Holdahl: Blazers G Damian Lillard Lists Favorite Players In 2013 NBA Draft Class

Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com has the transcript of an interview on Blazers Courtside with Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey in which Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard laid out his favorite players in the 2013 Draft class.

Which players do you like in this draft?

I threw out a comment, not that they've asked. I've made comments about who I like. I really like CJ McCollum, who's also similar to me. He's a four-year player, a four-year college athlete, graduated from school, he's about 6-3 and a half, he can score the ball, he can also make plays. I think somebody like him off the bench would really help our team because he can back me up as a point guard, he can come off (the bench) and score, he can play off the ball. So I think someone like him would be really good for us.

I also like Ben McLemore and I also like Nerlens Noel also because he's a paint protector, shot blocker, rebounder and he's athletic. So I like a few guys in this draft.

The Blazers hold the No. 10 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after Tuesday's lottery drawing. Lillard represented the Blazers at the drawing.

Noel and McLemore are seen as top-five (and possibly top-two) caliber prospects.

McCollum is currently ranked No. 8 in DraftExpress.com's mock draft and No. 9 in Chad Ford of ESPN.com's mock draft.

Lillard has been used as a comparison for McCollum as both spent four years at small schools.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter