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

[Gold Dragon]

Count me in on the Tillman bandwagon. It doesn't sound like the greatest draft this year so someone like Tillman who fits like a glove in our system and can be a useful rotation player right away is great. Yes his shooting and length are concerns. The shooting we can work on.

I’m pro-Tillman as well, but I don’t know where this concern about length has come from. Height perhaps as he’s probably 6’8 ish, but he’s got a plus wingspan. That plus his mobility is why he’s able to be such an effective defender. (Not to mention his intelligence)

His wingspan looks plenty good for college and small ball C in the NBA. I’m just worried about his upside as a starting C or matchups against the really long bigs in the NBA (more on offense than defense) with his only ok athleticism and wingspan that looks less on tape than advertised on paper. Sure he compensates with great IQ, mobility and effort and that will allow him to have a long career in the NBA.

[BoyzNTheHood]

28. Toronto Raptors

Aleksej Pokusevski
Olympiakos B
PF
Age: 18.2

Best fit: Isaiah Stewart

The Raptors have never been shy about investing resources in prospects needing long-term development. A 7-footer who can dribble, pass and shoot, Pokusevski wouldn't have been eligible for the draft had he been born six days later, making him one of the youngest players ever projected to be drafted in this age-limit era. With Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol passing their prime, the Raptors might look at the plethora of big men available here. -- Givony

New ESPN mock has us taking Poku

Anyone watch a lot of Euroleague? Why's he ranked so low with those skills?

EDIT:

NVM, I just read the Stepien's writeup on him and his weaknesses are huge red flags. Bargnani-esque if you will...

It’s easy to dismiss his potential as an NBA big due to his issues with finishing at the rim, defending on the perimeter and with the motor concerns that the international draft community mentions every time you bring up his name.

[Kevin Willis]

28. Toronto Raptors

Aleksej Pokusevski
Olympiakos B
PF
Age: 18.2

Best fit: Isaiah Stewart

The Raptors have never been shy about investing resources in prospects needing long-term development. A 7-footer who can dribble, pass and shoot, Pokusevski wouldn't have been eligible for the draft had he been born six days later, making him one of the youngest players ever projected to be drafted in this age-limit era. With Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol passing their prime, the Raptors might look at the plethora of big men available here. -- Givony

New ESPN mock has us taking Poku

Anyone watch a lot of Euroleague? Why's he ranked so low with those skills?

EDIT:

NVM, I just read the Stepien's writeup on him and his weaknesses are huge red flags. Bargnani-esque if you will...

It’s easy to dismiss his potential as an NBA big due to his issues with finishing at the rim, defending on the perimeter and with the motor concerns that the international draft community mentions every time you bring up his name.

He's not really a Masai/Webster player.

Watch on YouTube

[Ell Curry]

28. Toronto Raptors

Aleksej Pokusevski
Olympiakos B
PF
Age: 18.2

Best fit: Isaiah Stewart

The Raptors have never been shy about investing resources in prospects needing long-term development. A 7-footer who can dribble, pass and shoot, Pokusevski wouldn't have been eligible for the draft had he been born six days later, making him one of the youngest players ever projected to be drafted in this age-limit era. With Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol passing their prime, the Raptors might look at the plethora of big men available here. -- Givony

New ESPN mock has us taking Poku

Anyone watch a lot of Euroleague? Why's he ranked so low with those skills?

EDIT:

NVM, I just read the Stepien's writeup on him and his weaknesses are huge red flags. Bargnani-esque if you will...

It’s easy to dismiss his potential as an NBA big due to his issues with finishing at the rim, defending on the perimeter and with the motor concerns that the international draft community mentions every time you bring up his name.

If he doesn't shoot like Dirk I don't think Masai will draft a low motor player. Powell, Siakam and VanVleet all very high motor, unsure on Hernandez, Anunoby probably closer to an average motor but he certainly enjoyed playing D and took pride in locking guys up more than 99% of freshmen college players.

