NBA Draft 2020: Top 3 options for Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 16 pick

Possible NBA Draft target for Portland Trail Blazers — Saddiq Bey

Forward | Villanova | 6’8 | 216 lbs | 21 years old

Despite the team’s longstanding playoff aspirations, the front office in Portland has never felt pressured to draft players to fill immediate needs. As was mentioned in RJ Hampton’s section, Neil Olshey is quite fond of prioritizing a talent-over-fit mindset, with the reasonable stance that rookies can only help a team so much. Playoff games are won with veterans, not rookies, at least not typically.

But that doesn’t mean that the Blazers still can’t dabble in the assortment of supposed NBA-ready prospects, particularly on the wings, where they could use help both now and in the future. Villanova sharpshooter Saddiq Bey is a name that’s been rising on mocks in recent months following a breakout sophomore season, with the 6’8 forward averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on a dynamite .477/.451/.769 shooting split.

Imagining Bey’s fit in Portland doesn’t take much creativity. He’s comfortable playing either forward spot (though he’s better off defending fours due to foot speed), he’s fundamentally sound and has basic one-pass-away reads drilled into his memory (thanks to Nova’s Jay Wright), he’s a natural relocator beyond the arc and a smart cutter, and he’s not an outright negative on the defensive end.

For a team whose offensive identity revolves around the pick-and-roll creation of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, it’s rather useful to have smart, cerebral players who can finish players and swing the ball when needed.

Bey did show some flashes of pull-up and pick-and-roll creation as a junior, but his athleticism and OK handle will limit how often he has direct creation responsibilities at the next level. That’s perfectly fine, considering that he ranked in the 98th percentile on catch-and-shoot jumpers in the halfcourt.

Bey figures to be a worthwhile perimeter option for any team that drafts him, whether he’s spotting up or operating as the screener in pick-and-pops, which makes his fit in Portland a rather clean one.

Teams hoping to draft a 3-and-D wing in Saddiq Bey may be overestimating the 21-year-old’s capabilities on defense, where he’s admittedly a bit overrated from Nova’s scheme. His on-ball defense is adequate and he’s not one who will typically hurt a team with his decision-making as a helper, but his below-average athleticism for a wing does make him better off defending fours, where he’s less likely to get burned out on the perimeter.

His strength and length (6’11 wingspan) help him somewhat, but he struggles changing directions, often finding himself in turn-and-chase situations when guarding drivers, and he lacks the requisite vertical pop to make up for such lapses. He’s not much of a playmaker on defense, both due to instincts and the aforementioned physical limitations; he doesn’t exactly jump with the best of them and he struggles to cover ground quickly when closing out on shooters.

Defensive warts aside, his fit in Portland does make sense, and they’re one of the few teams that would hopefully view him as a play-finishing four who can help funnel ball-handlers toward their shot-blockers on defense. Saddiq Bey is projected to go anywhere in the 10-20 range, making him a worthwhile value play for the Trail Blazers with the No. 16 pick.