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

[UcanUwill]

Masai has been spotted twice now scouting this guy. He'a too high in mock drafts, but you never know. I guess he thinks Avdija could be the next Luka Doncic. Kid has big stones.

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/deni-avdija/

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27281239/deni-avdija-polarizing-top-draft-prospect-2020

I wouldn't go as so far as to say he thinks he could be the next Luka lol he could just be intrigued in him as a prospect.

Deni seems pretty skilled but it's not just that Luka is very skilled but more so his tremendous bball IQ, court awareness and ability to process information quickly. From what I've seen so far Deni seems like he can do different things offensively but I don't see the level of control over an entire offence that you seen with Luka. To me throwing out that comparison is like when people were anxious to ironically compare players to Luka's teammate Porzingis when suddenly Bender, Markannen etc were supposed to be the next KP.

I mean we'll see how Deni turns out but that's quite the assumption to make whether you believe that comparison or are just inferring that Masai might.

If Deni is taken top 5, he has Hezonja written all over him. Barely plays on trash Maccabi team, yet people compare him to Doncic, wtf?

[HeadtopChunes]

Read on Twitter

Looks like they do have an eye on Oturu

[Kevin Willis]

Masai has been spotted twice now scouting this guy. He'a too high in mock drafts, but you never know. I guess he thinks Avdija could be the next Luka Doncic. Kid has big stones.

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/deni-avdija/

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27281239/deni-avdija-polarizing-top-draft-prospect-2020

I wouldn't go as so far as to say he thinks he could be the next Luka lol he could just be intrigued in him as a prospect.

Deni seems pretty skilled but it's not just that Luka is very skilled but more so his tremendous bball IQ, court awareness and ability to process information quickly. From what I've seen so far Deni seems like he can do different things offensively but I don't see the level of control over an entire offence that you seen with Luka. To me throwing out that comparison is like when people were anxious to ironically compare players to Luka's teammate Porzingis when suddenly Bender, Markannen etc were supposed to be the next KP.

I mean we'll see how Deni turns out but that's quite the assumption to make whether you believe that comparison or are just inferring that Masai might.

If Deni is taken top 5, he has Hezonja written all over him. Barely plays on trash Maccabi team, yet people compare him to Doncic, wtf?

Yeah, I watched a few videos of him and I don't see Doncic. I watche a lot of Doncic and he was special. I see more of a Hezonja or Bender type that can go either way depending on where they land.

[HeadtopChunes]

Read on Twitter

Looks like they do have an eye on Oturu

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I like the fire lmao

[LoveMyRaps]

Read on Twitter

Looks like they do have an eye on Oturu

Read on Twitter

I like the fire lmao

Apparently he was very impressive last night. Finished the game with 26 & 14. Raps FO must be intrigued.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Read on Twitter

Looks like they do have an eye on Oturu

Masai is probably still in Europe, but there's obvious common ground with Masai and Oturu's family.

Swaying beside him in the pew is his father, Francis, who stands only 5-5 but learned to play pingpong so well, it paved the way for the family’s migration from Nigeria.

Super religious ping pong playing Nigerian dad. They're probably begging Masai to trade up.

[LoveMyRaps]

Per the Salt Lake Tribune’s Kurt Kragthorpe, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson (and again), and 247Sports’ Sean Bock (through Wolfson), scouts from teams including the Bucks, Clippers, Hawks, Heat, Hornets, Knicks, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pistons, and Raptors have attended the Gophers’ games versus Utah, Clemson, Iowa, and Ohio State to watch Oturu.

Damn, so almsost half the league have Oturu on their radar. He's bound to be a top 10 pick by the time the draft rolls around. If Masai & co. really like what they see in Oturu, I guess we'll see them trade up on draft night or acquire a lotto pick which seems unlikely.

[HeadtopChunes]

Per the Salt Lake Tribune’s Kurt Kragthorpe, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson (and again), and 247Sports’ Sean Bock (through Wolfson), scouts from teams including the Bucks, Clippers, Hawks, Heat, Hornets, Knicks, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pistons, and Raptors have attended the Gophers’ games versus Utah, Clemson, Iowa, and Ohio State to watch Oturu.

Damn, so almsost half the league have Oturu on their radar. He's bound to be a top 10 pick by the time the draft rolls around. If Masai & co. really like what they see in Oturu, I guess we'll see them trade up on draft night or acquire a lotto pick which seems unlikely.

