Grange Blog 12:44pm- DD gone by 9, Johnson is Raps pick

Raptorsrock · Post #1 » by **Raptorsrock** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:58 pm

Let the hell break loose! :lol:

Thursday, June 25, 2009 12:44 PM
Raptors have their man?

Wow. A guy covers a little horse-racing, a little baseball, a little hockey, and next thing you know all hell breaks loose.

More on this later further down, but Raptor fans should start Googling James Johnson. Right now he’s looking like their most likely candidate at No. 9 tonight, with Jrue Holiday the next best bet. DeMar DeRozan, the feeling is, won’t last that far down.

As for the Raptors: You can only imagine that the sudden stir of deal-making had Raptors president Bryan Colangelo’s eyes on fire. He loves to deal and not being in on anything would be killing him.

From my poking around the sense is that DeRozan, the rawest of the Raptors targets for the No. 9 pick but also the one with the highest ceiling, will be gone by the time the Raptors are choosing. If that’s the case – and three league sources have indicated that to me since last night – then look for the Raptors to choose James Johnson from Wake Forest. And you know what? I’m okay with that.

The Raptors got tougher when they added Reggie Evans. They would get tougher still if they add Johnson, a bruising small forward who echoes Rodney Rogers with a dash of Paul Pierce, and who won multiple national titles in karate and won in his only MMA bout against a 31-year-old when he was just 18.

MoPetefor3 · Post #2 » by **MoPetefor3** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:00 pm

As I said before, DeRozan will likely be gone by the 6th pick.

Raptorsrock · Post #3 » by **Raptorsrock** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:00 pm

Grange is pretty plugged in....

I wonder what team takes DD in the top 8? The Clippers :lol:

TR50 · Post #4 » by **TR50** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:02 pm

If Derozan is gone that high, is their any possibility at all that Evans/Harden falls to us?

Post #5 » by **Rhettmatic** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:02 pm

Who do they see taking DeRozan? I really think he'll be available.

Komodo · Post #6 » by **Komodo** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:02 pm

But then our guard situation becomes Calderon/Delfino/...Roko? Douby?

Test of Wills · Post #7 » by **Test of Wills** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:03 pm

Here we go.

Let the floodgates open folks.

Post #8 » by **Undefeated** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:03 pm

Don’t believe it til I see it.

HypNotiQ · Post #9 » by **HypNotiQ** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:03 pm

Hoopstarr · Post #10 » by **Hoopstarr** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:04 pm

I don't see why any team above us would take DeRozan. Maybe the Kings?

Boner Champ · Post #11 » by **Boner Champ** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:04 pm

.

The Raptors got tougher when they added Reggie Evans. They would get tougher still if they add Johnson, a bruising small forward who echoes Rodney Rogers with a dash of Paul Pierce, and who won multiple national titles in karate and won in his only MMA bout against a 31-year-old when he was just 18.

Wow Grange, compelling evidence.

zigzagzig · Post #12 » by **zigzagzig** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:04 pm

i said a couple days ago. i have a really strong feeling JJ is gonna be our pick

but i like DeMar. if he raises that much, then you'd think one of Harden/Evans would fall., so we cant be so concrete on James Johnson selection, but it's a good one.

Troubadour · Post #13 » by **Troubadour** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:05 pm

HypNotiQ wrote:fml

kingr · Post #14 » by **kingr** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:05 pm

Noooooooo, if DD is gone, damn. If DD is gone, someone who's mocked ahead of him should drop. We need to draft that person, I don't want johnson or holiday.

Test of Wills · Post #15 » by **Test of Wills** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:05 pm

1. Griffin
2. Thabeet
3. Rubio
4. Evans
5. Curry
6. Harden
7. ? Hill
8. They are drafting a PG. this is for sure. Flynn?Jennings?Holiday?
9. DeRozan

What is Grange smoking? I don't see any team taking DeRozan outside of maybe GSW.

Indiana Jones · Post #16 » by **Indiana Jones** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:05 pm

come on. can we not catch a break just once....we don't need james johnson. at all. the only reason they say he's tough is because he's thicker than most guys and has a mma pedigree. he's not athletic enough to be "tough" in the nba sense. this will be a wasted pick, leading to a wasted year...****.

Raptorsrock · Post #17 » by **Raptorsrock** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:05 pm

GS could take him if they want Monta at PG

MIN could take him if Harden goes to OKC or if they like him over Harden

Post #18 » by **5DOM** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:05 pm

toronto_raptors50 wrote:If Derozan is gone that high, is their any possibility at all that Evans/Harden falls to us?

Exactly what I was thinking.
1-Griffin
2-Thabeet
3-Rubio
4- Flynn
5-
6-
7-
8-

If Curry, DeRozan and Hill are gone, this leaves us with Harden or Evans.
I really hope this is true and Hill's taken before us

MEDIC · Post #19 » by **MEDIC** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:05 pm

If DeRozan is gone, JJ or Flynn are the guys I want, so I'd still be happy....

As long as it's not Holiday......

I think JJ will be a very solid pro. Maybe not an allstar, but a guy that has the intangibles to help you win games.

As for DeRozan, this is not surprising to me. I was surprsied however, to keep hearing that 8 teams were going to pass up on a guy that has so much potential & could possibly be an allstar down the road (which I think he will be).

Post #20 » by **Double Helix** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:06 pm

If DD is gone, I'm fine with Johnson.

I look at it like this for all positions:

Where would the player we draft rank in terms of the rest of the league:

If you're taking a PG, what's his ceiling in comparison to all of the best PGs in the league. The same logic applies to all other positions.

I think, and this is just one man's opinion, that overall... Johnson could be a better SF than Holiday will be a combo guard and that's why I'd take him. I'm not sure either will develop into top 20 at their positions but what if Holiday is a 25-30 SG/PG combo in the league and Johnson developed into the league's 21st best SF?

I'd rather have Johnson based on that logic.