With the 45th pick, the Raptors select Jamal Shead

[LiSTWithLani]

Interesting that teams are reaching out to potential picks to discuss 2 way deals if they draft them. If the player/agent says they won't sign a 2 way, they fall farther down the draft.
Shead is tough as nails and has the size and attitude of Lowry/FVV. The question is, are small guards still relevant?

Define small...


He won't be getting bullied by anyone, especially today's thinner, more mobile bigs. Plus, his low center of gravity will make moving him sort of like when guys try to back down Lowry or Marcus Smart.
He honestly has some Tony Allen defensive instincts from the clips that I've watched. I'm extremely high on Jamal!

[MEDIC]

Interesting that teams are reaching out to potential picks to discuss 2 way deals if they draft them. If the player/agent says they won't sign a 2 way, they fall farther down the draft.
Shead is tough as nails and has the size and attitude of Lowry/FVV. The question is, are small guards still relevant?

Define small...


He won't be getting bullied by anyone, especially today's thinner, more mobile bigs. Plus, his low center of gravity will make moving him sort of like when guys try to back down Lowry or Marcus Smart.
He honestly has some Tony Allen defensive instincts from the clips that I've watched. I'm extremely high on Jamal!

Yeah. He's thick like Fred & Lowry......just more jacked. He's faster & much more athletic than both of those guys though. He can dunk and block shots quite easily, plus had one of he fastest 3/4 sprint times in the last 24 years.

I looked up Fred's measurements. Shead is about an inch taller & has about an inch longer wingspan. Shead definitely plays much bigger than his size. Ball handlers look very intimidated by him & he even got up high enough to block some taller forwards at the rim in the video's I watched. He can do lots of things that Lowry & Fred couldn't because those guys aren't as athletically gifted as he is.

Good call on Tony Allen. I was thinking the same. Also, the way he moves laterally when he gets into his defensive stance reminded me of OG at times (when OG is fully engaged on D).

I'll be going to some 905 games this season if any of these rookies are playing. They drafted some elite level athleticism.

[TorontoBarneys]

Interesting that teams are reaching out to potential picks to discuss 2 way deals if they draft them. If the player/agent says they won't sign a 2 way, they fall farther down the draft.
Shead is tough as nails and has the size and attitude of Lowry/FVV. The question is, are small guards still relevant?

Define small...


He won't be getting bullied by anyone, especially today's thinner, more mobile bigs. Plus, his low center of gravity will make moving him sort of like when guys try to back down Lowry or Marcus Smart.
He honestly has some Tony Allen defensive instincts from the clips that I've watched. I'm extremely high on Jamal!

Goddamn that trapbar deadlift.

Very nice.

[OakleyDokely]

Shooting is the swing skill for him. VV could shoot it out of college, he was close to a 40% 3pt shooter over his career. Lowry had to develop his shot over his nba career, but he came up during a different era when guards didn't necessarily have to shoot it that well to get playing time.

Shead was a solid FT shooter (close to 80%), but he never took a lot of 3s and he only shot about 30% over 4 years. These type of 4 year guys typically don't develop into good shooters at the NBA level but he seems to be a very committed guy, so maybe he can become at least competent at it over time.

[grant101]

Shooting is the swing skill for him. VV could shoot it out of college, he was close to a 40% 3pt shooter over his career. Lowry had to develop his shot over his nba career, but he came up during a different era when guards didn't necessarily have to shoot it that well to get playing time.

Shead was a solid FT shooter (close to 80%), but he never took a lot of 3s and he only shot about 30% over 4 years. These type of 4 year guys typically don't develop into good shooters at the NBA level but he seems to be a very committed guy, so maybe he can become at least competent at it over time.

That's the bet. He's a slightly better shooter off the catch, so maybe he starts there, but if he can push his percentages to 34-35% on average volume, the sky is the limit given how good he is at everything else. If not, I still see an NBA player, but he'll likely end up bounce around the league like other non-shooting defensive guards (e.g. Shaq Harrison, Kris Dunn, etc.). He's such a hard worker and seems like a really good/disciplined kid, so I have hope. Really pulling for him!

[DemarRoss]

Was expecting a center. Our backcourt is crowded now.

Maybe they have an agreement with Chomche if he isn't drafted?

I suspect they didn't expect Shead to be available at 45..and when he was it was a no brainer to pick him..even though they had just traded for davion

[HiJiNX]

Watch on YouTube

Insane activity level.