I'd be surprised if Masai wasn't in love with Tyrese Haliburton, but don't know how we would trade up for him. That's the guy I've seen that jumps out to me as a Masai type, but moving up from 28 to 8 or 9 seems implausible to me.

[NotMyKawhi]

I said it from the first page, i want precious

if he falls and matt thomas, some 2nds and our 1st can move us up? do it! Giannis loves africans

[HeadtopChunes]

New ESPN mock has us taking Poku

Anyone watch a lot of Euroleague? Why's he ranked so low with those skills?

EDIT:

NVM, I just read the Stepien's writeup on him and his weaknesses are huge red flags. Bargnani-esque if you will...

It’s easy to dismiss his potential as an NBA big due to his issues with finishing at the rim, defending on the perimeter and with the motor concerns that the international draft community mentions every time you bring up his name.

If he doesn't shoot like Dirk I don't think Masai will draft a low motor player. Powell, Siakam and VanVleet all very high motor, unsure on Hernandez, Anunoby probably closer to an average motor but he certainly enjoyed playing D and took pride in locking guys up more than 99% of freshmen college players.

I'd be surprised if Masai wasn't in love with Tyrese Haliburton, but don't know how we would trade up for him. That's the guy I've seen that jumps out to me as a Masai type, but moving up from 28 to 8 or 9 seems implausible to me.

So far this front office has prioritized physical tools, IQ and production. They seem to not prioritize shooting because they think they can teach it or care about age for that matter. Also seem to prefer players with a chip on their shoulder or underdog mindset.

Guys that would fit that
- Haliburton for sure
- Maxey probably
- Okongwu
- Okoro
- Josh Green
- Bolmaro?
- Kira Lewis
- Tyler Bey
- Keyontae Johnson
- Xavier Tillman
- Paul Reed
- Devon Dotson

Is all i can think of at the moment

[HeadtopChunes]

that being said Cole Anthony or Tyrese Maxey would be interesting trade up targets if they fall out of the top 10

Although I'm not sure what we could offer, we are light on expendable assets. Don't think OG is worth trading for that. Maybe Powell?

[Mark_83]

Just declared but likely won’t stay in the draft,

Oscar Tshiebwe is an interesting big man prospect, 6’9 but a special athlete. Can really move fluidly and protect the rim and can shoot FTs okay. Maybe 3ptrs down the line.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Better chance if he was from Nigeria. jk

[Ell Curry]

Anyone watch a lot of Euroleague? Why's he ranked so low with those skills?

EDIT:

NVM, I just read the Stepien's writeup on him and his weaknesses are huge red flags. Bargnani-esque if you will...

If he doesn't shoot like Dirk I don't think Masai will draft a low motor player. Powell, Siakam and VanVleet all very high motor, unsure on Hernandez, Anunoby probably closer to an average motor but he certainly enjoyed playing D and took pride in locking guys up more than 99% of freshmen college players.

I'd be surprised if Masai wasn't in love with Tyrese Haliburton, but don't know how we would trade up for him. That's the guy I've seen that jumps out to me as a Masai type, but moving up from 28 to 8 or 9 seems implausible to me.

So far this front office has prioritized physical tools, IQ and production. They seem to not prioritize shooting because they think they can teach it or care about age for that matter. Also seem to prefer players with a chip on their shoulder or underdog mindset.

Guys that would fit that
- Haliburton for sure
- Maxey probably
- Okongwu
- Okoro
- Josh Green
- Bolmaro?
- Kira Lewis
- Tyler Bey
- Keyontae Johnson
- Xavier Tillman
- Paul Reed
- Devon Dotson

Is all i can think of at the moment

Well we agree on Hailburton and Tillman so I'll keep an eye on the rest of them, who I haven't seen much of apart from a little Okoro and Maxey.

Also for the 2nd rounder I would add Hagans as a Masai type, since he's an absolute dog defensively, shot 81% from FT and had 6.4 assists but doesn't project as good enough offensively to be even a backup PG. Idea would be a Pat Bev type with more assists if he can develop a 3 point shot.

Maybe he'll consider Isaiah Livers with that pick too, as he has good IQ and very efficient production, though not great upside athletically, he's a strong dunker and smart defender. Might be a good option to play the 20 minutes a night Siakam and OG would sit in a playoff series, like a decent combo forward type. Can really shoot the 3 well so he'd help space the floor on a 2nd unit. Says he'll come back to school if he doesn't get a guaranteed deal.

[HeadtopChunes]

If he doesn't shoot like Dirk I don't think Masai will draft a low motor player. Powell, Siakam and VanVleet all very high motor, unsure on Hernandez, Anunoby probably closer to an average motor but he certainly enjoyed playing D and took pride in locking guys up more than 99% of freshmen college players.

I'd be surprised if Masai wasn't in love with Tyrese Haliburton, but don't know how we would trade up for him. That's the guy I've seen that jumps out to me as a Masai type, but moving up from 28 to 8 or 9 seems implausible to me.

So far this front office has prioritized physical tools, IQ and production. They seem to not prioritize shooting because they think they can teach it or care about age for that matter. Also seem to prefer players with a chip on their shoulder or underdog mindset.

Guys that would fit that
- Haliburton for sure
- Maxey probably
- Okongwu
- Okoro
- Josh Green
- Bolmaro?
- Kira Lewis
- Tyler Bey
- Keyontae Johnson
- Xavier Tillman
- Paul Reed
- Devon Dotson

Is all i can think of at the moment

Well we agree on Hailburton and Tillman so I'll keep an eye on the rest of them, who I haven't seen much of apart from a little Okoro and Maxey.

Also for the 2nd rounder I would add Hagans as a Masai type, since he's an absolute dog defensively, shot 81% from FT and had 6.4 assists but doesn't project as good enough offensively to be even a backup PG. Idea would be a Pat Bev type with more assists if he can develop a 3 point shot.

Maybe he'll consider Isaiah Livers with that pick too, as he has good IQ and very efficient production, though not great upside athletically, he's a strong dunker and smart defender. Might be a good option to play the 20 minutes a night Siakam and OG would sit in a playoff series, like a decent combo forward type. Can really shoot the 3 well so he'd help space the floor on a 2nd unit. Says he'll come back to school if he doesn't get a guaranteed deal.

I didn't include Hagans because I don't think he's an NBA player, will look into Livers though don't know much about him

[Psubs]

that being said Cole Anthony or Tyrese Maxey would be interesting trade up targets if they fall out of the top 10

Although I'm not sure what we could offer, we are light on expendable assets. Don't think OG is worth trading for that. Maybe Powell?

It might be me but I'm not a fan of either. Just see then like Colin Sexton, Malik Monk, Darius Garland. It's not like they can shoot 40% from 3 or are super quick like Fox or super athletic complete package like Terence Davis.

[HeadtopChunes]

that being said Cole Anthony or Tyrese Maxey would be interesting trade up targets if they fall out of the top 10

Although I'm not sure what we could offer, we are light on expendable assets. Don't think OG is worth trading for that. Maybe Powell?

It might be me but I'm not a fan of either. Just see then like Colin Sexton, Malik Monk, Darius Garland. It's not like they can shoot 40% from 3 or are super quick like Fox or super athletic complete package like Terence Davis.

I don't agree with you here, Cole is a really good shooter like has some star level shooting quality to him most of his shooting has been off the dribble or unassisted, so it drags down his percentages. UNC is also a terrible team this year and it's hurt his overall efficiency. Still, there's some concern about the rim & overall decision making. Burst has also been underwhelming from someone as athletic as Cole, not sure if that's due to his knee issues or not.

Maxey has good potential for a 3 level scorer in the NBA with a good combo of burst/strength and shotmaking. He's also a pretty good defending guard who's also built like a football player.

Both would be nice long term fits w/ some all-star upside just not sure about trade value, Norm trade would make sense if we don't intend to keep Norm long term (past 2021) to sell high on a more long term asset would be good asset management.

