Blazers will look to be busy in June’s NBA draft

The results of the 2013 NBA Draft lottery were announced Tuesday and the Portland Trail Blazers have landed the 10th pick for next month’s draft.

Some of the top prospects in the draft are University of Kentucky center Nerlens Noel, Indiana University center Cody Zeller, Kansas University guard Ben McLemore, Georgetown University forward Otto Porter and University of Michigan guard Trey Burke.

The order of the draft this year for the top 10 picks is: Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 1), followed by the Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Blazers, at No. 10.

Noel is expected by many observers to go first in the draft. He performed well in his freshman season, showing he is an effective shot blocker and explosive player with exceptional athleticism. He is measured at 6 foot 11 inches with a 7-foot-4-inch “wingspan.” Inside the paint, he showed he can play with either hand and rebound shots. One weaknesses in his game is his very narrow frame, which sometime hinders him from getting good positioning, scouts say. But he can easily make his weaknesses his strength by focusing on getting healthy this summer, rehabilitating after tearing a knee ligament (his ACL) in February, which cut short his season. He also can add some weight, to make him an effective NBA center.

Syracuse University point guard Michael Carter-Williams is projected by some experts to be chosen by Portland on draft day. He stands 6 foot 6 inches and weighs 185 lbs. His size brings a lot to the point guard position, his long strides allow him to cover the court more quickly than a smaller point guard and he has smooth ball handling skills, scouts say. This year he averaged 11.9 points and 7.3 assists per game. A year ago, as a sophomore, his offense and leadership led his team to the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Among all top draft prospects, he totaled the most assists and steals.

Another prospect mentioned as a possible Blazer pick is Croatian small forward Dario Saric. He stands 6 foot 10 inches, weighs 233 lbs and has a 9-foot reach. At age 19, he is seen by scouts as a top prospect because of his versatility: He shoots perimeter shots besides having a strong inside game. He could be a good addition to a Blazer team lacking many players his size, and would strengthen its defense.

UCLA forward Shabazz Muhammad has been in the discussion of Blazer draft options and a top 10 prospect, but didn’t play as well as many observers had expected at the NBA draft combine held a week ago. Muhammad is 6 foot 6 inches, weighs 221 lbs. and in November, was considered the No. 1 prospect in his class as the college season began. However, at the combine he failed to show scouts much promise, shooting poorly in drills. He would need to impress in individual workouts for teams to regain his preseason stature, observers say.

Getting the best players in the draft is the ideal strategy for the Blazers to improve. Whoever they choose should be expected to contribute, or even dominate, consistently each night, because last season consistency is what the team lacked, any hopes for the playoffs.

On the plus side, the Blazers did well at the 2012 draft. They chose Weber State point guard Damian Lillard, who posted an amazing season, participating in the NBA All Star Weekend and earning the Rookie of the Year award. Center Meyers Leonard, from the University of Illinois, also played well at times, showing promise toward the end of the season. His shot selection improved, he was a little more aggressive and he worked well with the point guards.

Although Blazers missed the play offs this year, they weren’t that far away. That show the team’s potential and how much training is needed this summer to get ready for next season.

The 2013 NBA Draft is on June 27, and will be aired on ESPN starting at 4 p.m. Pacific Time.