Thanks for posting. Just going off this one video, some things that stand out for me:

-hard-nosed and active
-physical without fouling
-plays every possession hard
-quick in transition or from a standstill in the half court
-has more moves going right than left (his signature appears to be a little left to right crossover)
-going left, his signature seems to be a hop step hesitation dribble and then explode…doesn’t lose his defender as much as the left to right move
-confident shooting the floater, decent touch
-both of his threes were off the dribble step backs where his shooting motion looked fluid
-his missed threes were catch and shoot or in transition where his feet and shoulders weren’t square and power transfer/balance from feet to release weren’t fluid
-navigates screens well
-sees opponent passing lanes before they happen and takes them away (like Scottie)
-rebound above the rim
-sees passing lanes on offence as they develop, is patient enough for them to come to fruition, then delivers the pass
-passing accuracy is high, passes are well timed, and thrown into the right window
-great footwork on D
-footwork while dribbling halfcourt needs to become more comfortable and second nature
-FT stroke looks weird and different than his jumper
-probably what I like best about his offensive game is he makes the best play for the team—he passes to the right guy when he should, and shoots when he should. Very invested in making the right play
-rebounds above the rim
-can grab and go off the rebound and lead the break
-sees opportunities to create easy setups for his teammates (he gave his teammates a lot of wide open threes in this highlight package that they bricked…NBA shooters are going to make those shots)
-oh and one more thing—I think he only got scored on once in this clip as the primary defender


Essentially, he comes into the NBA:

-NBA ready guard defender, can probably guard some wings
-able to run rudimentary offensive actions
-can succeed on the break right away
-can make some tough jumpers when amped up
-might struggle with the easier jumpers
-great attitude, high activity, doesn’t take risks with his hands or feet on D

I think there’s potential to be a great backup in this league and even a pretty good starter. He can be a great starter if he works on his jumper and handles immensely. Great athlete. Smart mind. Top notch attitude and motor. Mediocre skills on offence with room for development.

I like him but I’ll keep my expectations tempered for now.

[HiJiNX]

Interesting that teams are reaching out to potential picks to discuss 2 way deals if they draft them. If the player/agent says they won't sign a 2 way, they fall farther down the draft.
Shead is tough as nails and has the size and attitude of Lowry/FVV. The question is, are small guards still relevant?

Define small...


He won't be getting bullied by anyone, especially today's thinner, more mobile bigs. Plus, his low center of gravity will make moving him sort of like when guys try to back down Lowry or Marcus Smart.
He honestly has some Tony Allen defensive instincts from the clips that I've watched. I'm extremely high on Jamal!

Wait, is he deadlifting nearly 500 lbs?

[Vorticity]

Watch on YouTube

Insane activity level.

Thanks for posting. Just going off this one video, some things that stand out for me:

Spoiler:

-hard-nosed and active
-physical without fouling
-plays every possession hard
-quick in transition or from a standstill in the half court
-has more moves going right than left (his signature appears to be a little left to right crossover)
-going left, his signature seems to be a hop step hesitation dribble and then explode…doesn’t lose his defender as much as the left to right move
-confident shooting the floater, decent touch
-both of his threes were off the dribble step backs where his shooting motion looked fluid
-his missed threes were catch and shoot or in transition where his feet and shoulders weren’t square and power transfer/balance from feet to release weren’t fluid
-navigates screens well
-sees opponent passing lanes before they happen and takes them away (like Scottie)
-rebound above the rim
-sees passing lanes on offence as they develop, is patient enough for them to come to fruition, then delivers the pass
-passing accuracy is high, passes are well timed, and thrown into the right window
-great footwork on D
-footwork while dribbling halfcourt needs to become more comfortable and second nature
-FT stroke looks weird and different than his jumper
-probably what I like best about his offensive game is he makes the best play for the team—he passes to the right guy when he should, and shoots when he should. Very invested in making the right play
-rebounds above the rim
-can grab and go off the rebound and lead the break
-sees opportunities to create easy setups for his teammates (he gave his teammates a lot of wide open threes in this highlight package that they bricked…NBA shooters are going to make those shots)
-oh and one more thing—I think he only got scored on once in this clip as the primary defender

Essentially, he comes into the NBA:

-NBA ready guard defender, can probably guard some wings
-able to run rudimentary offensive actions
-can succeed on the break right away
-can make some tough jumpers when amped up
-might struggle with the easier jumpers
-great attitude, high activity, doesn’t take risks with his hands or feet on D

I think there’s potential to be a great backup in this league and even a pretty good starter. He can be a great starter if he works on his jumper and handles immensely. Great athlete. Smart mind. Top notch attitude and motor. Mediocre skills on offence with room for development.

