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

[God Squad]

I didn't notice him before because most mocks have him kinda low but the stats seem good, he's skilled offensively, can stretch the floor aside from his age what's the negatives?

Also he's Nigerian so ofcourse he could be Masai target lol

Undersized, average athlete, didn't pass at all, okay shooter, needs the ball in his hands.

I could see a rotation player maybe but probably not a starter imo

Although I like his attitude

I've always thought that Ibaka would be a tremendous mentor for Oturu. Similar skillset & attitude.

Oturu/Jalen Smith/Reed - all are on the board who do you draft? Whos potential seems higher? Who's likely to reach their ceiling? Oturu is the player I'm least educated on. But they all seem to have similar skillsets and all should be able to stretch the floor.

[rapsdotcom]

Undersized, average athlete, didn't pass at all, okay shooter, needs the ball in his hands.

I could see a rotation player maybe but probably not a starter imo

Although I like his attitude

I've always thought that Ibaka would be a tremendous mentor for Oturu. Similar skillset & attitude.

Oturu/Jalen Smith/Reed - all are on the board who do you draft? Whos potential seems higher? Who's likely to reach their ceiling? Oturu is the player I'm least educated on. But they all seem to have similar skillsets and all should be able to stretch the floor.

Of that group I’m taking Jalen Smith. I think he’s got the best potential as a stretch big, plus he’s more mobile than Oturu and bigger than Reed

[Sir-Swish-A-Lot]

None of those bigs moves the needle for me. The big man that I hope drops or that Masai can trade up for is F/C 6'9 Isaiah Stewart (Washington). He is like a bigger version of Montrezl Harrell with range on his jumper. A super energetic big that plays hard 100% percent of the time on both ends of the court. He would help the Raptors immensely on the boards plus he is a bulldog in the paint at protecting the rim. He has the ability to switch out on smaller players and the body needed to bang with bigger opponents. Looks a lot like a 2020 version of Michael Cage body wise. NBA mock drafts that I've seen have him going anywhere from the mid to late teens to early in the second round. In my mind he should be a Lottery pick but what do I know???

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[HeadtopChunes]

The new The Athletic mock has us taking Stewart

28. Toronto Raptors

Isaiah Stewart | 6-9 center | 18 years old, freshman | Washington

This is a bit of a drop for Stewart, but it largely comes due to his position. True centers tend to be the guys who fall, and it’s hard to find a ton of teams in the 20-27 range who could use one. The Nets have both DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen. The Nuggets have Nikola Jokic. The 76ers have Joel Embiid. The Heat have Bam Adebayo. Utah has Rudy Gobert, and the Thunder have Steven Adams. The Knicks have Mitchell Robinson. Where are these guys slotted into this draft range supposed to go? And is it worth using a first-round pick on a guy you see as a backup center.

College coaches whose teams played Washington this year came away raving about Stewart. They love the way he plays the game. He’s tough, physical, has absolutely terrific hands, is as strong as any other player in the country at 18, and even has some ball skill and touch to go along with it. He’s one of the players across the country who college coaches have been most excited to talk to me about. And not only is the skillset there, but also the production. Stewart averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game with 2.1 blocks. Scouts also strongly believe that he will shoot the ball.

The big question is how much of his current game is translatable to the NBA. Washington posted him a ton. About 69 percent of his halfcourt offense came either on post-ups or off of offensive rebounds — two things NBA teams don’t do a ton of ordinarily. And on defense, Stewart was tasked with staying at the basket and contesting within Washington’s 2-3 zone (although the Huskies occasionally flexed him out to wing in the limited moments they played him with Sam Timmins). How will he look dealing with guards in pick-and-roll defense? That’s an open question.

Still, it’s hard for me to see someone this driven, this tough, with this kind of length, and this kind of nose for the basketball failing. I’m going to have Stewart higher on my board than this. I’m a fan. But the floor on these centers is probably 10 spots lower than you think it is come draft day.

[Psubs]

Undersized, average athlete, didn't pass at all, okay shooter, needs the ball in his hands.

