBA Draft. What will they do?

It is crucial to first identify their biggest need. This means bolstering the frontline has to be Portland’s priority. Marcus Camby is getting old. Greg Oden may or may not be re-signed and wouldn’t be a sure thing if retained. Lanky and active Chris Johnson was signed for next season, so he should help matters, but there is no doubting the Blazers lack dependable depth at center. Aldridge needs some help inside, both offensively and defensively, and putting an energetic, strong youth alongside him would be Portland’s best bet.

Who, then? Many mock drafts predict the Blazers will take Kenneth Faried with their first-round pick. He is seen as the modern-day Dennis Rodman, without the dyed hair, piercings, strange attire, and overall craziness. Within this comparison is the fact that being undersized doesn’t matter.

Dallas guard J.J. Barea–who is no more than 5’9′, contrary to media guide measurements–proved throughout the playoffs that being positionally small doesn’t translate to ineffectiveness. Faried, no more than 6’8″, 225 pounds, led the NCAA in rebounding for NCAA Tournament surprise Morehead State, snatching 14 per game going against taller centers. He was equally effective offensively, averaging 17 points per game with an array of inside moves.

Given the success Dejuan Blair, Paul Millsap, and Joel Anthony have had for the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, and Miami Heat as undersized forwards and centers, rebounds can be snagged and baskets can be made with hard work and relentlessness. They don’t care if they are facing seven-footers, and neither has Faried.

Portland has the ultimate gritty player in Gerald Wallace. He goes after loose balls, cleans the glass, swats shots, plays consistently stifling defense, and is aggressiveness offensively. They need another of his kind, and Faried fits the bill.

Faried isn’t the only possibility. Trading up to take a center, such as Bismack Biyombo, has to cross Buchanan’s mind, and that wouldn’t be a bad idea if the 9th overall selection, for example, could be had for the aforementioned package or some slight variation.

This possibility of trading up has to tempt the Blazers, a team that has always been aggressive on draft day. This year’s draft may lack the talent of past editions, but there is certainly plenty of potential expected to go in the first round. Trading up into the top-ten would cost a lot for Portland, and may not be worth the price.

If they were to go the point guard route, teams would want Nicolas Batum or Wesley Matthews in order to move up and take Kemba Walker. That is unlikely, and a package surrounding Rudy Fernandez, Armon Johnson, and the 21st overall pick wouldn’t be that enticing an alternative.

Getting a center? This has been established as a good idea. Going after a point guard? An okay idea for the right price. But going after a shooting guard/small forward? A perplexing idea. Using the pick on a wing player when Brandon Roy, Matthews, Batum, and Wallace are in the fold makes no sense. Yet, that seems to be what the team is thinking; there is word they are interested in 22-year-old Bosnian forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who isn’t even in the first round of Chad Ford’s mock draft on ESPN, nor is he one of the players Ford lists as his ‘next five in.’

Portland should throw that possibility out of the window. Taking Faried, if he is still available, should be their first thought. And if he’s already selected, get someone who plays his position. If Portland does this, they would be one step closer to truly contending as one of the NBA’s best.