I like him but I’ll keep my expectations tempered for now.

Good take!
For reference (not that i agree with him on all these points, disagree with him on the bolded below ), here's Ringer's Kevin O's take, some things that you noticed he mentions as well, like shooting off the catch, etc.)

Shades Of: T.J. McConnell

Hustle
Floor General
Interior Scoring

PLUSES
Shifty shot creator who can play fast but also change pace to carve out space on drives to the rim, where he’s crafty with finishes.

Great playmaker who puts zip on his passes and facilitates with accuracy. He can run a tight pick-and-roll, manipulate defenders, and make advanced reads with bounce passes to cutters or fastballs across the court. There’s an improvisational nature to his game, making him one of this class’s rare true point guards.

Could he have untapped shooting potential? He has touch near the rim and from the line, but it hasn’t translated beyond the arc.

A leader on the floor. He’s vocal and mature. He’ll direct teams around and set the tone with his defense. He sticks in his stance, bounces around side to side on-ball, and intercepts passes off-ball like a cornerback jumping a route.

MINUSES

Subpar shooter off the catch.

On the shorter side defensively, which limits his potential regardless of the effort he brings.

[PoundTown]

Shooting is the swing skill for him. VV could shoot it out of college, he was close to a 40% 3pt shooter over his career. Lowry had to develop his shot over his nba career, but he came up during a different era when guards didn't necessarily have to shoot it that well to get playing time.

Shead was a solid FT shooter (close to 80%), but he never took a lot of 3s and he only shot about 30% over 4 years. These type of 4 year guys typically don't develop into good shooters at the NBA level but he seems to be a very committed guy, so maybe he can become at least competent at it over time.

Might need a bit of a mentality shift with it because he seems to shoot it well from the midrange off the bounce, well from the free throw line and form is nice. Get him in the G and make him shoot the ball. I think he can get there, personally. He was a completely on ball player this past year, so improvements may not have been noticeable with the difficulty of 3's he'd have to take, often at end of shot clocks. The year prior, he'd have Sasser with him as well out there sharing the load and taking many of the difficult end of clock scenarios. If you don't want to take him, you usually don't hit them at that high of a percentage. Sometime it's just the reps and actually wanting to take them. He will be told to develop that mentality I'm sure.

PJ Tucker was allergic to shooting the 3 after 4 years in college too, until he got to the pros and realized he needed it if he wanted to play in the league.

[MEDIC]

I was watching some film from his high-school days. This guy really worked on his body while at Houston. He's much bigger, leaner & appears much quicker.

He's a worker that's for sure. I'd bet on guys like that to work on their weaknesses & improve.

Get him to work with a shooting coach all season. I have a feeling he's going to figure it out.

I absolutely love his aggressiveness on defense. I think he is going to have to make some adjustments though. There is so much baiting and flopping in the NBA. It ruins the game & ruins the skillset of a high end defender like Shead.

It's going to be interesting watching his development.

[HiJiNX]

Watch on YouTube

Insane activity level.

Thanks for posting. Just going off this one video, some things that stand out for me:

Spoiler:

-hard-nosed and active
-physical without fouling
-plays every possession hard
-quick in transition or from a standstill in the half court
-has more moves going right than left (his signature appears to be a little left to right crossover)
-going left, his signature seems to be a hop step hesitation dribble and then explode…doesn’t lose his defender as much as the left to right move
-confident shooting the floater, decent touch
-both of his threes were off the dribble step backs where his shooting motion looked fluid
-his missed threes were catch and shoot or in transition where his feet and shoulders weren’t square and power transfer/balance from feet to release weren’t fluid
-navigates screens well
-sees opponent passing lanes before they happen and takes them away (like Scottie)
-rebound above the rim
-sees passing lanes on offence as they develop, is patient enough for them to come to fruition, then delivers the pass
-passing accuracy is high, passes are well timed, and thrown into the right window
-great footwork on D
-footwork while dribbling halfcourt needs to become more comfortable and second nature
-FT stroke looks weird and different than his jumper
-probably what I like best about his offensive game is he makes the best play for the team—he passes to the right guy when he should, and shoots when he should. Very invested in making the right play
-rebounds above the rim
-can grab and go off the rebound and lead the break
-sees opportunities to create easy setups for his teammates (he gave his teammates a lot of wide open threes in this highlight package that they bricked…NBA shooters are going to make those shots)
-oh and one more thing—I think he only got scored on once in this clip as the primary defender