I could see a rotation player maybe but probably not a starter imo

Although I like his attitude

I've always thought that Ibaka would be a tremendous mentor for Oturu. Similar skillset & attitude.

Oturu/Jalen Smith/Reed - all are on the board who do you draft? Whos potential seems higher? Who's likely to reach their ceiling? Oturu is the player I'm least educated on. But they all seem to have similar skillsets and all should be able to stretch the floor.

Oturu is a hometown kid that went to Minnesota. He should be okay with playing in Toronto and may not bolt a la Kawhi.

Oturu (7'3" wingspan) could be Elton Brand with 3-pt range. He's the beefiest of the 3 and can definitely play C.

Jalen Smith (7"1.5 wingspan) could be Kevin Willis with 3-pt range. Smith has 1 less turnover per game than Oturu.

Reed is likely only a PF with backup C minutes. With Siakam, Oturu or Smith would probably be the better choice.

Most mocks have Oturu in the lottery (since he put up 20/10) so Smith is the more realistic target.

Raptors have Dewan Hernandez and Sabaga Konate as potential C's coming up through the G-League, so have flexibility to take Reed.

[HeadtopChunes]

Undersized, average athlete, didn't pass at all, okay shooter, needs the ball in his hands.

I could see a rotation player maybe but probably not a starter imo

Although I like his attitude

I've always thought that Ibaka would be a tremendous mentor for Oturu. Similar skillset & attitude.

Oturu/Jalen Smith/Reed - all are on the board who do you draft? Whos potential seems higher? Who's likely to reach their ceiling? Oturu is the player I'm least educated on. But they all seem to have similar skillsets and all should be able to stretch the floor.

I’d rank them

Reed -Reed can move well enough to where hes more of a forward than a center but i like his defense the most.

Smith - Smith has some poor mans 3nD Center potential although he was not good defensively and has a long way to go on that end.
Oturu - he can do a lot of different things in college but i dont see the value too much in the NBA

Stewart I am not a big fan of either, he looks like hes gonna have trouble finishing in the NBA.

[HeadtopChunes]

I've always thought that Ibaka would be a tremendous mentor for Oturu. Similar skillset & attitude.

Oturu/Jalen Smith/Reed - all are on the board who do you draft? Whos potential seems higher? Who's likely to reach their ceiling? Oturu is the player I'm least educated on. But they all seem to have similar skillsets and all should be able to stretch the floor.

Oturu is a hometown kid that went to Minnesota. He should be okay with playing in Toronto and may not bolt a la Kawhi.

Oturu (7'3" wingspan) could be Elton Brand with 3-pt range. He's the beefiest of the 3 and can definitely play C.

Jalen Smith (7"1.5 wingspan) could be Kevin Willis with 3-pt range. Smith has 1 less turnover per game than Oturu.

Reed is likely only a PF with backup C minutes. With Siakam, Oturu or Smith would probably be the better choice.

Most mocks have Oturu in the lottery (since he put up 20/10) so Smith is the more realistic target.

Raptors have Dewan Hernandez and Sabaga Konate as potential C's coming up through the G-League, so have flexibility to take Reed.

There’s only one (highly questionable) mock that has Oturu near the lottery

[OakleyDokely]

Which players possess most of these qualities:


-Elite wingspan
-Defensive versatility / switchability
-Good 3pt shooter and/or good shot mechanics
-Athletic
-2-4 year college player
-Good college stats
-Hard worker / overachiever
-Good teammate / low maintenance
-Dominant in at least one area of the game

[Sir-Swish-A-Lot]

I've always thought that Ibaka would be a tremendous mentor for Oturu. Similar skillset & attitude.

Oturu/Jalen Smith/Reed - all are on the board who do you draft? Whos potential seems higher? Who's likely to reach their ceiling? Oturu is the player I'm least educated on. But they all seem to have similar skillsets and all should be able to stretch the floor.

I’d rank them

Reed -Reed can move well enough to where hes more of a forward than a center but i like his defense the most.

Smith - Smith has some poor mans 3nD Center potential although he was not good defensively and has a long way to go on that end.
Oturu - he can do a lot of different things in college but i dont see the value too much in the NBA

Stewart I am not a big fan of either, he looks like hes gonna have trouble finishing in the NBA.

