TUALATIN — It was a busy Friday at the
’ practice facility in Tualatin.
In the span of six hours, the team hosted two predraft workouts and welcomed owner Paul Allen
, all while receiving visits from one of the top big men in the NBA Draft, an Oregon native trying to land an NBA gig and a prospect featuring impressive NBA lineage and equally unimpressive baggage.
The jam-packed day started in the morning as
. and
joined four other NBA Draft hopefuls for a six-player workout. It ended a few hours later when Allen arrived to evaluate a 45-minute solo workout featuring
, an athletic 7-foot prospect auditioning for the Blazers’ No. 10 overall selection.
Zeller, who has
to
because of his smooth shooting stroke and tall, lanky frame, is one of the most high-profile visitors to visit the Blazers over five predraft workouts.
“I think he’s a good comparison,” Zeller said of Aldridge. “I’m not to his level, but headed in that direction. And I think I’ll be able to do some similar stuff.”
Zeller was thought to be a Top-10 NBA Draft talent in 2012 after an outstanding freshman season at Indiana, but elected to return to college to improve his game and draft stock. Some draft prognosticators predicted he might grow into a No. 1 selection. But while Zeller had a solid sophomore season — averaging 16.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks — he failed to develop into the dominant, dynamic prospect many projected.
Even so, Zeller’s unique blend of athleticism, speed, shooting ability and soft hands makes him a certain lottery pick and it’s possible he’ll be available when the Blazers use their only first-round selection. His said he projects to be a power forward in the NBA, but he has the athleticism and background to play center, too.
The Blazers’ brain trust and
interviewed Zeller at the NBA draft combine in Chicago last month and members of the management team had plans to spend more time with him during a dinner on Friday night. Allen was at the practice facility Friday specifically to watch Zeller, who has participated in workouts for the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, and will travel to the Oklahoma City Thunder next.
Allen did not attend the team’s morning workout, which featured an Oregonian (Singler) and one of the draft’s most intriguing stories (Rice Jr.).
Rice Jr. has spent the last few weeks — really, the last year — trying to repair his stained reputation and resurrect his basketball career.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard grew up in the spotlight, the son of three-time NBA All-Star Glen Rice, and was considered one of the nation’s best prep shooting guards when he decided to attend Georgia Tech. But his college tenure was littered with turbulence and controversy.
Singler, meanwhile, is merely hoping to land a second-round flier. He called Friday’s workout a “dream come true” and said he would bring “knock-down” shooting, “high character” and a willingness to be a “good role player” to any team that drafts him. But he is hardly a lock to get drafted and Singler said he is prepared to pursue a professional career overseas if necessary.
“My brother said if you don’t make it into the NBA, it’s not the end of the world,” Singler said, referring to Kyle Singler, who played in Spain during the NBA lockout before joining the Detroit Pistons this season. “He said there’s still great basketball overseas. He said he learned a lot over there, playing in Spain. He said he grew as a player and he gives a lot of credit (to) playing overseas ... so if I don’t make it in the NBA, I’ve still got a lot of options overseas and I can still improve as a player over there and still have a chance to come to the NBA.”
--Joe Freeman