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Portland Trail Blazers: 5 options for pick No. 20 in 2017 NBA Draft

By Raymond Simms

March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Creighton Bluejays center Justin Patton (23) during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the Rhode Island Rams at Golden 1 Center. The Rams won 84-72. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Creighton Bluejays center Justin Patton (23) during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the Rhode Island Rams at Golden 1 Center. The Rams won 84-72. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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5. Isaiah Hartenstein, PF/C, Germany

Blazer fans that want to push the reset button on Meyers Leonard’s development will be interested in Isaiah Hartenstein.

Hartenstein is a quasi-local product. He was born and spent his early years in Eugene, Oregon. His father is Florian Hartenstein, a former Oregon Duck from Germany that played over a decade professionally in his homeland. Isaiah, his mother and his sister moved there when he was 10 to join his father.

Hartenstein enters the NBA Draft after spending a season with Lithuanian club BC Zalgiris. The team plays in Lithuania’s top league while also participating in the Euroleague. Hartenstein has played in 33 total games (five in the Euroleague), made made starts, and is averaging 11.5 minutes per game.

He could also see a little more run before the draft. Zalgiris is currently competing in the final round of the Lithuanian league championship.

Hartenstein is 7’1″ and has the tools to become a stretch big in the NBA. He is nimble on his feet, a strong rebounder, an astute passer and has a good shooting form. According to RealGM, Hartenstein averages 15.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per 40 minutes, adjusted for pace. He’s also a very impactful defender, averaging 2.9 steals and 1.8 steals per adjusted 40.

However, Hartenstein still has a ways to develop. His outside shot is still a work in progress, despite his good form. He is currently shooting 26.7 percent from three. Hartenstein is also mistake-prone in his young age. He is averaging 4.0 turnovers and 7.9 fouls per 40 minutes. Lastly, he doesn’t play up to his height due to bad posture. Instead, he is hunched over when he plays.

The Blazers could draft Hartenstein and keep him in Lithuania for another year or two. This would save money this season and allow him to keep developing in a high-level pro environment. On the other hand, he could also come over right away and begin the developing in-house. This would allow him to get acclimated to Portland’s systems and develop faster.

Either way, adding Isaiah Hartenstein would be a long-term step toward adding frontcourt offense to the Blazers roster.

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