The Portland Trail Blazers hosted a talented group of NBA Draft prospects for a workout at the Tualatin practice facility on Thursday.
The pre-draft workout featured first-round talent galore, with five of the six prospects projected to go on the draft’s first day in June, according to the Ringer’s latest mock draft. And several of those players are flirting with the NBA Draft Lottery, hovering right around Portland’s No. 11 pick.
One of Thursday’s headliners was St. Joseph’s 6-foot-9 junior forward Rasheer Fleming. He projects as a compelling 3-and-D prototype with potential positionless switchability on the defensive end. That promise stems from his athleticism, trending-up jump shot, and serious size — his 6-foot-9 frame is complemented by a 7-foot-5 wingspan that causes you to sneak a double-take if you see it in person.
The concerns surrounding Fleming’s game deal with his ball-handling and lack of on-ball creation (he’s a play finisher, not a play creator right now, okay). There’s also a question about whether the improved shooting numbers are sustainable or just riding the high of a one-season spike.
Over 35 games at St. Joe’s during his junior season, Fleming averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists per game. He shot 53.1% from the field, 39.0% on 3s (up from 32.4% as a sophomore), and 74.3% from the free throw line.
A sampling of five mock drafts from around the NBA media landscape (The Athletic, the Ringer, Yahoo, Bleacher Report and SB Nation) puts Fleming’s first-round selection range anywhere from Nos. 21-29.
After Thursday’s workout, Fleming spoke with reporters about how the day went, his skillset and what he’s trying to show NBA teams during the pre-draft process. Quotes from that conversation are below.
Fleming on what he’s trying to show teams during these workouts:
“Being able to guard most positions, being able to guard picking up full court, being able to hit the shot and make plays when I have the ball in my hands, so just doing a little bit of everything.”
On how his multiple seasons of development in college helped prepare him for this next step:
“The main thing is really just being able to stay in one spot and be able to just grow and lead. ... Just having the ability to lead.”
On what position he sees himself playing in the NBA:
“3, 4, 5 — I feel like I can play the 5 as well, but the main is 3, 4. ... Honestly all three.”
On what feedback he’s been receiving from NBA teams during the pre-draft process:
“They want me to be more aggressive when it comes to attacking, whether it’s scoring or even going for rebounds, just having an attack mindset. That was the main thing they wanted to see from me more, but they liked my overall game.”
On if he tries to model parts of his game after current NBA players:
“A little bit of [Minnesota Timberwolves forward] Jaden McDaniels and [New York Knicks forward] OG Anunoby.”
On how he would fit in with the current Blazers roster:
“I feel like I could fit into that role of being that guy who can start out doing anything the coach needs from me and just building from there.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Fleming’s game, the folks at No Ceilings NBA have us all covered with a 20-minute highlight tape from his junior season:
The rest of Thursday’s group included Michigan State 6-foot guard Jase Richardson, Georgia 6-foot-10 forward Asa Newell, UConn 6-foot-7 forward Liam McNeeley, Illinois 6-foot-8 forward Will Riley, and 7-foot-1 center Hansen Yang from China’s Qingdao Eagles.
Along with Fleming, Newell and Richardson spoke with reporters after the workout. We have coverage of Newell’s interview here. Coverage from Richardson’s interview is coming up later tonight!