Isaiah Stewart is going to have zero problems finishing in the NBA. He has both power and finesse in his game with a supreme touch around the basket. He scored at will against bigger players in the Pac-12. Also, with his body he will be a brick wall for opponents to get through/around when setting screens. Stewart's game/body is built for the pick on roll situation.

The only question most people have about his game is can he hit the outside jumper? Yes, he can. But the UW posted him up most of the time but when he did move outside he showed nice touch on his 15 foot baseline jumper from either side of the court and he showed the ability to hit the 3 point shot. Also, he was clutch at the free-throw line.

Isaiah Stewart was the best Freshman in the Pac-12 and arguably the best player in the Pac-12. The Pac-12 refs used to let opponents hack him to death. During the halftime break of the Oregon game a ref came up to Stewart and told him that he couldn't use his natural strength to ward off defenders as per Stewart in the post game presser.

If Stewart falls to the Raptors which I don't think that he will Masai would be a fool not to snatch him up at #28. Isaiah Stewart is a perfect fit on the Raptors roster going forward. Don't be fooled Stewart is much better than Reed, Smith & Oturu put together...think a muscled up Tristan Thompson with a jump shot.

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[Sir-Swish-A-Lot]

Which players possess most of these qualities:


-Elite wingspan
-Defensive versatility / switchability
-Good 3pt shooter and/or good shot mechanics
-Athletic
-2-4 year college player
-Good college stats
-Hard worker / overachiever
-Good teammate / low maintenance
-Dominant in at least one area of the game

CJ Elleby (Washington State)...

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[Psubs]

Which players possess most of these qualities:


-Elite wingspan
-Defensive versatility / switchability
-Good 3pt shooter and/or good shot mechanics
-Athletic
-2-4 year college player
-Good college stats
-Hard worker / overachiever
-Good teammate / low maintenance
-Dominant in at least one area of the game

CJ Elleby (Washington State)...

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Do you or have you ever lived in the state of Washington?

[Sir-Swish-A-Lot]

Which players possess most of these qualities:


-Elite wingspan
-Defensive versatility / switchability
-Good 3pt shooter and/or good shot mechanics
-Athletic
-2-4 year college player
-Good college stats
-Hard worker / overachiever
-Good teammate / low maintenance
-Dominant in at least one area of the game

CJ Elleby (Washington State)...

Watch on YouTube

Do you or have you ever lived in the state of Washington?

Matter of fact I played HS basket at the same HS that Masai Ujiri went to (Nathan Hale HS) under the same coach- John Burnley Jr. I knew Masai before he was the Masai of today...

[HeadtopChunes]

Isaiah Stewart is going to have zero problems finishing in the NBA. He has both power and finesse in his game with a supreme touch around the basket. He scored at will against bigger players in the Pac-12. Also, with his body he will be a brick wall for opponents to get through/around when setting screens. Stewart's game/body is built for the pick on roll situation.

He is very strong but he has no vertical burst + undersized. Below the rim player. That's fine in college but when you are playing guys that are just as strong+ taller than you. It's not gonna go so well Here's an example where he struggles to finish because of his lack of vertical (these defenders aren't exactly Joel Embiid and Brook Lopez either)

Spoiler:

The only question most people have about his game is can he hit the outside jumper? Yes, he can. But the UW posted him up most of the time but when he did move outside he showed nice touch on his 15 foot baseline jumper from either side of the court and he showed the ability to hit the 3 point shot. Also, he was clutch at the free-throw line.

Isaiah Stewart was the best Freshman in the Pac-12 and arguably the best player in the Pac-12. The Pac-12 refs used to let opponents hack him to death. During the halftime break of the Oregon game a ref came up to Stewart and told him that he couldn't use his natural strength to ward off defenders as per Stewart in the post game presser.

I do buy the shot, he has nice form and touch. Stewart was great in college but being good at college =/ being good in the NBA.

The defense is also a question mark for me, because of the same vertical issues having a hard time buying him as a rim protector.

