Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes that multiple organizations believe the Portland Trail Blazers will select Georgia guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with the No. 10 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Several teams are convinced this is the Portland call in the attempt to add depth as one of the final steps to a playoff push. Caldwell-Pope is an offensive threat who has spent two seasons in a system that created a lot of shooting opportunities for him.
Caldwell-Pope participated in a group workout for the Blazers earlier this month with owner Paul Allen in attendance. Here's a transcript of his post-workout comments.
Completed two standout seasons with the University of Georgia, averaging 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.92 steals and 33.0 minutes in 64 games ... During an accolade-heavy sophomore season in 2012-13, earned Southeastern Conference Player of the Year as voted by conference coaches and the Associated Press, averaging 18.5 points (43.3% FG, 37.3% 3-PT, 79.9% FT), 7.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.03 steals and 33.9 minutes ... A member of both All-SEC First Teams, becoming the first Georgia player since Dominique Wilkins in 1981 to sweep the major SEC Player of the Year awards
Caldwell-Pope has repeatedly been linked to the Blazers in mock drafts by Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Analysis: Right now, Caldwell-Pope is one of the fastest risers on NBA draft boards. He is a terrific shooter and a very good athlete. While the Blazers already have Wesley Matthews, adding Caldwell-Pope to the mix gives Portland great depth in the backcourt.
More here from Ford.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Caldwell-Pope didn't particularly shoot it well in workouts, but the more I speak with GMs and scouts, the more likely it seems that he's going somewhere in the mid-to-late lottery. Not only are teams attracted to his shooting ability and size but many feel as if he has a great grasp for the game and could be special someday. I could see him going to a team such as the Pistons, Wolves, Blazers or Sixers.
More from Joe Treutlein here.
After an inconsistent freshman season, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has taken his game to the next level as a sophomore, playing largely the same exact game from a stylistic standpoint, but seeing much better results in terms of both his production and efficiency.
Caldwell-Pope's jump shot remains his most frequently used weapon on the offensive end, with still more than half his field-goal attempts coming from behind the arc, but he's yielding much better results this season.
Caldwell-Pope has significantly increased his points (+4.5), assists (+0.6), and rebounds (+1.6) on a per 40 minute pace adjusted basis this season, while also seeing his true shooting percentage rise from 50% to 59% thanks in part to his much improved outside shot. While he only made 30% of his 3-pointers last season on nearly seven attempts per game, he's now converting 38% of attempts on exactly the same number of attempts. He's also managed to double his free-throw attempts per game from 2.5 to 5.1 while increasing his percentages at the line from 65% to 81%.
Caldwell-Pope has repeatedly been linked to the Blazers in mock drafts by Chad Fordof ESPN.com.
Hat tip: Casey Holdahl, Blazers.com
Belated thanks to BornWinner in the FanShots for beating me to it.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter