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

[Psubs]

Top 3 per position, in our range-ish its a pretty weird draft, Maledon is probably a reach in terms of availability.

G
- Maledon
- Dotson
- Riller

Wing
- Bolmaro
- Tyler Bey
- McDaniels

Big
- Paul Reed
- Pokusevski
- Nnaji

HM: Tillman, Isaiah Joe, Tre Jones

Maledon, Dotson, Riller are all nice. It's clear that the depth of guards is far better than the wings and bigs. I consider Bolmaro as a guard as well. I'm confident the Raptors would make a rotation player out of any of these guys.

Paul Reed I like a lot and considering our (biggest) needs, he's my pick out of the named players. I would be surprised if he is available at our pick.

Tyler Bey would be cool too. At the next level, he will be a 4 so I see him as direct competition to Paul Reed.

edit: Actually I'd probably take Maledon ahead of Reed. I'd have to take time to think about it but he checks every box that the Ratpors would want from a guard prospect.

Would prefer the other Bey. Naturally, would rather him slide to #28.

[HeadtopChunes]

Top 3 per position, in our range-ish its a pretty weird draft, Maledon is probably a reach in terms of availability.

G
- Maledon
- Dotson
- Riller

Wing
- Bolmaro
- Tyler Bey
- McDaniels

Big
- Paul Reed
- Pokusevski
- Nnaji

HM: Tillman, Isaiah Joe, Tre Jones

Maledon, Dotson, Riller are all nice. It's clear that the depth of guards is far better than the wings and bigs. I consider Bolmaro as a guard as well. I'm confident the Raptors would make a rotation player out of any of these guys.

Paul Reed I like a lot and considering our (biggest) needs, he's my pick out of the named players. I would be surprised if he is available at our pick.

Tyler Bey would be cool too. At the next level, he will be a 4 so I see him as direct competition to Paul Reed.

edit: Actually I'd probably take Maledon ahead of Reed. I'd have to take time to think about it but he checks every box that the Ratpors would want from a guard prospect.

Yeah thats why i like Maledon he’s almost everything the Raptors would want in a guard prospect really the only thing he seems to lack is high level athleticism. I think he’s a better version of Nickeil Alexander-Walker at least


Bey vs Reed is interesting, they can probably both play 3-5, Bey looks a little quicker/athletic to me,Reed is bigger, better rebounder and smarter offensively. Not great shooting results from either but Bey’s form looks a little better. Reed is about a year younger too.

Would probably be fine with either not sure who id prefer at the moment. Although i agree with you that I’d probably take either Maledon or Bolmaro first if either is on the board.

[HeadtopChunes]

Read on Twitter

Would recommend reading this when it comes to evaluating Bigs for us. (Or anything else he’s written, is pretty good)

[Psubs]

Read on Twitter

Would recommend reading this when it comes to evaluating Bigs for us. (Or anything else he’s written, is pretty good)

No combine, no agility tests.

[DreamTeam09]

Just by going off of the clips y'all posting

I'd want

Jaden McDaniels - would trade up for him if need be

CJ Elleby - lefty shooter with a little ability to create for himself

Jalen Smith - looks to be the best big in our range

[Sir-Swish-A-Lot]

Just by going off of the clips y'all posting

I'd want

Jaden McDaniels - would trade up for him if need be

CJ Elleby - lefty shooter with a little ability to create for himself

Jalen Smith - looks to be the best big in our range

I think this guy really knows what he's posting about. McDaniels in a trade up or Elleby if he's available at #28.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[casual_raps_fan]

Top 3 per position, in our range-ish its a pretty weird draft, Maledon is probably a reach in terms of availability.

G
- Maledon
- Dotson
- Riller

Wing
- Bolmaro
- Tyler Bey
- McDaniels

Big
- Paul Reed
- Pokusevski
- Nnaji

HM: Tillman, Isaiah Joe, Tre Jones

Maledon, Dotson, Riller are all nice. It's clear that the depth of guards is far better than the wings and bigs. I consider Bolmaro as a guard as well. I'm confident the Raptors would make a rotation player out of any of these guys.

Paul Reed I like a lot and considering our (biggest) needs, he's my pick out of the named players. I would be surprised if he is available at our pick.

Tyler Bey would be cool too. At the next level, he will be a 4 so I see him as direct competition to Paul Reed.

edit: Actually I'd probably take Maledon ahead of Reed. I'd have to take time to think about it but he checks every box that the Ratpors would want from a guard prospect.

Yeah thats why i like Maledon he’s almost everything the Raptors would want in a guard prospect really the only thing he seems to lack is high level athleticism. I think he’s a better version of Nickeil Alexander-Walker at least


Bey vs Reed is interesting, they can probably both play 3-5, Bey looks a little quicker/athletic to me,Reed is bigger, better rebounder and smarter offensively. Not great shooting results from either but Bey’s form looks a little better. Reed is about a year younger too.

Would probably be fine with either not sure who id prefer at the moment. Although i agree with you that I’d probably take either Maledon or Bolmaro first if either is on the board.

After thinking about it for a day, I'm not totally convinced yet but the opportunity of drafting a ball handler/play maker with shooting guard size still sounds more enticing than a big. The fit beside Fred would be so nice.

I was watching some Reed footage but his jumper seems weird. Since he doesn't have an elite offensive skill, he will probably have to rely on his jumper quite a bit. I'm starting to question whether he will be able to find consistency in it.

Who do you like more between Maledon and Bolmaro? They have many similar qualities.

[HeadtopChunes]

Maledon, Dotson, Riller are all nice. It's clear that the depth of guards is far better than the wings and bigs. I consider Bolmaro as a guard as well. I'm confident the Raptors would make a rotation player out of any of these guys.

Paul Reed I like a lot and considering our (biggest) needs, he's my pick out of the named players. I would be surprised if he is available at our pick.

Tyler Bey would be cool too. At the next level, he will be a 4 so I see him as direct competition to Paul Reed.

edit: Actually I'd probably take Maledon ahead of Reed. I'd have to take time to think about it but he checks every box that the Ratpors would want from a guard prospect.

Yeah thats why i like Maledon he’s almost everything the Raptors would want in a guard prospect really the only thing he seems to lack is high level athleticism. I think he’s a better version of Nickeil Alexander-Walker at least


Bey vs Reed is interesting, they can probably both play 3-5, Bey looks a little quicker/athletic to me,Reed is bigger, better rebounder and smarter offensively. Not great shooting results from either but Bey’s form looks a little better. Reed is about a year younger too.

Would probably be fine with either not sure who id prefer at the moment. Although i agree with you that I’d probably take either Maledon or Bolmaro first if either is on the board.

After thinking about it for a day, I'm not totally convinced yet but the opportunity of drafting a ball handler/play maker with shooting guard size still sounds more enticing than a big. The fit beside Fred would be so nice.

I was watching some Reed footage but his jumper seems weird. Since he doesn't have an elite offensive skill, he will probably have to rely on his jumper quite a bit. I'm starting to question whether he will be able to find consistency in it.

Who do you like more between Maledon and Bolmaro? They have many similar qualities.

Yeah, Reed's jump shot isn't ideal, there's a lot of unnecessary movement in it. But he does seem to have good touch at least which is seen with the floaters.

What's interesting about Reed is that after doing some digging, he seems to have a bit of an ego to him. That's something that could be good or bad, but it seems like Reed doesn't plan on being a roleplayer, he sees himself as a scorer too.

I have also been trending towards wanting a ball-handler for pretty much the same reasons you said, the bigs, and most of the wings in this class are pretty uninspiring and there are some pretty nice ballhandlers in this class and its a position we could use. (replacing Mccaw in the rotation isn't a bad idea lol)

Bolmaro vs Maledon is interesting, I'd probably lean Maledon overall. Maledon is only about an inch or two smaller (about the same size as Delon), about a year younger, a better shooter, I'd say they look pretty similar athletically although I might give Theo the edge here. Not sure who the better defender is but I'd expect both to be positives (maybe not as a rookies though especially Maledon, given his age), Bolmaro seems like a more creative passer.

