Raps 2020 Picks (Prospect Watch, Update: Vecenie Mock Released)

[Psubs]

Came across a real interesting match-up video with Xavier Tillman versus Jalen Smith.

Watch on YouTube

Tillman: 14 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Smith: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 block

Smith had some issues with Tillman inside both on offense and defense as Tillman is thicker and stronger but, the thing that stuck out to me is how basic Tillman is as a player. Just a guy who makes some simply plays on offense. If he is within 6 feet he has a good chance of scoring he will take it or pass it out and repost. There is not a lot to see but good screens and basic good positioning and intelligence on the court.

Smith is all arms and legs. He is a bit unbalanced on offense, but he moves quickly and is often in too much of a hurry. However, I really like the way he can move off the ball and shoot from outside. He also is a willing shotblocker who is a natural rim protector. He just seems like a bouncy athlete.

I think it's like picking between a poor man's mini-Gasol vs a poor man's Ibaka. Does Toronto need 3pt shooting or passing more from their big?

[Syd-TK3]

Came across a real interesting match-up video with Xavier Tillman versus Jalen Smith.

Watch on YouTube

Tillman: 14 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Smith: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 block

Smith had some issues with Tillman inside both on offense and defense as Tillman is thicker and stronger but, the thing that stuck out to me is how basic Tillman is as a player. Just a guy who makes some simply plays on offense. If he is within 6 feet he has a good chance of scoring he will take it or pass it out and repost. There is not a lot to see but good screens and basic good positioning and intelligence on the court.

Smith is all arms and legs. He is a bit unbalanced on offense, but he moves quickly and is often in too much of a hurry. However, I really like the way he can move off the ball and shoot from outside. He also is a willing shotblocker who is a natural rim protector. He just seems like a bouncy athlete.

I think it's like picking between a poor man's mini-Gasol vs a poor man's Ibaka. Does Toronto need 3pt shooting or passing more from their big?

Well you could say that except Gasol is the better shooter and passer.
Whereas Tillman and Smith it's 1 for each. But they are basically mini versions of each other or atleast that's the hope. If giannis is truly part of our future plan you'll need spacing and Smith's shooting makes that much easier.

I do think Tillman will actually turn out to be a good 3point shooter at some point though

[Psubs]

I do think Tillman will actually turn out to be a good 3point shooter at some point though

True. I would think it would take Tillman 4-5 years to catch up to Jalen, like Siakam developing a workable 3.

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/ncaa/jalen-smith-nails-deep-buzzer-beater-half-against-michigan

Watch on YouTube

Since he's arguably the best 3-pt shooter on Maryland, they drew up a full-court play for him to take a 3 which was a long one!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharycohen/2020/05/29/jalen-smith-could-be-the-most-under-appreciated-big-in-the-2020-nba-draft/#635f834e363b

Not only did he shoot nearly 37 percent from deep, but he was also in in the 68th percentile at knocking down triples in half-court situations. He generated 1.063 points per possession on those plays, which is good for any player, let alone one that will likely be playing the center position at the next level. Those numbers were even better when Smith was left unguarded, where he put up 1.289 points per possession, which was good for 78th percentile in college basketball.

Elite Rim-Runner! 99th percentile.

Last season, Smith scored 1.649 points per possession in transition, which put him in the 99th percentile in all of college hoops.

Nick name would be Stix From Da Six!

[Mark_83]

Came across a real interesting match-up video with Xavier Tillman versus Jalen Smith.

Watch on YouTube

Tillman: 14 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Smith: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 block

Smith had some issues with Tillman inside both on offense and defense as Tillman is thicker and stronger but, the thing that stuck out to me is how basic Tillman is as a player. Just a guy who makes some simply plays on offense. If he is within 6 feet he has a good chance of scoring he will take it or pass it out and repost. There is not a lot to see but good screens and basic good positioning and intelligence on the court.

Smith is all arms and legs. He is a bit unbalanced on offense, but he moves quickly and is often in too much of a hurry. However, I really like the way he can move off the ball and shoot from outside. He also is a willing shotblocker who is a natural rim protector. He just seems like a bouncy athlete.

I think it's like picking between a poor man's mini-Gasol vs a poor man's Ibaka. Does Toronto need 3pt shooting or passing more from their big?

I really liked what I saw from Tillman in that video defensively. He showed he can defend a taller and longer player and give them a tough time. Only twice did Smith score directly on him inside, and he was blocked the two other times. If I had 100% confidence in Tillman being able to shoot the spot up three at between 35-38% in the NBA I take him easily versus Smith. His game (defense, passing), makeup, work ethic just scream Raptors (though I'd rather buy an early second to pick him than use 28).

[casual_raps_fan]

Came across a real interesting match-up video with Xavier Tillman versus Jalen Smith.

Watch on YouTube

Tillman: 14 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Smith: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 block

Smith had some issues with Tillman inside both on offense and defense as Tillman is thicker and stronger but, the thing that stuck out to me is how basic Tillman is as a player. Just a guy who makes some simply plays on offense. If he is within 6 feet he has a good chance of scoring he will take it or pass it out and repost. There is not a lot to see but good screens and basic good positioning and intelligence on the court.

Smith is all arms and legs. He is a bit unbalanced on offense, but he moves quickly and is often in too much of a hurry. However, I really like the way he can move off the ball and shoot from outside. He also is a willing shotblocker who is a natural rim protector. He just seems like a bouncy athlete.

I think it's like picking between a poor man's mini-Gasol vs a poor man's Ibaka. Does Toronto need 3pt shooting or passing more from their big?

I really liked what I saw from Tillman in that video defensively. He showed he can defend a taller and longer player and give them a tough time. Only twice did Smith score directly on him inside, and he was blocked the two other times. If I had 100% confidence in Tillman being able to shoot the spot up three at between 35-38% in the NBA I take him easily versus Smith. His game (defense, passing), makeup, work ethic just scream Raptors (though I'd rather buy an early second to pick him than use 28).

Yeah I like what I saw from Tillman as well. Currently as they are, Tillman would bring more value. Jalen Smith had some nice flashes though. He had a pretty nice drive and finish which I didn't know he could do.

I love that play where Tillman gets a clean defensive stop on Smith and then runs hard down the court to get the layup (sequence starts at 1:46).

One question I have is whether Tillman could learn to dribble the ball. On the drive, he looked pretty natural putting the ball on the floor. Maybe there's something there? With his ability to pass the ball and see the floor, if he could add some dribbling to his game, he'd actually look very interesting.

[HeadtopChunes]

prep2pro draft pod had a mock draft here https://art19.com/shows/prep2pro-podcast,

the guy in charge of Toronto traded 28 back for 34 and 49

Ended up with

34- Precious Achiuwa
49- Yves Pons
58-Lamine Diane

Basically went all out on the super athletes here, but if we did something like this i wouldn't mind.

[HeadtopChunes]

I think it's like picking between a poor man's mini-Gasol vs a poor man's Ibaka. Does Toronto need 3pt shooting or passing more from their big?

I really liked what I saw from Tillman in that video defensively. He showed he can defend a taller and longer player and give them a tough time. Only twice did Smith score directly on him inside, and he was blocked the two other times. If I had 100% confidence in Tillman being able to shoot the spot up three at between 35-38% in the NBA I take him easily versus Smith. His game (defense, passing), makeup, work ethic just scream Raptors (though I'd rather buy an early second to pick him than use 28).

Yeah I like what I saw from Tillman as well. Currently as they are, Tillman would bring more value. Jalen Smith had some nice flashes though. He had a pretty nice drive and finish which I didn't know he could do.

I love that play where Tillman gets a clean defensive stop on Smith and then runs hard down the court to get the layup (sequence starts at 1:46).

One question I have is whether Tillman could learn to dribble the ball. On the drive, he looked pretty natural putting the ball on the floor. Maybe there's something there? With his ability to pass the ball and see the floor, if he could add some dribbling to his game, he'd actually look very interesting.

I think Tillman while has a good handle for a big, but i wouldn't expect him to create with it. Probably very similar to how Draymond works, using his handle to run up the floor, occasional drive from a DHO or creating as a short roll passer.

Tillman gets more interesting to me if he can lose a little more weight and play more 4 and get a little bouncier as a rim protector. I think he can be a starter-level player at the 5/4 and a nice matchup guy to throw out vs probably every team not the sixers. I think Tillman should be able to match up with Simmons/Giannis given his outlier strength and smarts and obviously if we can fix his jumper to where he stretches the floor.

For us I see picking Tillman as hoping for an immediate contributor who plays a role very similar to the one Rondae played this season, coming off the bench to play the 5 on offense and be a big contributor on defense. The main difference is Rondae is more of a wing stopper while Tillman is a defensive anchor type. The hope would be Tillman ends up a better passer, finisher and shooter than RHJ is.

[provecy15]

I think Paul Reed from Depaul should be someone the Raps bring in for a workout. A great motor (like Siakim), similar size, can shoot anywhere on the court, and his numbers improved every year. He's versatile like Pascal, but athletic like Stromile Swift ( for you kids who don't know, he could jump out of the gym).

Watch on YouTube

[Syd-TK3]

prep2pro draft pod had a mock draft here https://art19.com/shows/prep2pro-podcast,

the guy in charge of Toronto traded 28 back for 34 and 49

Ended up with

34- Precious Achiuwa
49- Yves Pons
58-Lamine Diane

Basically went all out on the super athletes here, but if we did something like this i wouldn't mind.

There's no way precious drops out of the 1st round.
But the idea of trading back does interest me a bit, the kings would be another team that could work with

Only problem is having that many 2nd round picks makes our salary situation a bit more complicated to think about

[GM89]

I think Paul Reed from Depaul should be someone the Raps bring in for a workout. A great motor (like Siakim), similar size, can shoot anywhere on the court, and his numbers improved every year. He's versatile like Pascal, but athletic like Stromile Swift ( for you kids who don't know, he could jump out of the gym).

Watch on YouTube

What are the knocks on Reed? I see several mocks putting him in the early to mid 2nd round but his game and physical attributes resemble Siakam's.

[casual_raps_fan]

I think Paul Reed from Depaul should be someone the Raps bring in for a workout. A great motor (like Siakim), similar size, can shoot anywhere on the court, and his numbers improved every year. He's versatile like Pascal, but athletic like Stromile Swift ( for you kids who don't know, he could jump out of the gym).

Watch on YouTube

What are the knocks on Reed? I see several mocks putting him in the early to mid 2nd round but his game and physical attributes resemble Siakam's.

His jump shot is weird. It will have to be rebuilt.

[Mark_83]

I think it's like picking between a poor man's mini-Gasol vs a poor man's Ibaka. Does Toronto need 3pt shooting or passing more from their big?

I really liked what I saw from Tillman in that video defensively. He showed he can defend a taller and longer player and give them a tough time. Only twice did Smith score directly on him inside, and he was blocked the two other times. If I had 100% confidence in Tillman being able to shoot the spot up three at between 35-38% in the NBA I take him easily versus Smith. His game (defense, passing), makeup, work ethic just scream Raptors (though I'd rather buy an early second to pick him than use 28).

Yeah I like what I saw from Tillman as well. Currently as they are, Tillman would bring more value. Jalen Smith had some nice flashes though. He had a pretty nice drive and finish which I didn't know he could do.

I love that play where Tillman gets a clean defensive stop on Smith and then runs hard down the court to get the layup (sequence starts at 1:46).

One question I have is whether Tillman could learn to dribble the ball. On the drive, he looked pretty natural putting the ball on the floor. Maybe there's something there? With his ability to pass the ball and see the floor, if he could add some dribbling to his game, he'd actually look very interesting.

I was watching some more film of Tilman versus Oturu and I'm wondering how the heck this man gets so many post defense blocks without even jumping. Just arms straight up vertically blocks. I guess part of it is his strength (neither Smith nor Oturu could back him down) but they should still have been able to shoot over him with their hops and wingspan I would have thought, since his wingspan is just 7'1.

