Post-NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers will start most of the offseason with three new picks: G League Ignite #3 pick Scoot Henderson, #23 pick Kris Murray of Iowa, and #43 pick Rayan Rupert, a French winger , who played in Australia’s NBL last season.
Yesterday, the franchise welcomed the trio with an introductory press conference in Portland. Along with general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups, the rookies answered questions about their respective games and encounters with Portland.
Below are some of the most notable quotes from the 20+ minute session.
opening speech
Cronin opened the event with excitement about the players ending up in Portland’s draft picks, especially since Murray and Rupert were rated far higher on the franchise’s grand ladder.
“For us, it was one of those unique draft nights where we had all three of these players placed in the lottery, and we were fortunate to win three of them at very different points in the draft. … It was a unique way the design came about for us that meshed really well with the way we had graded it.”
Billups echoed Cronin’s comment, saying the players fit his preferred archetype of versatile competitors.
“[It’s] not often [picks] 3, 23, and 43, and you come out with three guys who have been invited to the Green Room. … Many of you know what I think about the game of basketball. I love guys who are very competitive. I love guys who play with fire, who play on both sides of basketball, and all three of these guys do. They’re all very dynamic, so I’m looking forward to getting involved with them and teaching them the best I can can.”
Scott Henderson
Henderson comes to Portland as one of the most hyped candidates the Blazers have won in a long time. Henderson is considered a likely No. 1 pick in almost every other draft that doesn’t feature French phenomenon Victor Wembanyama or Alabama forward Brandon Miller. He comes to Portland after the Charlotte Hornets went 2nd with Miller. The 6-foot-2, athletic point guard possesses great confidence and swagger, which shows in (and in) the presser Draft night outfit) and after two years in the NBA G League, it’s believed that he’s better prepared than most 19-year-olds to turn pro.
When asked about the hype, Henderson said he tries not to think too much about it.
“Honestly, I don’t really pay attention to it. It’s hard not to see it, of course I have social media but I only ever rely on the gym. I wouldn’t have any of it if it wasn’t for me and my work ethic. … So if there are words like “transgenerational,” “special,” then I know who I am as a person, and that’s all that matters.”
Entering the NBA as a top lottery win brings with it expectations of leadership and eventually being the face of a franchise. Henderson said his time in the G League helped him prepare for that responsibility and he’s not shy about speaking out.
“I’m blessed to have spent the two years at Ignite as a pro and had to tell men [like] phew [Jeter], who is 20 years older than me, where on the pitch. I will continue to feel comfortable with this and I will accept it. That’s what I could do, accept that and accept that I have a lot of responsibility, but it’s related to the work ethic. I always come back to that. I work on things like that – just talking and little things like that in my game.”
Chris Murray
After four years in Iowa, Murray, 22, is entering the league much older than his teenage rookie teammates and most rookies in the modern NBA. Cronin said he received many calls from other teams trying to secure 23rd place, particularly on draft night, but the franchise was thrilled to still have Murray on the board when the election finally came.
“A few weeks before the draft [we] I got a lot of calls about pick 23. I could see the league starting to really evaluate and figure out the depth here in this draft. So over the past two weeks, there have indeed been frequent calls regarding our election and what the teams want. …When we hit our teens, the number of phones exploded. Teams were trying to get into the draft, chasing not just Kris but other guys as well. Just a lot of activity, a lot of different phone calls and discussions. Mentally we had Kris on top of our board and when we say we’re on pick 18, 17 we’re like, man, he ain’t getting that far. You just hope and cheer, and at some point you guess we are happy that he has come to us.”
In addition to the added experience of age, Murray also benefits from learning from his older brother Keegan, who was drafted #4 by the Sacramento Kings last summer. The 1.80m tall forward spoke about how his brother helped him prepare for his NBA moment.
“It’s definitely a unique experience when the brother you’re very close with gets to be part of this whole process, and I saw in the background last year what it all entails, so just little things that I get from learned from him. …how to take care of yourself on and off the court. The biggest thing I learned from him is to do the same thing every day. Don’t change who you are.”
Rayan Rupert
Rupert, 19, joins the NBA after a year in Australia’s NBL with the New Zealand Breakers. The 1.8m tall forward briefly explained to reporters his journey from an elite basketball academy in France to the NBA and how he enjoys playing.
“I grew up in France and played at the INSEP Academy for four years. Tony Parker and Evan Fournier played there, so I spent four years there. Last year I made the decision to play for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL. It was a great opportunity to grow up far away from my country as a player and as a person. So it’s been an amazing journey and now I’m happy to be here.
I think I’m a two-way player, my first quality is defensive, I just love being defensive disruptive and playing with maximum energy.”
A big fan of the Rupert pick included former Blazer Nicolas Batum, who tweeted his support for the pick. At the press conference, Rupert discussed his relationship with his French compatriot, which dates back years.
“Nic Batum is like a big brother to me. He called me [Friday]I’ve known him for 10 years, I went to a camp and got the MVP degree there, so I spent 10 days with him when he was in Charlotte. When he called me yesterday [he] I just said a lot of good things about this organization and the people here. i like his game I’m trying to learn more about him on and off the pitch.”
Direct Contributions
While Portland’s pick received generally positive reviews from the media, criticism was leveled at the franchise’s inability to build a combat-ready team around Damian Lillard, a reality compounded by Portland’s decision to use all three picks. In that regard, Billups said the Blazers’ front office still has a lot of team-building work to do this summer, but also said these rookies are more ready than most.
“The way I see these guys, it’s obvious their age is quite young, but they don’t play like that. Her IQ is different than that of a normal man her age. That’s one reason they’re here. For these reasons we have carefully selected them all. Those young moments and those young things are minimized with these guys. Scoot just said it: He’s been leading men for two years. … Kris, you can tell there’s a certain maturity about him. He won’t play like a rookie, if he’s out there he’ll be able to contribute. Rayan played pro in a very, very physical and tough league. I don’t think these guys are young, I feel like they can contribute immediately. … Obviously we have a big couple of weeks ahead of us to build up the rest of our team.”
Players were asked how they could contribute in their rookie season and said the following:
Rupert: “I’ll try to earn my minutes with maximum energy and defense early on and do whatever the coach asks of me to help the team.”
Henderson: “I think I can pressure the defense in all sorts of ways. Be a voice, lead by example, and gain the trust of my teammates. Then just develop defensively…and become one of the best defenders in the league.”
Murray: I think for me it’s just my versatility, offensively and defensively. I feel like I can guard and play multiple positions, but definitely my basketball IQ. I think I’m a guy who doesn’t make mistakes.”
The Lillard situation
The tale of Lillard and the question of whether he will remain a blazer next season becomes the plot of the summer. Towards the end of the press conference, Cronin discussed his communications with the franchise face related to the draft results.
“The last time we spoke directly was when he was in Europe on Tuesday and I spoke to his agent multiple times each day and have stayed in close contact. Dame will be back in town pretty soon so we’ll meet up.”
Weeks of speculation and uncertainty surrounding the draft are now firmly in the rearview mirror as the Blazers bring Henderson, Murray and Rupert to town. Now all eyes are on free agency and the summer trading season.
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