NBA Draft 2015: April Mock Draft -- Portland Trail Blazers select R.J. Hunter

With the 23rd pick of the 2015 NBA Draft . . . the Portland Trail Blazers select R.J. Hunter from Georgia State University. I'm not a huge R.J. fan but it is clear that he is reliably a 1st rounder across the board. He's not the best player available, but I can't assume that the Blazers are going to go for that. The best players available are point guards, and they already have Damian Lillard and Steve Blake on the books for next season. With Wesley Matthews (SG), LaMarcus Aldridge (PF), and Robin Lopez (C) all hitting free agency in July something must be done in June. The bigmen need to get paid. The wings, on the other hand, only have Nicolas Batum, Arron Afflalo, and C.J. McCollum returning. A draft pick here can shore up some deficiencies; while the big bucks are saved for the bigmen. That makes a lot of sense to me, but I cannot be relied upon for clear judgement as I've been typing draft reports all night long. I think Hunter can fit into what Portland is trying to do. He's like a less quick Batum. He's a deadly shooter, an excellent passer, and helps out on the glass. R.J. is also someone who rarely misses open shots when his feet are set. He can come off the bench and help extend a lead with his shooting and floor spacing. He's not an athlete at the NBA level, and that may keep him as a career bench guy. But you can't win a game without a bench. That's something Portland learned in the NBA Playoffs for sure.