Smith is interesting because of his shooting and shot blocking. He's not just a shooter off the catch either, he can dribble a bit then shoot it. But he's so awkward in everything else. He's not like Pascal where he has this crazy body control, he reminds me more of a Mo Bamba type and I have questions about his ability to guard on the switch. He seems like a pure drop down defender only. Strangely, despite him having much better numbers I can't help but feel Diakite might be the better stretch big. While Jalen is a 5 without strength for the 5, I think Diakite is mobile enough to play the 4, and he strangely has a longer wingspan and more bounce.

I'm not sure. Tillman has good straight line drives on run outs, but maybe he could develop a few more assortment of moves. I wouldn't have thought that was possible but seeing Pascal basically go from not ball handling in college to being a primary option shows that hard work can really make a difference. I'm not saying Tilman is gonna go all Draymond from end to end, but his footwork on offense is really good so I think he can get better.

[GM89]

His jump shot is weird. It will have to be rebuilt.

Well Raps helped Powell and Siakam rebuild their jump shots which opened up the rest of their game. I can see the case for picking Reed if his other tools are great.

"His steal rate is at the absolute top of this class and not just forwards - he boasts a higher steal rate than even the elite gaurds in this draft." https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2020/5/15/21259064/2020-nba-draft-profiles-paul-reed-memphis-grizzlies-prospect-depaul

"Reed at this moment is a poor man’s Pascal Siakam. They are very similar in body frame (Reed is 6’9”, 220 pounds, while Siakam is 6’9”, 230 pounds) and they have both showed the best is yet to come. It took a good amount of time for Siakam to get to all-star status.

He, like Reed, also has some Most Improved hardware. They are both long, lanky forwards who could crash the glass and get out on the break and finish. Reed at this moment can’t shoot well beyond the arc.

Remember, in Siakam’s first two years in the NBA he shot no better than 22 percent from three-point range. Expect Reed to struggle in the early from long distance, just the same way Siakam did." https://lastwordonprobasketball.com/2020/04/05/paul-reed-2020-nba-draft-profile/

Ironically someone in the Brogdon thread mentioned while other teams are trying to find the next Brogdon the raps should be trying to find the next Siakam.

[Psubs]

His jump shot is weird. It will have to be rebuilt.

Well Raps helped Powell and Siakam rebuild their jump shots which opened up the rest of their game. I can see the case for picking Reed if his other tools are great.

"His steal rate is at the absolute top of this class and not just forwards - he boasts a higher steal rate than even the elite gaurds in this draft." https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2020/5/15/21259064/2020-nba-draft-profiles-paul-reed-memphis-grizzlies-prospect-depaul

"Reed at this moment is a poor man’s Pascal Siakam. They are very similar in body frame (Reed is 6’9”, 220 pounds, while Siakam is 6’9”, 230 pounds) and they have both showed the best is yet to come. It took a good amount of time for Siakam to get to all-star status.

He, like Reed, also has some Most Improved hardware. They are both long, lanky forwards who could crash the glass and get out on the break and finish. Reed at this moment can’t shoot well beyond the arc.

Remember, in Siakam’s first two years in the NBA he shot no better than 22 percent from three-point range. Expect Reed to struggle in the early from long distance, just the same way Siakam did." https://lastwordonprobasketball.com/2020/04/05/paul-reed-2020-nba-draft-profile/

Ironically someone in the Brogdon thread mentioned while other teams are trying to find the next Brogdon the raps should be trying to find the next Siakam.

Agreed. If the org wants to retain Gasol and Ibaka then Reed would be a good choice. I think Reed could be like AK47 (Andrei Kirilenko). Both are 6'9 220. AK's wingspan is 7'4 , while Reed's is a good 7'2, so I don't expect Reed to get up to 3 blocks per game but 2 is fine (and 1.5 steals).

[casual_raps_fan]

His jump shot is weird. It will have to be rebuilt.

Well Raps helped Powell and Siakam rebuild their jump shots which opened up the rest of their game. I can see the case for picking Reed if his other tools are great.

