Portland Trail Blazers: 3 2019 NBA Draft prospects to keep an eye on

1. Simi Shittu, PF, Vanderbilt

If you want to talk about a guy who passes the eye test, very few in this upcoming draft class can do so like Simisola Shittu. As mentioned with Jalen Smith, the Blazers would love another star power forward to complement and add to the offensive power they already boast. At 6’10” and 240 pounds, Shittu’s body is already NBA-ready. He is proving to be a scoring and great rebounding threat whose ceiling is only rising.

Shittu is a native of Ontario and was the No. 19 overall player in the 2018 ESPN 100. He committed to the University of Vanderbilt and since has bulked up in adding on weight, proving he is a force not to be overlooked going into the summer.

Stellar performances such as his game against Ole Miss on Jan. 5 where he put up 21 points and nine rebounds have put on display Shittu’s ability to lead his team as an excellent scoring option down low, as well as a guy who can go get you extra possessions on the glass. So far in his freshman season, he’s averaged 14.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

The book on Shittu is that he is a more traditional big man with power and athletic prowess. He doesn’t necessarily stretch the floor and has yet to turn into a long-range option, but his ability to get to the basket makes him a lethal option at the power forward position to add balance to an offense already proficient from long range.

Only time will tell what type of player Shittu will turn into, but considering his current stock and where the Blazers are projected to pick in the upcoming draft, he may just be the best option for the franchise going forward.