Official Raptors 2011 NBA Draft Thread, Part 8

[TDotRep]

Anyone can quote me on this crazy prediction and I'll eat crow if I'm wrong. But although I'd pick Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams over him, Enes Kanter will be the NBA rookie of the year barring injury. Yea I said it, and no I'm not crazy

You're smoking off a crack pipe. Most high lottery bigs end up being busts, unless they are clear cut number 1.

Your kinda wrong.

[witnessraps]

I'm not denying that we need a starting center, as we absolutely do, but can you honestly tell me you would pick Kanter over Irving?

A week or two ago I would say no way, but I've been really high on him lately, I can see him being a good fit, especially if he's got size and basketball iq. I don't know if we'll be able to sign a free agent C, and I don't want to trade for Haywood or Biedrins. Anyways we'll know more after workouts...Kyrie's probably still the choice.

[nahom1319]

BB or Val over this kid is a joke...

Yeah because we know soooooo much about Kanter right .... I've been on the BB bandwagon so what I say will probably be ignored/ridiculed, but I don't think its as cut and dry as this board would believe. Im not advocating one player over the other because we simply DO NOT know enough about the prospects. Some on this board would have you believe BB is as raw as Alabi which is laughable. The same people would lead you to think that Enes's defensive ability is going to be above average, which we have no supporting evidence of.

My fear is that we will never have the chance to see these players go up against each other, and that could be our downfall. I understand why Enes isn't showcasing himself now (he likely needs a month or so to get into good basketball shape, it doesn't seem like he was spending a load of time in the gym during the school year), so I'm hoping we get at least one opportunity to see him go up against BB or Val.

As a side note: this board seems wayyyyy to enamored with Enes's scoring ability, which if we move Bargnani for a defensive 5 wouldn't be an issue but if Andrea stays we are literally screwed defensively for the foreseeable future. I don't mind Enes, provided he is asked to play the powerforward, but going forward i don't think his lateral quicks will allow him to be a good help defender (his vertical doesn't help much either). As a pf with a good helpside 5 i think he could be good-great.

[Silk Wilkes]

Anyone can quote me on this crazy prediction and I'll eat crow if I'm wrong. But although I'd pick Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams over him, Enes Kanter will be the NBA rookie of the year barring injury. Yea I said it, and no I'm not crazy

You're smoking off a crack pipe. Most high lottery bigs end up being busts, unless they are clear cut number 1.

Your kinda wrong.

You know what, I'll quote myself then.

[TDotRep]

was talking about ty

[ATLTimekeeper]

As a side note: this board seems wayyyyy to enamored with Enes's scoring ability, which if we move Bargnani for a defensive 5 wouldn't be an issue but if Andrea stays we are literally screwed defensively for the foreseeable future. I don't mind Enes, provided he is asked to play the powerforward, but going forward i don't think his lateral quicks will allow him to be a good help defender (his vertical doesn't help much either). As a pf with a good helpside 5 i think he could be good-great.

Until we get more information I'm going to treat the three Cs as equal prospects.

Kanter is more polished now. He'll have to answer some obvious questions in the next month or so.

Biyombo is raw, but is the kind of athlete with the kind of strength and tenacity that could dominate his position. We'll have to see how raw, what his hands are like, what his IQ is like in the coming months.

Valanciunas is in between. Need to know his buyout. I'd be interested in his combine results, too.

[Reignman]

I think Kanter is the right pick for us. Even if we landed #1. I would give Kanter just as much thought as DW and KI.

From the videos and they can definitely be deceiving he shows a strong two way game similar to Andrew Bogut/Chris Kaman.

The only thing is if we draft Kanter, we are way too load with mediocre bigs. Not even sure who I would want to trade. Do you keep or trade Amir? Bargs? Davis?

I love the "idea" of Kanter as much as you but there's no way I'm taking him above Irving. With D Will it's arguable but D Will was a monster this year and if he projects as an NBA SF then I'm down with him as the pick at 2.

I really wish we had more data on Kanter. Anyway, Coach Cal says if you thought Kanter was going to be the best big last summer then you should feel the same way now. I agree with him but we have to let the brass figure this one out.

That seems to deny the usefulness of game experience in player development, but whatever. Not a big deal. Cal, like pretty much any college recruiter is going to say whatever he can to sell his players to the NBA.

Did I hear that correctly in the Cal video that he was basically going to run Kanter's workouts with teams, as opposed to teams running their own workouts with him?

I'm guessing he meant during the NCAA season he'd open up his practise doors to scouts to get a better look at Kanter.

\Remember, this video is from back in January when Kanter was ruled ineligible so Cal wanted to give pro scouts a look at him in practise since he wasn't playing.


I'm guessing his NBA workouts will happen just like any other high pick.

[Reignman]

I can totally see Colangelo unnecessarily picking Kanter #1.

I can't. This guy grew up having prime KJ, then as the GM had prime J Kidd, prime Marbury, prime Nash (traded and then re-signed).

if there's one thing BC knows it's point guards. I'm going to give him a bye for Calderon, he's not the only one that was fooled, look at this board. But TJ was a good pick up as well.

[Reignman]

As a side note: this board seems wayyyyy to enamored with Enes's scoring ability, which if we move Bargnani for a defensive 5 wouldn't be an issue but if Andrea stays we are literally screwed defensively for the foreseeable future. I don't mind Enes, provided he is asked to play the powerforward, but going forward i don't think his lateral quicks will allow him to be a good help defender (his vertical doesn't help much either). As a pf with a good helpside 5 i think he could be good-great.

