Raptors Sign Undrafted Ron Harper Jr To A Two Way Contract

[OhCanada1091]

Looks like RHjr is in Toronto he flew in yesterday based on his IG story

Wonder when Koloko will be here. Seem like his arrival may take a few weeks to get sorted.

Has to sign his contract, so probably well after summer league.

Visa issues actually.

[TheDunc]

So Ron Harper Jr. is a guy that should've been drafted. The concern around him is that he doesn't get great elevation on his jumpshot and isn't explosive or athletic enough to finish consistently when contested. But I don't understand why people in the NBA don't believe players can improve their athleticism and why teams only draft to find the next Kevin Durant but aren't willing to develop someone into a PJ Tucker.

The guy had a 14% body fat on 240.3 pounds. Thats about 35 pounds so about 20 pounds of extra bad weight. Cut 10 of those pounds and you have a completely different athlete. He also has a 7'1 wingspan and 8'10 standing reach which for a 6'6 wing is fantastic. And the dude is a born baller. He's not just gonna get a paycheck and call it in basketball's his life. Ron Harper Sr. was a killer.

Anyways Raptors find another one. I think he's gonna end up a lights out shooter when we tweak his mechanics and a player that can play the wing or forward positions. Can't wait to watch him in the Summer League.

Too me thats one of the most exciting things about him, if he can work himself into getting in great shape then that might unlock another part to his game. He's already lost 20lbs since end of the year, im guessing his goal is to lose another 20lbs.

I was under the impression that he was just a below the rim type wing but after watching footage he can definitely slam it down and thats while weighing 260lbs. At 220lbs we might be talking about a whole different player

[ATLTimekeeper]

Wonder when Koloko will be here. Seem like his arrival may take a few weeks to get sorted.

Has to sign his contract, so probably well after summer league.

Visa issues actually.

That's why he has to sign his contract. He's on a student visa, not a work visa.

[niQ]

Has to sign his contract, so probably well after summer league.

Visa issues actually.

That's why he has to sign his contract. He's on a student visa, not a work visa.

My understanding is he can sign his contract on July 1. No idea how long it'll take to get the work visa after that though.

[DangerZone13]

Bully ball

grown man

If his body is inclined to hold weight, just think of the effect of 2 years of top-level training and nutrition, and he really could be a bully once he fully matures.

He seems pretty crafty already so once he's got his coaches and teammates in his ear, he could develop a good array of tools to make up for the lack of burst. This is kind of the perfect development situation for him all things considered.

Put those two things together and that's a pretty decent role player.

[WuTang_OG]

Read on Twitter

Last week’s NBA draft saw Ron Harper Jr. go undrafted, a bit of a surprise since the former Rutgers basketball star was seen as a likely second round pick. So why wasn’t Harper, who had a strong senior season for the Scarlet Knights, taken in Thursday’s NBA draft?

First, the background…Harper checks off a lot of boxes for NBA teams. He improved in consistency and output during his four years at Rutgers. He is a solid shooter who showed up in clutch moments against big teams. His team was good, making the NCAA Tournament the last two years in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball.

And he has a strong bloodline, with his father a former NBA star who won five titles during his career. Not to mention, Harper was a team leader and a strong voice within the locker room.

But Michael VandeGarde wasn’t surprised at all that Harper didn’t hear his name called on Thursday night. Instead, after the draft the Rutgers forward signed a contract with the Toronto Raptors.

A former NBA scout of 18 years with the Philadelphia 76ers, VandeGarde didn’t see Harper as going in last Thursday’s two rounds.

“Not surprised at all…He was a borderline draft pick,” VandeGarde told RutgersWire.

“He has proved his worth in college and will have to navigate that again in the NBA. He will get his chance and it wouldn’t surprise me if he makes it -every year guys don’t get drafted and become NBA players…If he is good enough he will find his way onto a team in the next three-to-four years.”

This past season, Harper averaged 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He was named an AP All-American.

VandeGarde, a highly-respected scout and talent evaluator with nearly two decades of experience as an NBA scout, is currently working with CoachTube. An online portal, CoachTube offers sports coaching videos and training from former college and professional players as well as top coaches in a variety of sports.

He thinks that signing with the Raptors is a win-win scenario.

“Toronto is a great spot for him. They like to develop guys and he will have a chance to prove his worth,” VandeGarde said.

“They are willing to give undrafted players opportunities if they deserve the chance.”

[StopitLeo]

So Ron Harper Jr. is a guy that should've been drafted. The concern around him is that he doesn't get great elevation on his jumpshot and isn't explosive or athletic enough to finish consistently when contested. But I don't understand why people in the NBA don't believe players can improve their athleticism and why teams only draft to find the next Kevin Durant but aren't willing to develop someone into a PJ Tucker.

