The NBA draft isn't just about wingspan and vertical leap anymore. If you've been following the Portland Trail Blazers lately, you’ve probably noticed they aren't just drafting "hoopers"—they’re drafting processors. This shift leads us directly to a controversial, high-tech piece of the scouting puzzle: the S2 Cognition test.
Basically, the S2 is a 45-minute gauntlet on a gaming laptop that measures how fast a player's brain can make sense of chaos. It’s not an IQ test. It doesn't care if you can solve a quadratic equation or define "superfluous." It cares if you can see a flickering screen and decide—in milliseconds—whether to "shoot" or "pass."
For the Blazers, a team currently knee-deep in a grueling rebuild, these scores have become a quiet cornerstone of their strategy. Honestly, it’s a gamble. But when you're moving on from the Damian Lillard era, you look for every edge you can find.
The S2 Portland Trail Blazers Connection: Why Joe Cronin Is Buying In
Portland’s front office, led by GM Joe Cronin, has leaned heavily into "information-age" scouting. While some teams still rely on the "eye test" and gut feelings, the Blazers are part of a growing cohort using the S2 Portland Trail Blazers data to minimize "bust" potential.
Think back to the 2023 draft. The Blazers took Scoot Henderson at number three. While everyone was talking about his explosive first step and his "built like a linebacker" frame, the Blazers were also looking at his ability to read the floor.
The S2 test breaks players down into nine categories, including:
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- Perception Speed: How fast do you see the play?
- Tracking Capacity: Can you keep an eye on all ten players at once?
- Impulse Control: Do you take the bait on a pump fake?
The Blazers don't publicly leak these scores (nobody wants a C.J. Stroud situation where a "low" score becomes a talking point on ESPN for weeks), but insiders suggest Portland prioritizes "high-processing" guards. Why? Because in Chauncey Billups’ system, the point guard has to be a computer.
Does it actually work?
Look at Shaedon Sharpe. When he came out of Kentucky without playing a single college game, he was a total mystery. A "ghost" prospect. But his athletic tools were off the charts. For a team like Portland, using the S2 helped bridge the gap between "he can jump high" and "he understands when to jump."
Sharpe has since turned into a foundational piece, averaging a career-high 21.5 PPG in the 2025-26 season. He's not just a dunker; his "search efficiency" (an S2 metric) allows him to find pockets of space that other 22-year-olds simply don't see.
What Most People Get Wrong About S2 Scores
There is a huge misconception that a high S2 score equals a superstar.
It doesn’t.
It just means your brain works fast. You can have the fastest brain in the world, but if you can’t hit a jump shot, you’re still not an NBA player.
The S2 is a "floor raiser," not a "ceiling mapper."
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The real value for Portland is in avoiding the players who look like stars but have "slow" brains. In the NBA, a player who takes 0.2 seconds longer to process a double-team is the difference between a bucket and a turnover. For a young team like the Blazers—who are currently fighting through a 19-22 start in 2026—those 0.2 seconds are everything.
The Risk: The C.J. Stroud Effect
We have to acknowledge the elephant in the room. In the NFL, C.J. Stroud famously "bombed" the S2 test with an 18 score. He then went on to have one of the greatest rookie seasons in history.
This created a massive backlash. Agents started telling their players to boycott the test. In 2024, the agency Athletes First basically staged a coup against cognitive testing.
So, why are the Blazers still into it?
Because basketball is different. A quarterback has a few seconds in the pocket. A basketball player is in a continuous state of flow. The "instinctive learning" measured by the S2 is arguably more relevant on a 94-foot hardwood floor than it is on a football field. Portland is betting that while the test isn't perfect, it’s better than guessing.
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How the Blazers Are Using This in 2026
The Blazers' roster is currently a lab experiment for "high-IQ" basketball.
- Donovan Clingan: The 2024 lottery pick wasn't just drafted for his height. His "spatial awareness" scores were reportedly elite, allowing him to anchor a defense despite not being a "twitchy" athlete.
- Scoot Henderson: His development has been a roller coaster, but his "improvisation" metrics remain the reason the front office hasn't moved him.
- Hansen Yang: The shocking 16th pick in the 2025 draft was a "reach" according to most experts. But Portland saw a 7-foot-1 passer with "old-school craft." That "craft" is usually code for "high cognitive processing."
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're trying to figure out who the Blazers will target in the 2026 draft or beyond, stop looking at the box scores and start looking at the "invisible" plays.
- Watch the "Closeouts": Does a player consistently bite on pump fakes? That’s poor "impulse control," a key S2 metric. Portland is moving away from these players.
- The "Skip Pass" Test: If a player sees a teammate open on the opposite wing before the defender even moves, they likely have high "search efficiency." These are the guys Joe Cronin wants.
- Draft Day Strategy: Expect the Blazers to keep taking "reaches" like Hansen Yang. If a player is skilled but "slow" or "unathletic," Portland might be seeing a cognitive processing speed that doesn't show up on a highlight reel.
The S2 Portland Trail Blazers era is about building a team that can outthink the opponent when they can't outrun them. It’s a move toward "Positionless Intelligence."
To keep track of how this is working, pay attention to Portland’s turnover rates and defensive rotation speed over the next 40 games. If those numbers improve despite a young roster, the "computer brains" are starting to sync up. Keep an eye on the development of the Clingan-Yang frontcourt; their ability to pass and read the floor together will be the ultimate litmus test for this cognitive scouting experiment.
Next Steps for Rip City Fans:
Monitor the 2026 pre-draft rumors specifically for "cognitive testing" opt-outs. If a top prospect avoids the S2, don't be surprised if Portland passes on them, regardless of their scoring average. Focus your scouting on high-assist-to-turnover big men and wings who demonstrate elite defensive anticipation.