Nicolas “I Hate Juan Carlos Navarro” Batum is an example of what happens when a young, raw player actually develops. But, for every Nicolas Batum, there are ten Hassan Whitesides left behind, forced to seek employment overseas. The Blazers lucked out this time, and their prospect turned out to be a high-quality starter who is capable of getting a 5-by-5, rather than a scrub who screws up every time the coach accidentally puts him in the game (coughVictorClavercough).
You might not know it, but I once got a 5-by-5. I ate five Hot Pockets in five minutes. I’ve got a lot of upside when it comes to consuming microwaved pouches of bread and cheese. I can even switch it up and eat the breakfast ones with the egg in them. My name’s in the draft if there’s a team out there who wants a player with an infinitely high ceiling.