Essentially, he comes into the NBA:

-NBA ready guard defender, can probably guard some wings
-able to run rudimentary offensive actions
-can succeed on the break right away
-can make some tough jumpers when amped up
-might struggle with the easier jumpers
-great attitude, high activity, doesn’t take risks with his hands or feet on D

I think there’s potential to be a great backup in this league and even a pretty good starter. He can be a great starter if he works on his jumper and handles immensely. Great athlete. Smart mind. Top notch attitude and motor. Mediocre skills on offence with room for development.

I like him but I’ll keep my expectations tempered for now.

Good take!
For reference (not that i agree with him on all these points, disagree with him on the bolded below ), here's Ringer's Kevin O's take, some things that you noticed he mentions as well, like shooting off the catch, etc.)

Shades Of: T.J. McConnell

Hustle
Floor General
Interior Scoring

PLUSES
Shifty shot creator who can play fast but also change pace to carve out space on drives to the rim, where he’s crafty with finishes.

Great playmaker who puts zip on his passes and facilitates with accuracy. He can run a tight pick-and-roll, manipulate defenders, and make advanced reads with bounce passes to cutters or fastballs across the court. There’s an improvisational nature to his game, making him one of this class’s rare true point guards.

Could he have untapped shooting potential? He has touch near the rim and from the line, but it hasn’t translated beyond the arc.

A leader on the floor. He’s vocal and mature. He’ll direct teams around and set the tone with his defense. He sticks in his stance, bounces around side to side on-ball, and intercepts passes off-ball like a cornerback jumping a route.

MINUSES

Subpar shooter off the catch.

On the shorter side defensively, which limits his potential regardless of the effort he brings.

Haha thanks! I always knew I could scout professionally. :p

[HiJiNX]

I was watching some film from his high-school days. This guy really worked on his body while at Houston. He's much bigger, leaner & appears much quicker.

He's a worker that's for sure. I'd bet on guys like that to work on their weaknesses & improve.

Get him to work with a shooting coach all season. I have a feeling he's going to figure it out.

I absolutely love his aggressiveness on defense. I think he is going to have to make some adjustments though. There is so much baiting and flopping in the NBA. It ruins the game & ruins the skillset of a high end defender like Shead.

It's going to be interesting watching his development.

Great insight on his high school to college transformations.

I am also positive that he works out his jumper. There are things with it mechanically, but they’re fixable. Needs to drastically improve shot preparation, getting his feet and shoulder square before he catches or as he sets up in transition. Also needs better power transfer through his core. He has a good release on his jumper but a different release on his free throws—he’s gotta work that out, too.

Defensively I think he will be fine against the flippers because he doesn’t do a lot of reaching, gets to the space opponents are attacking quickly, and slides his feet. I think he will be okay there.

[Dalek]

Shooting is the swing skill for him. VV could shoot it out of college, he was close to a 40% 3pt shooter over his career. Lowry had to develop his shot over his nba career, but he came up during a different era when guards didn't necessarily have to shoot it that well to get playing time.

Shead was a solid FT shooter (close to 80%), but he never took a lot of 3s and he only shot about 30% over 4 years. These type of 4 year guys typically don't develop into good shooters at the NBA level but he seems to be a very committed guy, so maybe he can become at least competent at it over time.

That's the bet. He's a slightly better shooter off the catch, so maybe he starts there, but if he can push his percentages to 34-35% on average volume, the sky is the limit given how good he is at everything else. If not, I still see an NBA player, but he'll likely end up bounce around the league like other non-shooting defensive guards (e.g. Shaq Harrison, Kris Dunn, etc.). He's such a hard worker and seems like a really good/disciplined kid, so I have hope. Really pulling for him!

I agree shooting is important for any guard, but with Shead he has a couple important things in his favor that help while his shot develops. He is a defender and a playmaker who can run an offense.

His on and off ball defense is off the charts good. He was a DPOY in all of US college ball which is something for a guard to accomplish. Even with his smallish size he is electric making high IQ reads on defense. He is more like a free safety in that way.

