Round 1 - Pick 20 - Portland Trailblazers
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2026 1:22 am
With the 20th pick in the draft, the Portland Trailblazers select: Ariel Hukporti, center.
Pros:
+ Fantastic moves inside the post on solid volume
+ Great defensive rebounder
+ Very good paint defender
+ Draws lots of contact
+ Extremely Disciplined and Consistent
Cons:
- No shot to speak of outside the paint
- Should never dribble
- Shaq-level FT shooter
- Subpar Offensive rebounder
- Dumber than your average bear
Hukporti is a throwback big. He's at his best when he's near the basket (on both ends). Offensively, he isn't any help facilitating, and he should dribble as little as possible. But find a way to get him the ball inside the paint and just get out of the way. He spins, slides, and rolls his way to the rim with relative ease, and he keeps defenders off-balance with an impressive bank shot that is satisfying to watch. His inside scoring is good enough to be an excellent secondary scoring option in any lineup.
Defensively, he does an excellent job staying in front of opponents, preventing them from finding an easy route to the basket. His large frame keeps him from being pushed around in the paint, and he shuffles his feet well to maintain good positioning and rarely gets called for a silly foul. He does a good job getting his hands up to alter shots, and he's excellent at grabbing the defensive rebound to end possessions.
With a roster that's already pretty deep and balanced, the Blazers decided to go BPA long before the draft started. And management determined big man Ariel Hukport (6'10, 246) to be that player when the 20th pick was made. At 22 years old, he comes into the league relatively polished compared to many of his draft class peers. So if he comes into camp and impresses the coaching staff, he could carve out a role on the team. He has the talent but will have to earn it on this Blazers team.
Pros:
+ Fantastic moves inside the post on solid volume
+ Great defensive rebounder
+ Very good paint defender
+ Draws lots of contact
+ Extremely Disciplined and Consistent
Cons:
- No shot to speak of outside the paint
- Should never dribble
- Shaq-level FT shooter
- Subpar Offensive rebounder
- Dumber than your average bear
Hukporti is a throwback big. He's at his best when he's near the basket (on both ends). Offensively, he isn't any help facilitating, and he should dribble as little as possible. But find a way to get him the ball inside the paint and just get out of the way. He spins, slides, and rolls his way to the rim with relative ease, and he keeps defenders off-balance with an impressive bank shot that is satisfying to watch. His inside scoring is good enough to be an excellent secondary scoring option in any lineup.
Defensively, he does an excellent job staying in front of opponents, preventing them from finding an easy route to the basket. His large frame keeps him from being pushed around in the paint, and he shuffles his feet well to maintain good positioning and rarely gets called for a silly foul. He does a good job getting his hands up to alter shots, and he's excellent at grabbing the defensive rebound to end possessions.
With a roster that's already pretty deep and balanced, the Blazers decided to go BPA long before the draft started. And management determined big man Ariel Hukport (6'10, 246) to be that player when the 20th pick was made. At 22 years old, he comes into the league relatively polished compared to many of his draft class peers. So if he comes into camp and impresses the coaching staff, he could carve out a role on the team. He has the talent but will have to earn it on this Blazers team.