Portland Trail Blazers' draft history, 2000-present

With Draft Day 2009 rapidly approaching, I thought I'd take a look back in time at the Blazers' draft picks. I've decided not to talk much about jobbers like Nedzad Sinanovic, Ha Seung-Jin, or Sergei Monia, despite how hilarious they were, and focused simply on the first-round or high-profile picks.

Nowadays, it seems that the Blazers use the draft to make trades to retool the roster, rather than relying on their draft potision alone. But before Kevin Pritchard took the GM job, the Blazers had a dubious draft history in the 2000s, picking duds and missing out on stars like Chris Paul. It took two special GMs to screw up as many opportunities as they did. Bob Whitsitt and John Nash, everybody!

2000 - Erick Barkley, St. Johns
Sat on the bench for two years, then shipped out for nothing. What a throwaway pick! In college the guy shot less than 40% and averaged only 4.5 assists per game, he also had an assist/TO radio of 1.8! Who thought this guy would even turn out OK?


2001 - Zach Randolph, Michigan State, and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, Georgetown
After breaking out in the 2003 playoffs, Randolph won the Most Improved Player award in 2004. But, like so many other young, up-and-coming Blazers at the time, he developed a fondness for trouble (and in Randolph's case, strip clubs). If someone wants to go to a strip club on occasion, that's their business. Just don't do it when you say you are on leave to attend a funeral.
He was also fat, unathletic, and became a black hole on offense, more concerned with his own stats than his team's play. As New York and Los Angeles found out, old habits die hard.
Boumtje-Boumtje is most known for getting a basketball thrown at his head by Rasheed Wallace in practice.

2002- Qyntel Woods - Northeast Mississippi CC
HE WENT TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE! AT LEAST HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS STILL HAVE PROMISE!
Woods was supposed to be the shooting guard of the future, based on his play against washed-up never-will-be's at community college. Oh, he also staged dog fights and once presented his basketball card as identification when he was pulled over.

2003- Travis Outlaw, Starkville (MS) High School
The guy is a human question mark. He's gone from benchwarmer, to bust, to The Future, to inconsistent, to clutch performer, to trade-bait, in six years. The jury's still out on if he really is the right small forward for the Blazers.


2004- Sebastian Telfair, Lincoln H.S (Brooklyn, NY)
New York high school basketball prodigy + insane hype + book deal - shooting ability - ability to run offense = traded in 2 years.



2005 - Martell Webster, Seattle Prep, and Linus Kleiza, Missouri So.
Webster apparently has a great shooting touch, but because of injuries, minutes, and inconsistency, we haven't seen the whole package yet. Webster was predicted to have a breakout year in 2008-09 but hurt his foot and played only 1 game (and re-injured his foot). Will we ever see him put it all together?
Kleiza was traded to Denver for Jarrett Jack, a move that looks worse and worse as the years go by. Jack never ended up fitting in the Portland system and was traded, while Kleiza turned into a decent role player and 3-point shooter for the Nuggets.

2006 - Tyrus Thomas, LSU, and Randy Foye, Villanova
Through wheeling and dealing, were turned into rookie of the year Brandon Roy and rising star LaMarcus Aldridge. So essentially, the Blazers' most successful draft picks! Sergio Rodriguez was also acquired through a draft-day trade, but aside from some glimpses of promise, he doesn't seem to be in the Blazers' plans.

2007 - Greg Oden, Ohio State
(Laughs nervously)









2008 - Brandon Rush, Kansas
"Great," I said on draft day. "We drafted a young shooting guard to play behind our young superstar shooting guard (Roy) and our Spanish import shooting guard (Rudy Fernandez). Great move." But then on draft day, the Blazers shipped Rush and Jarrett Jack to Indiana for the rights to Jerryd Bayless. It's still to early to tell with Bayless. He's got the determination, but he never got the consistent minutes to showcase his game. One thing's for sure, if he can't learn to run the show as a passing point guard on occasion, he's going to find life with the Blazers very difficult.

As for 2009, no one seems to know what the Blazers are up to. Some sources say they're looking to trade out of the first round. Others say they're trying to move up in the draft. Whatever way the draft turns out, one thing is clear: if the Blazers decide to draft or acquire another young point guard, they'd better be sure that the sixth time's the charm!