The guy had a 14% body fat on 240.3 pounds. Thats about 35 pounds so about 20 pounds of extra bad weight. Cut 10 of those pounds and you have a completely different athlete. He also has a 7'1 wingspan and 8'10 standing reach which for a 6'6 wing is fantastic. And the dude is a born baller. He's not just gonna get a paycheck and call it in basketball's his life. Ron Harper Sr. was a killer.

Anyways Raptors find another one. I think he's gonna end up a lights out shooter when we tweak his mechanics and a player that can play the wing or forward positions. Can't wait to watch him in the Summer League.

It seems like he just put on weight poorly through college. I saw an article saying he went from 230 to 245 lbs between his freshman and sophomore seasons. That was obviously not "15 lbs" of muscle but his weight stayed the same the next two years so clearly there wasn't a goal to maintain strength while losing some weight. Given that he dropped 5 lbs by the draft combine I don't see why he won't come into camp in great shape. I love the intelligence and skill he brings to the table. If he can play defense we might have a steal.

Speaking of PJ Tucker—Ron Harper Jr. is basically the same size right now.

[WuTang_OG]

Can already seeing this guy having a norm powell like production in summer league and people going nuts for him

[C_Money]

The only problem I can see is he’s not very fast. Will probably struggle to blow by people in the NBA.

[WuTang_OG]

The only problem I can see is he’s not very fast. Will probably struggle to blow by people in the NBA.

I see a deceiving quick first step

[Courtside]

Wonder when Koloko will be here. Seem like his arrival may take a few weeks to get sorted.

Has to sign his contract, so probably well after summer league.

Visa issues actually.

The contract is needed first, in order for the work visa to be granted, as it's based on the employer guaranteeing the worker is going to be working for them, and able to support themselves financially while here. Work visa also often require things like criminal background checks, health checks and vaccines status, etc... it's not something you just go to Service Ontario for and get the same day.

There are also widespread reports of short staffing and delays in the Immigration offices of the govt, so that may be a factor also, even if we assume an org like MLSE receives preferential treatment in those matters.

[StopitLeo]

The only problem I can see is he’s not very fast. Will probably struggle to blow by people in the NBA.

He doesn’t need to be fast if he shoots the 3 at an elite level. Guys will be closing out hard. Easy to get by someone going in the opposite direction.

[ATLTimekeeper]

The only problem I can see is he’s not very fast. Will probably struggle to blow by people in the NBA.

He doesn’t need to be fast if he shoots the 3 at an elite level. Guys will be closing out hard. Easy to get by someone going in the opposite direction.

Yup, we didn't draft him to isolate or run offense.

[WuTang_OG]

https://instagram.com/stories/ron.harper.jr/2870905268605237587?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igshid=YzAyZWRlMzg=

Our boy enjoying the jays

[WuTang_OG]

Watch on YouTube

nice vid by Beilein

[Kevin Willis]

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=PlayitrightTV

[WuTang_OG]

Watch on YouTube

[WuTang_OG]

Toronto Raptors

Two-Way Contract: Ron Harper Jr.

Summer League Invites: Alex Barcello, Jaylen Sims, Abu Kigab

I adore Ron Harper Jr. The senior out of Rutgers finished 43rd on my board. He’s an awesome jump shooter with good size who can guard up due to strength, guard down due to technique, is always in the right position to help, and can find the open man. In short, if what he does scales up to the NBA level, he’ll be a 6’6” multi-position defender who makes shots and moves the ball. That’s a winner. Alex Barcello (96th on my final board) is a great long-range scorer at 6’2” with passing understated by his assist totals. Barcello will likely struggle defensively due to his lack of length and he has a hard time gaining separation on offense. He may sound like fellow white point guard Collin Gillespie, but their styles of play are quite different. You can remember those differences by memorizing this rhyme: “If he’s a stocky bully, that’s Gillespie, you see! If he’s slithery on the go, that’s Barcello, you know!” Jaylen Sims carried a big scoring burden for UNC Wilmington, but he’s still a willing ball mover at 6’6” who can shoot and make plays for others. Abu Kigab is the Raptor’s type of guy: a 6’7” player with a strong body who can make plays for others but struggles from distance. If they can work out the kinks in his shot, I could see him hanging around.

[OakleyDokely]

Ron's had a sneaky productive year in the g league:

33.3 MIN, 16.7 PPG, 5.1 REB, 3.4 AST, 1.2 BLK, 0.9 STL, 49.6 FG%, 37.0 3PT%, 77.8 FT%, 64.0 TS%, +4.2 NETR, 18.7 USG

[Rodrickle]

Ron's had a sneaky productive year in the g league:

33.3 MIN, 16.7 PPG, 5.1 REB, 3.4 AST, 1.2 BLK, 0.9 STL, 49.6 FG%, 37.0 3PT%, 77.8 FT%, 64.0 TS%, +4.2 NETR, 18.7 USG

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Haven't watched him much, but 3.4 assists is impressive, as is his efficiency. Hopefully he works on his shot release point though and gets a little more agile from losing a few more pounds.