[Psubs]

Matter of fact I played HS basket at the same HS that Masai Ujiri went to (Nathan Hale HS) under the same coach- John Burnley Jr. I knew Masai before he was the Masai of today...

So are you just giving us a heads up who Masai is picking?

[Sir-Swish-A-Lot]

Isaiah averaged 2.1 blks per game. He has a 35 inch max vertical jump. Plus, he has really strong hands and holds onto the basketball like a vice grip. I don't foresee Stewart having any issues finishing in the paint in the NBA. He is a very intelligent player that will figure out the NBA game and what he can and can't do then proceed to do major damage in the paint.

One little GIF display doesn't show how many times he just went up and dunk over people. Stewart beasted the USC big man that is projected as a top 10 draft pick. Go watch the full highlights from the Baylor, Houston, Arizona game highlights to see how he dominated each team in the paint. The game highlights are on YouTube:

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vs Baylor (Full Game)

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vs Houston (Highlights)

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vs Arizona (Highlights)

[Sir-Swish-A-Lot]

Matter of fact I played HS basket at the same HS that Masai Ujiri went to (Nathan Hale HS) under the same coach- John Burnley Jr. I knew Masai before he was the Masai of today...

So are you just giving us a heads up who Masai is picking?

Nope. I have no idea who the Raptors will select nor who they are considering to select on their big board. Everything that I post is from my own point of view...

[UcanUwill]

Latvian Navarro

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[Psubs]

Isaiah averaged 2.1 blks per game. He has a 35 inch max vertical jump. Plus, he has really strong hands and holds onto the basketball like a vice grip. I don't foresee Stewart having any issues finishing in the paint in the NBA. He is a very intelligent player that will figure out the NBA game and what he can and can't do then proceed to do major damage in the paint.

One little GIF display doesn't show how many times he just went up and dunk over people. Stewart beasted the USC big man that is projected as a top 10 draft pick. Go watch the full highlights from the Baylor, Houston, Arizona game highlights to see how he dominated each team in the paint. The game highlights are on YouTube:

Watch on YouTube

vs Baylor (Full Game)

Watch on YouTube

vs Houston (Highlights)

Watch on YouTube

vs Arizona (Highlights)

Jaden McDaniels looks really good. Stewart looks un-remarkable.

[HeadtopChunes]

Isaiah averaged 2.1 blks per game. He has a 35 inch max vertical jump. Plus, he has really strong hands and holds onto the basketball like a vice grip. I don't foresee Stewart having any issues finishing in the paint in the NBA. He is a very intelligent player that will figure out the NBA game and what he can and can't do then proceed to do major damage in the paint.

One little GIF display doesn't show how many times he just went up and dunk over people. Stewart beasted the USC big man that is projected as a top 10 draft pick. Go watch the full highlights from the Baylor, Houston, Arizona (at UW) game highlights and see how he dominated each team in the paint. The full game highlights are on YouTube

I'm not gonna clip every time he showed his mediocre vert explosiveness, show me one time he dunked on a guy w/ size in the halfcourt.

Max Vert allows you load time, his standing vert is low and slow. This means he can jump okay with space and time but not without it, which is why he plays below the rim.

Isaiah played in a zone it inflates block % because all he has to do is stand under the rim and block college kids. He won't be able to do that in the NBA especially at 6'9. He does have a long wingspan and seems engaged but again being good in college =/ being good in the NBA.

He did outmuscle Okongwu in the USC game, but Okongwu will be playing 4/5 in the NBA. Because he's the same size as Pascal. Even in this game look how many times players just scored right over him

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Almost all his shots in the paint are hooks or putbacks. Both things that he will get a much lower amount of in the NBA, teams aren't going to run a low post offense through him especially since he's not a passer.

Not to say Stewart doesn't have value, he can run the floor, plays hard, will probably be a decent shooter, and moves decently. But he looks like a backup big to me and I wouldn't draft a backup big with a first.

[BoyzNTheHood]

AJ Brodeur is a guy I'm looking at for our undrafted rookie pool, or even at #58. He's just solid and reminds me a bit of Luis Scola.

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