Actually, if anything he needs more lateral quickness at PF. Have you seen some of the PFs in the league, they are basically big tall athletic SFs nowadays.

If Kanter wants to make it, it's going to be at the 5 spot. At PF I don't see him being anything great quite honestly.

Guys like Bosh, Amare, D West, Nowitzki, Randolph will just murder his ass. I'm sure he could do some damage the other way as well but we're not looking for the next David Lee, we're looking for pieces that's going to eventually help us win.

Kanter would fall considerably in my eyes if scouts view him as a PF, just the same for D Will. We have two very good PF prospects in Davis/Amir and I'm quite content with that moving forward and wouldn't burn a high pick for a best-case scenario of a marginally better prospect.

[fredericklove]

This is such a horrible year to tank for good prospect yikes, assuming IF DWill and Kanter end up not able to play SF and C. That'd suck for us if we picked one of em. OR we fall back to 4-6 spots and or we miss out on Irving...this is a raptors curse. When we get bottom lottery pick we end up getting good prospects but end badly when it comes to top pick. Last time our 5th pick turned out to be the Golden Boy of the NBA...but I doubt we'll get a Golden Boy in the 3-6 range. We're not that LUCKY again.

[bboyskinnylegs]

Yeah I don't think Kanter would do very well as a PF--he doesn't seem to have the quickness to guard guys out on the perimeter (although we haven't seen a whole lot of him, so maybe he does). At C is the only place where he has real mismatch potential being able to shoot and face-up (just like Monroe/Cousins). Him having a PF-like offensive game wouldn't be a problem either, since our young PFs in Amir/Ed have great hands and are very efficient scoring near the basket. On the offensive end, I think Kanter definitely looks like the best fit and most talented of three bigs.

But of course offense isn't our main area of concern, it's the defensive capability that's going to be key in making a decision imo. 11 days until the combine/workouts begin.

[DatHomieYouHaTe]

This is such a horrible year to tank for good prospect yikes, assuming IF DWill and Kanter end up not able to play SF and C. That'd suck for us if we picked one of em. OR we fall back to 4-6 spots and or we miss out on Irving...this is a raptors curse. When we get bottom lottery pick we end up getting good prospects but end badly when it comes to top pick. Last time our 5th pick turned out to be the Golden Boy of the NBA...but I doubt we'll get a Golden Boy in the 3-6 range. We're not that LUCKY again.

it would not suck to get d williams. I dunno where you're going with this but i'd thank the stars if we got a talented guy like that from this draft.

[fredericklove]

If we get top 2 picks on the 17th we wouldn't even have to worry about whether Kanter can play C or not. Even if Kanter doesn't, think of it as Horford scenario...undersized but big and strong forward, he doesn't want to play C yet he plays so well in that position. So I don't think it'd be that much of a problem for Kanter. Moreover he's not bargnani anyways, Kanter is someone most likely stay close to the paint which is a good sign.

[bboyskinnylegs]

not sure if this has been posted, but there's a strengths/weaknesses writeup/video for Brandon Knight up on DX:
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Finding-a-Niche-for-Brandon-Knight-3696

[fredericklove]

This is such a horrible year to tank for good prospect yikes, assuming IF DWill and Kanter end up not able to play SF and C. That'd suck for us if we picked one of em. OR we fall back to 4-6 spots and or we miss out on Irving...this is a raptors curse. When we get bottom lottery pick we end up getting good prospects but end badly when it comes to top pick. Last time our 5th pick turned out to be the Golden Boy of the NBA...but I doubt we'll get a Golden Boy in the 3-6 range. We're not that LUCKY again.

it would not suck to get d williams. I dunno where you're going with this but i'd thank the stars if we got a talented guy like that from this draft.

Didn't I say assuming if they can't play that position, but if DWill can play SF obviously it wouldn't suck it would fill our need and fill up our young core. I doubt there really going to be "stars" within the 3rd to 6th range.

[Reignman]

One thing I want everyone to remember, Kanter is one of the youngest players in this draft class, younger than Knight even.

[CanadaB-Ball]

One thing I want everyone to remember, Kanter is one of the youngest players in this draft class, younger than Knight even.

Knight is actually pretty old for a freshman, meaning he has a late birthday.

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

Actually, Kanter can play PF if he's alongside a laterally quick C like a DeMarcus Cousins or Javale McGee,where either can switch off on quicker PFs, and sort of alternate btwn PF and C. But, on the Raptors, he would have to play C unless Davis turns into Horford physically.

[Reignman]

Actually, Kanter can play PF if he's alongside a laterally quick C like a DeMarcus Cousins or Javale McGee,where either can switch off on quicker PFs, and sort of alternate btwn PF and C. But, on the Raptors, he would have to play C unless Davis turns into Horford physically.

actually, if we get Kanter I want to develop him just like Cousins. On offense you throw it in to him in the post and let him create/pass. If he needs to face up he can do that as well (at times). On D I want him to be a very positional defender that can rotate and rebound.

Ed has the instincts to roam/stalk/wander in the paint and destroy people from the weakside.

Well, that's my vision of what I want to happen. And then we let Demar, Bayless and our 2012 SF bring the pain from the perimeter.

Let other teams deal with that ****, that's what would bring me back to being a rowdy mother **** Raps fan.

[nahom1319]

One thing I want everyone to remember, Kanter is one of the youngest players in this draft class, younger than Knight even.

....and 3 months younger then he is another lottery prospect