Secondly, he is an excellent passer which is meaningful given his driving ability. He is a combo of power and speed and with his vision on the move, we should be able to get drive and kick-outs that will come with his rim pressure.

Based on that alone you get a guy like Jordan Mclaughlin or Jose Alvarado who both play important roles on playoff/contending teams, but his leadership and poise are my swing factors. This guy led his team and consistently improved and is obviously a worker. The shot may never get beyond 35%, but he was probably the second best playmaker in the draft outside of Topic.

[Vorticity]

Thanks for posting. Just going off this one video, some things that stand out for me:

Spoiler:

-hard-nosed and active
-physical without fouling
-plays every possession hard
-quick in transition or from a standstill in the half court
-has more moves going right than left (his signature appears to be a little left to right crossover)
-going left, his signature seems to be a hop step hesitation dribble and then explode…doesn’t lose his defender as much as the left to right move
-confident shooting the floater, decent touch
-both of his threes were off the dribble step backs where his shooting motion looked fluid
-his missed threes were catch and shoot or in transition where his feet and shoulders weren’t square and power transfer/balance from feet to release weren’t fluid
-navigates screens well
-sees opponent passing lanes before they happen and takes them away (like Scottie)
-rebound above the rim
-sees passing lanes on offence as they develop, is patient enough for them to come to fruition, then delivers the pass
-passing accuracy is high, passes are well timed, and thrown into the right window
-great footwork on D
-footwork while dribbling halfcourt needs to become more comfortable and second nature
-FT stroke looks weird and different than his jumper
-probably what I like best about his offensive game is he makes the best play for the team—he passes to the right guy when he should, and shoots when he should. Very invested in making the right play
-rebounds above the rim
-can grab and go off the rebound and lead the break
-sees opportunities to create easy setups for his teammates (he gave his teammates a lot of wide open threes in this highlight package that they bricked…NBA shooters are going to make those shots)
-oh and one more thing—I think he only got scored on once in this clip as the primary defender

Essentially, he comes into the NBA:

-NBA ready guard defender, can probably guard some wings
-able to run rudimentary offensive actions
-can succeed on the break right away
-can make some tough jumpers when amped up
-might struggle with the easier jumpers
-great attitude, high activity, doesn’t take risks with his hands or feet on D

I think there’s potential to be a great backup in this league and even a pretty good starter. He can be a great starter if he works on his jumper and handles immensely. Great athlete. Smart mind. Top notch attitude and motor. Mediocre skills on offence with room for development.

I like him but I’ll keep my expectations tempered for now.

Good take!
For reference (not that i agree with him on all these points, disagree with him on the bolded below ), here's Ringer's Kevin O's take, some things that you noticed he mentions as well, like shooting off the catch, etc.)

Shades Of: T.J. McConnell

Hustle
Floor General
Interior Scoring

PLUSES
Shifty shot creator who can play fast but also change pace to carve out space on drives to the rim, where he’s crafty with finishes.

Great playmaker who puts zip on his passes and facilitates with accuracy. He can run a tight pick-and-roll, manipulate defenders, and make advanced reads with bounce passes to cutters or fastballs across the court. There’s an improvisational nature to his game, making him one of this class’s rare true point guards.

Could he have untapped shooting potential? He has touch near the rim and from the line, but it hasn’t translated beyond the arc.

A leader on the floor. He’s vocal and mature. He’ll direct teams around and set the tone with his defense. He sticks in his stance, bounces around side to side on-ball, and intercepts passes off-ball like a cornerback jumping a route.

MINUSES

Subpar shooter off the catch.

On the shorter side defensively, which limits his potential regardless of the effort he brings.

Haha thanks! I always knew I could scout professionally. :p

you got my vote!

[LoveMyRaps]

Don't know if it's just me - but he does not look 6'1

Looks a bit taller.

[ForeverTFC]

Shooting is the swing skill for him. VV could shoot it out of college, he was close to a 40% 3pt shooter over his career. Lowry had to develop his shot over his nba career, but he came up during a different era when guards didn't necessarily have to shoot it that well to get playing time.

Shead was a solid FT shooter (close to 80%), but he never took a lot of 3s and he only shot about 30% over 4 years. These type of 4 year guys typically don't develop into good shooters at the NBA level but he seems to be a very committed guy, so maybe he can become at least competent at it over time.