I have doubts of him going that high tbh.

Expect him to be there around our pick.

Don’t like the idea of trading up for a center anyway especially if their upside is just a starter. (I would consider it for Okongwu though)

[BoyzNTheHood]

Read on Twitter

Looks like they do have an eye on Oturu

Read on Twitter

I like the fire lmao

Does anyone know the backstory of this argument? To me it looks like Oturu is the aggressor showing a serious lack of maturity.

[HeadtopChunes]

Read on Twitter

Looks like they do have an eye on Oturu

Read on Twitter

I like the fire lmao

Does anyone know the backstory of this argument? To me it looks like Oturu is the aggressor showing a serious lack of maturity.

apparently they were jawing all game and the other dude said something first judging by Oturus teammates reaction

[BoyzNTheHood]

I don't get the impression Oturu will be available when we pick. Way too much talent. If this weren't a guard's league he'd be ranked much higher.

[Cael]

Read on Twitter

Looks like they do have an eye on Oturu

Read on Twitter

I like the fire lmao

Does anyone know the backstory of this argument? To me it looks like Oturu is the aggressor showing a serious lack of maturity.

He was clearly backing up his teammate.

[OhCanada1091]

23 year old, Tres Trinkle, 6'8 225, Oregon State. This is the guy Toronto is gonna end up with undrafted and turn into out next great young player.

[OhCanada1091]

With his first round pick, Masai will draft someone no one has heard of. People will freak out and say he passed over so and so from big NCAA school. The player in question becomes a key Raptor player within a year or two. The original draft thread is bumped and people laugh at the comments made on the first 3 pages.

Masai has never drafted someone I "never" heard of. Even when Caboclo was drafted I heard of the Brazilian kid with a 7'7 wing span. Didn't expect him to get drafted in the first round but knew he would get drafted. Same with Siakam, I thought he would be a late 2nd round pick.

[HeadtopChunes]

I don't get the impression Oturu will be available when we pick. Way too much talent. If this weren't a guard's league he'd be ranked much higher.

Might just be me but I don't see a lottery pick with him

There's a lot to like but he's also undersized, reportedly lacks awareness and isn't special athletically,

He's got a great motor and some scoring skills but I don't expect the post-game to translate to the NBA. He's also a year older than a lot of the other bigs to be considered in the first round.

That's why I'm fairly confident he will be available by the time we pick.

[DreamTeam09]

6'8+ SF with handles - that's the only thing I'd be looking for.

Or a 6'8 Sniper

[BoyzNTheHood]

I don't get the impression Oturu will be available when we pick. Way too much talent. If this weren't a guard's league he'd be ranked much higher.

Might just be me but I don't see a lottery pick with him

There's a lot to like but he's also undersized, reportedly lacks awareness and isn't special athletically,

He's got a great motor and some scoring skills but I don't expect the post-game to translate to the NBA. He's also a year older than a lot of the other bigs to be considered in the first round.

That's why I'm fairly confident he will be available by the time we pick.

If that's the case he should probably be the pick. But if Masai were to pick anyone else I wouldn't blink an eye. I remember the days of past GM's when we'd destroy the pick on the spot (many times quite accurately), but now with Masai it's more of an excitement of what could be.

[HeadtopChunes]

I don't get the impression Oturu will be available when we pick. Way too much talent. If this weren't a guard's league he'd be ranked much higher.

Might just be me but I don't see a lottery pick with him

There's a lot to like but he's also undersized, reportedly lacks awareness and isn't special athletically,

He's got a great motor and some scoring skills but I don't expect the post-game to translate to the NBA. He's also a year older than a lot of the other bigs to be considered in the first round.

That's why I'm fairly confident he will be available by the time we pick.

If that's the case he should probably be the pick. But if Masai were to pick anyone else I wouldn't blink an eye. I remember the days of past GM's when we'd destroy the pick on the spot (many times quite accurately), but now with Masai it's more of an excitement of what could be.

Yeah I’m gonna have my own guys I like but I have resigned to the fact that this FO knows far more than me about this stuff and has won the benefit of the doubt many times over.

[Smalltown]

But if Masai were to pick anyone else I wouldn't blink an eye.

At this point it's "Hmmm. Really?!?" followed by deep google session to find out what makes the kid special that we've all been missing.

[OGLife]

Kellan Grady is someone I would keep an eye one. He reminds me a lot like Davis. Great at getting to the rim, shooting 3s and is an above-average defender