[Psubs]

that being said Cole Anthony or Tyrese Maxey would be interesting trade up targets if they fall out of the top 10

Although I'm not sure what we could offer, we are light on expendable assets. Don't think OG is worth trading for that. Maybe Powell?

It might be me but I'm not a fan of either. Just see then like Colin Sexton, Malik Monk, Darius Garland. It's not like they can shoot 40% from 3 or are super quick like Fox or super athletic complete package like Terence Davis.

I don't agree with you here, Cole is a really good shooter like has some star level shooting quality to him most of his shooting has been off the dribble or unassisted, so it drags down his percentages. UNC is also a terrible team this year and it's hurt his overall efficiency. Still, there's some concern about the rim & overall decision making. Burst has also been underwhelming from someone as athletic as Cole, not sure if that's due to his knee issues or not.

Maxey has good potential for a 3 level scorer in the NBA with a good combo of burst/strength and shotmaking. He's also a pretty good defending guard who's also built like a football player.

Both would be nice long term fits w/ some all-star upside just not sure about trade value, Norm trade would make sense if we don't intend to keep Norm long term (past 2021) to sell high on a more long term asset would be good asset management.

They just seem like undersized combo guards at best current Derrick Rose. I don't see a high probability of them being better than FVV, Davis nor Powell. Also their mentality is of a top prospect, thus possibly prone to hero-ball.

I just would not trade up for BPA for a position that is stacked. If Terry drops to #27, I'd love that as he projects to be elite at FT and 3pt and an above average defender even though he seems slight at the moment.

Really, I like Garza as an understudy to Marc Gasol or Paul Reed as an understudy to Pascal Siakam.

[HeadtopChunes]

Looks like the draft is getting delayed to august at best

Read on Twitter

[nabbs]

The best big men in our range are Daniel Oturu and Jalen Smith.


Man I am really intrigued by Jalen Smith

[Kevin Willis]

The best big men in our range are Daniel Oturu and Jalen Smith.


Man I am really intrigued by Jalen Smith

Are they long bigs that can play defense and hit the 3?

[nabbs]

The best big men in our range are Daniel Oturu and Jalen Smith.


Man I am really intrigued by Jalen Smith

Are they long bigs that can play defense and hit the 3?

After a slow start to the season, Smith came on in a big way for the last three months. He finished the season averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 36 percent from 3. That’s a very, very rare set of skills. How rare? Well, Smith and Daniel Oturu are the only two high-major players in the last three decades to do it, and they both did it this year.

Via Sam Vecenie

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[nabbs]

Jalen Smith looks so intriguing. His post finishing is definitely a WIP but the footwork is there. I think the Raps have shown they are confident in develop offensive skills with their program.

I think Smith fits the modern NBA type and can be a serious mismatch/

Oturu looks like he is more of a throwback 5 with his body type but has some modern skill set

[HeadtopChunes]

Jalen Smith looks so intriguing. His post finishing is definitely a WIP but the footwork is there. I think the Raps have shown they are confident in develop offensive skills with their program.

I think Smith fits the modern NBA type and can be a serious mismatch/

Oturu looks like he is more of a throwback 5 with his body type but has some modern skill set

Smith is interesting, especially if he can build on the shooting off movement skills he kinda flashed in college. Good rim protector too, not sure is got the strength to play the 5 consistently at least not yet.

Not a fan of Oturu, I wouldn't draft him

[Ell Curry]

Oturu didn't have a good PG like Smith did, but I'm not sure about Oturu as a defensive anchor or as a guy who can get enough buckets outside of post ups which he obviously won't have in the pros. Smith seems like a better bet to stick via switching and finding ways to contribute offensively as a 4th option type offensively. Probably both are bench guys.

The other Big 10 guy that still intrigues me despite going from a top 20 guy to maybe undrafted is Ayo Dosunmu, who shot the ball terribly from 3 but has an absolutely electric first step for a 2 guard. Could be a nice pick at 58 or undrafted signee if we can rebuild his jumper (and he takes them off the dribble at times so he isn't scared, just bricky), but he'd definitely be a G-League guy for a year or two.