"His steal rate is at the absolute top of this class and not just forwards - he boasts a higher steal rate than even the elite gaurds in this draft." https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2020/5/15/21259064/2020-nba-draft-profiles-paul-reed-memphis-grizzlies-prospect-depaul

"Reed at this moment is a poor man’s Pascal Siakam. They are very similar in body frame (Reed is 6’9”, 220 pounds, while Siakam is 6’9”, 230 pounds) and they have both showed the best is yet to come. It took a good amount of time for Siakam to get to all-star status.

He, like Reed, also has some Most Improved hardware. They are both long, lanky forwards who could crash the glass and get out on the break and finish. Reed at this moment can’t shoot well beyond the arc.

Remember, in Siakam’s first two years in the NBA he shot no better than 22 percent from three-point range. Expect Reed to struggle in the early from long distance, just the same way Siakam did." https://lastwordonprobasketball.com/2020/04/05/paul-reed-2020-nba-draft-profile/

Ironically someone in the Brogdon thread mentioned while other teams are trying to find the next Brogdon the raps should be trying to find the next Siakam.

If there is a Siakam/OG type of prospect available, you've got to take him. The Raptors are stacked at guard and have history of finding 'Brogdons' in the second round/undrafted (Norm, Fred, TD). We lack depth in the front court and it's much harder to find 'Siakams' in the second round/undrafted.

Regarding Reed, he is my favourite for who is expected to be available in our range.

The Raptors would do a good job of developing a prospect like him. Assuming he buys in to our development program, I'd be surprised if he wasn't able to get a 3 point shot. His 74% free throw percentage over 3 seasons and his touch around the rim suggests that he has the capacity to do it. It just comes down to getting the right mechanics and getting the reps in.

[casual_raps_fan]

I really liked what I saw from Tillman in that video defensively. He showed he can defend a taller and longer player and give them a tough time. Only twice did Smith score directly on him inside, and he was blocked the two other times. If I had 100% confidence in Tillman being able to shoot the spot up three at between 35-38% in the NBA I take him easily versus Smith. His game (defense, passing), makeup, work ethic just scream Raptors (though I'd rather buy an early second to pick him than use 28).

Yeah I like what I saw from Tillman as well. Currently as they are, Tillman would bring more value. Jalen Smith had some nice flashes though. He had a pretty nice drive and finish which I didn't know he could do.

I love that play where Tillman gets a clean defensive stop on Smith and then runs hard down the court to get the layup (sequence starts at 1:46).

One question I have is whether Tillman could learn to dribble the ball. On the drive, he looked pretty natural putting the ball on the floor. Maybe there's something there? With his ability to pass the ball and see the floor, if he could add some dribbling to his game, he'd actually look very interesting.

I think Tillman while has a good handle for a big, but i wouldn't expect him to create with it. Probably very similar to how Draymond works, using his handle to run up the floor, occasional drive from a DHO or creating as a short roll passer.

Tillman gets more interesting to me if he can lose a little more weight and play more 4 and get a little bouncier as a rim protector. I think he can be a starter-level player at the 5/4 and a nice matchup guy to throw out vs probably every team not the sixers. I think Tillman should be able to match up with Simmons/Giannis given his outlier strength and smarts and obviously if we can fix his jumper to where he stretches the floor.

For us I see picking Tillman as hoping for an immediate contributor who plays a role very similar to the one Rondae played this season, coming off the bench to play the 5 on offense and be a big contributor on defense. The main difference is Rondae is more of a wing stopper while Tillman is a defensive anchor type. The hope would be Tillman ends up a better passer, finisher and shooter than RHJ is.

I didn't consider it but if he could get the mobility to play the 4, that could change the trajectory of his career to a possible starter in a Draymond Green role.

He would have to...
1. Lose weight, gain mobility
2. Learn to shoot 3s
3. Handle the ball

I guess regardless of his position, he should be working on all of these things anyway.

[HeadtopChunes]

Yeah I like what I saw from Tillman as well. Currently as they are, Tillman would bring more value. Jalen Smith had some nice flashes though. He had a pretty nice drive and finish which I didn't know he could do.

