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NBA Mock Draft: Portland Trail Blazers Select Luke Kennard From Duke

SB Nation's NBA Network conducted a mock draft with bloggers from each team site making their team's pick. To continue the 2017 NBA Mock Draft, Blazer’s Edge takes Luke Kennard from Duke

ACC Basketball Tournament - Championship Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

NBA Mock Draft Pick #15: Luke Kennard, Shooting Guard, Duke

SBNation’s Portland Trail Blazers’ blog Blazer’s Edge explains their pick:

The Blazers should be open to trading any of their picks, including #15, but Luke Kennard makes sense if they select here. They are essentially drafting a better, and much cheaper Allen Crabbe (who would also be available in trade in this scenario). An elite shooter at 6'6", Kennard can play shooting guard when Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum sit. He could also play small forward alongside them in a smaller lineup. Although not a tremendous athlete, Kennard's IQ and great basketball instincts honed at Duke give Portland the third creator from the perimeter they desperately lack. The Blazers could also fill a hole at backup center with this pick, but with so many quality centers still on the board, they could take Kennard and still grab a good big at 20.

Ridiculous Upside Analysis

Although there’s a strong possibility that Portland ends up trading both #15 and #20 in an attempt to get a solid veteran, Kennard’s a good pick if they decide to stay in the draft. Like what Blazer’s Edge mentioned, Kennard stands as a solid wing that can facilitate but is also arguably the best shooter in this year’s draft. That statement is backed up by him shooting 44% from beyond the arc on 5.4 perimeter attempts per game. Kennard’s perimeter efficiency should allow him to have an immediate role on a young Trail Blazers team that might be on the cusp of really being a force in the Western Conference.

1. Boston Celtics - MARKELLE FULTZ, WASHINGTON

2. Los Angeles Lakers - LONZO BALL, UCLA

3. Philadelphia 76ers - JOSH JACKSON, KANSAS

4. Phoenix Suns - JONATHAN ISAAC, FLORIDA STATE

5. Sacramento Kings - DE’AARON FOX, KENTUCKY

6. Orlando Magic - JAYSON TATUM, DUKE

7. Minnesota Timberwolves - MALIK MONK, KENTUCKY

8. New York Knicks - FRANK NTILIKINA, FRANCE

9. Dallas Mavericks - DENNIS SMITH, NC STATE

10. Sacramento Kings - LAURI MARKKANEN, ARIZONA

11. Charlotte Hornets - DONOVAN MITCHELL, LOUISVILLE

12. Detroit Pistons - ZACH COLLINS, GONZAGA

13. Denver Nuggets - OG ANUNOBY, INDIANA

14. Miami Heat - TJ LEAF, UCLA

15. Portland Trail Blazers - LUKE KENNARD, DUKE

16. Chicago Bulls -

17. Milwaukee Bucks -

18. Indiana Pacers -

19. Atlanta Hawks -

20. Portland Trail Blazers -

21. Oklahoma City Thunder -

22. Brooklyn Nets -

23. Toronto Raptors -

24. Utah Jazz -

25. Orlando Magic -

26. Portland Trail Blazers -

27. Brooklyn Nets -

28. Los Angeles Lakers -

29. San Antonio Spurs -

30. Utah Jazz -