That's the bet. He's a slightly better shooter off the catch, so maybe he starts there, but if he can push his percentages to 34-35% on average volume, the sky is the limit given how good he is at everything else. If not, I still see an NBA player, but he'll likely end up bounce around the league like other non-shooting defensive guards (e.g. Shaq Harrison, Kris Dunn, etc.). He's such a hard worker and seems like a really good/disciplined kid, so I have hope. Really pulling for him!

It's also why we got him in the 2nd round. Shead with a jumpshot is a first round prospect, even at his height. It's a good bet to make but the odds are definitely against him.

Shooting will dictate whether he stays in the league for sure, but PGs that aren't a rim threat need to be able to shoot off the dribble to be effective - it can't just be spot ups. Davion Mitchell shot the 3 at 36% last year on low volume and mostly open catch and shoot opportunities, and it got him nothing on offense. Not sure why it would be different for Shead.

It's also hard to say he can fall back on another offensive skill to create shots because of his height. On top of being a great shooter in college, FVV also had the ability to get to the rim at will. However, that skill didn't translate to the NBA because size is just too important to be able to finish inside. While Shead is stronger, he doesn't have that much length on Fred.

[Dalek]

It's also hard to say he can fall back on another offensive skill to create shots because of his height. On top of being a great shooter in college, FVV also had the ability to get to the rim at will. However, that skill didn't translate to the NBA because size is just too important to be able to finish inside. While Shead is stronger, he doesn't have that much length on Fred.

Shead measures comparably to Davion Mitchell.
6'2 in shoes with a 6'3 wingspan and 8 reach 200 lbs

FVV is at best 6'1 and 6'2 wp and it probably took a few years to get up to 200 lbs if he is at that weight. Shead looks bigger and is stronger and is a more vertical athlete. No question he outperforms FVV as an athlete. The shooting is special for Fred and is why he can start and why I think Shead is a career back-up, but a really good one.

I do think it is weird we got Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead, but I assume Mitchell is a cheap flyer to take.

[niQ]

It's also hard to say he can fall back on another offensive skill to create shots because of his height. On top of being a great shooter in college, FVV also had the ability to get to the rim at will. However, that skill didn't translate to the NBA because size is just too important to be able to finish inside. While Shead is stronger, he doesn't have that much length on Fred.

Shead measures comparably to Davion Mitchell.
6'2 in shoes with a 6'3 wingspan and 8 reach 200 lbs

FVV is at best 6'1 and 6'2 wp and it probably took a few years to get up to 200 lbs if he is at that weight. Shead looks bigger and is stronger and is a more vertical athlete. No question he outperforms FVV as an athlete. The shooting is special for Fred and is why he can start and why I think Shead is a career back-up, but a really good one.

I do think it is weird we got Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead, but I assume Mitchell is a cheap flyer to take.

My guess is 1) the Raptors didn't think Shead would be available at 45. 2) I believe Mitchell is in the final year of his contract. So he'll be an UFA. Shead will learn the ropes under IQ/Mitchell. If Mitchell walks, we still have Shead.

[ForeverTFC]

It's also hard to say he can fall back on another offensive skill to create shots because of his height. On top of being a great shooter in college, FVV also had the ability to get to the rim at will. However, that skill didn't translate to the NBA because size is just too important to be able to finish inside. While Shead is stronger, he doesn't have that much length on Fred.

Shead measures comparably to Davion Mitchell.
6'2 in shoes with a 6'3 wingspan and 8 reach 200 lbs

FVV is at best 6'1 and 6'2 wp and it probably took a few years to get up to 200 lbs if he is at that weight. Shead looks bigger and is stronger and is a more vertical athlete. No question he outperforms FVV as an athlete. The shooting is special for Fred and is why he can start and why I think Shead is a career back-up, but a really good one.

I do think it is weird we got Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead, but I assume Mitchell is a cheap flyer to take.

My guess is 1) the Raptors didn't think Shead would be available at 45. 2) I believe Mitchell is in the final year of his contract. So he'll be an UFA. Shead will learn the ropes under IQ/Mitchell. If Mitchell walks, we still have Shead.

Bobby gave us the answer already. They're just accumulating assets and both Shead and Mitchell came essentially for free. He's talked a lot about us being at a talent deficit and how not everyone is going to hit, and so they're just taking as many shots they can at goal right now without much of focus on need and redundancy.