I love that play where Tillman gets a clean defensive stop on Smith and then runs hard down the court to get the layup (sequence starts at 1:46).

One question I have is whether Tillman could learn to dribble the ball. On the drive, he looked pretty natural putting the ball on the floor. Maybe there's something there? With his ability to pass the ball and see the floor, if he could add some dribbling to his game, he'd actually look very interesting.

I think Tillman while has a good handle for a big, but i wouldn't expect him to create with it. Probably very similar to how Draymond works, using his handle to run up the floor, occasional drive from a DHO or creating as a short roll passer.

Tillman gets more interesting to me if he can lose a little more weight and play more 4 and get a little bouncier as a rim protector. I think he can be a starter-level player at the 5/4 and a nice matchup guy to throw out vs probably every team not the sixers. I think Tillman should be able to match up with Simmons/Giannis given his outlier strength and smarts and obviously if we can fix his jumper to where he stretches the floor.

For us I see picking Tillman as hoping for an immediate contributor who plays a role very similar to the one Rondae played this season, coming off the bench to play the 5 on offense and be a big contributor on defense. The main difference is Rondae is more of a wing stopper while Tillman is a defensive anchor type. The hope would be Tillman ends up a better passer, finisher and shooter than RHJ is.

I didn't consider it but if he could get the mobility to play the 4, that could change the trajectory of his career to a possible starter in a Draymond Green role.

He would have to...
1. Lose weight, gain mobility
2. Learn to shoot 3s
3. Handle the ball

I guess regardless of his position, he should be working on all of these things anyway.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/spartanavenue.com/2018/10/09/michigan-state-basketball-xavier-tillman-transformation-incredible/amp

Hes already lost a ton of weight already, maybe theres not much room for growth but NBA s&c programs are usually a step up from other places.
(Look at Doncic for example)

[Mark_83]

I think Tillman while has a good handle for a big, but i wouldn't expect him to create with it. Probably very similar to how Draymond works, using his handle to run up the floor, occasional drive from a DHO or creating as a short roll passer.

Tillman gets more interesting to me if he can lose a little more weight and play more 4 and get a little bouncier as a rim protector. I think he can be a starter-level player at the 5/4 and a nice matchup guy to throw out vs probably every team not the sixers. I think Tillman should be able to match up with Simmons/Giannis given his outlier strength and smarts and obviously if we can fix his jumper to where he stretches the floor.

For us I see picking Tillman as hoping for an immediate contributor who plays a role very similar to the one Rondae played this season, coming off the bench to play the 5 on offense and be a big contributor on defense. The main difference is Rondae is more of a wing stopper while Tillman is a defensive anchor type. The hope would be Tillman ends up a better passer, finisher and shooter than RHJ is.

I didn't consider it but if he could get the mobility to play the 4, that could change the trajectory of his career to a possible starter in a Draymond Green role.

He would have to...
1. Lose weight, gain mobility
2. Learn to shoot 3s
3. Handle the ball

I guess regardless of his position, he should be working on all of these things anyway.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/spartanavenue.com/2018/10/09/michigan-state-basketball-xavier-tillman-transformation-incredible/amp

Hes already lost a ton of weight already, maybe theres not much room for growth but NBA s&c programs are usually a step up from other places.
(Look at Doncic for example)

Yeah, I don't know about losing too much weight. He dropped down to 250 already and looks proportionate to his height. You can tell he's really strong, and muscle is heavier than fat.

I don't think he's ever going to be fast, but he has quick feet and agility within about a few feet of wherever he is.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Agreed.

Read on Twitter

He almost single-handedly disrupts this entire play by denying the entry pass into the big

Read on Twitter

Look at the effort here

Read on Twitter

[HeadtopChunes]

Agreed.

Read on Twitter

He almost single-handedly disrupts this entire play by denying the entry pass into the big

Read on Twitter

Look at the effort here

Read on Twitter

Iirc you have been advocating for Joe since day 1 lol

I like him, Matt Thomas type who can play defense would be perfect.

I wonder if he stays perpetually underrated for us to grab in the 2nd although I wouldn’t be mad at 28.