The big swing factor for me is that Maledon is a rotation player in the Euroleague, while Bolmaro got barely any burn there playing mostly in a secondary league. Maledon, playing in a rotation at the second-best league in the world and being more efficient is a big plus for me for his stock overall. So him being more efficient there than Bolmaro is probably why I'd lean towards him.

[Psubs]

Yeah, Reed's jump shot isn't ideal, there's a lot of unnecessary movement in it. But he does seem to have good touch at least which is seen with the floaters.

What's interesting about Reed is that after doing some digging, he seems to have a bit of an ego to him. That's something that could be good or bad, but it seems like Reed doesn't plan on being a roleplayer, he sees himself as a scorer too.

I have also been trending towards wanting a ball-handler for pretty much the same reasons you said, the bigs, and most of the wings in this class are pretty uninspiring and there are some pretty nice ballhandlers in this class and its a position we could use. (replacing Mccaw in the rotation isn't a bad idea lol)

Bolmaro vs Maledon is interesting, I'd probably lean Maledon overall. Maledon is only about an inch or two smaller, about a year younger, a better shooter, I'd say they look pretty similar athletically although I might give Theo the edge here. Not sure who the better defender is but I'd expect both to be positives (maybe not as a rookies though especially Maledon, given his age), Bolmaro seems like a more creative passer.

The big swing factor for me is that Maledon is a rotation player in the Euroleague, while Bolmaro got barely any burn there playing mostly in a secondary league. Maledon, playing in a rotation at the second-best league in the world and being more efficient is a big plus for me for his stock overall. So him being more efficient there than Bolmaro is probably why I'd lean towards him.

I think Reed will be able to fix his janky jumper.

Terence Davis should replace McCaw completely next season with more experience on offense and defense.

Maledon is still only 18!!! He turns 19 next month.

I trust Masai will keep TD as a lifetime Raptor.

Watch on YouTube

Don't draft a Steve Francis when you have a Bibby; take Lamar Odom.

[HeadtopChunes]

Yeah, Reed's jump shot isn't ideal, there's a lot of unnecessary movement in it. But he does seem to have good touch at least which is seen with the floaters.

What's interesting about Reed is that after doing some digging, he seems to have a bit of an ego to him. That's something that could be good or bad, but it seems like Reed doesn't plan on being a roleplayer, he sees himself as a scorer too.

I have also been trending towards wanting a ball-handler for pretty much the same reasons you said, the bigs, and most of the wings in this class are pretty uninspiring and there are some pretty nice ballhandlers in this class and its a position we could use. (replacing Mccaw in the rotation isn't a bad idea lol)

Bolmaro vs Maledon is interesting, I'd probably lean Maledon overall. Maledon is only about an inch or two smaller, about a year younger, a better shooter, I'd say they look pretty similar athletically although I might give Theo the edge here. Not sure who the better defender is but I'd expect both to be positives (maybe not as a rookies though especially Maledon, given his age), Bolmaro seems like a more creative passer.

The big swing factor for me is that Maledon is a rotation player in the Euroleague, while Bolmaro got barely any burn there playing mostly in a secondary league. Maledon, playing in a rotation at the second-best league in the world and being more efficient is a big plus for me for his stock overall. So him being more efficient there than Bolmaro is probably why I'd lean towards him.

I think Reed will be able to fix his janky jumper.

Terence Davis should replace McCaw completely next season with more experience on offense and defense.

Maledon is still only 18!!! He turns 19 next month.

I trust Masai will keep TD as a lifetime Raptor.

Watch on YouTube

Don't draft a Steve Francis when you have a Bibby; take Lamar Odom.

Oh yeah I’m definitely high on TD, but Norm,Fred and Kyle are all free agents in the next 2 offseasons (I also wouldn’t call Norm a ballhandler )

So drafting a ballhandler is a good long term investment especially on a rookie scale, even if they don’t play much their first season (which is most of our rookies).

[casual_raps_fan]

Yeah, Reed's jump shot isn't ideal, there's a lot of unnecessary movement in it. But he does seem to have good touch at least which is seen with the floaters.

What's interesting about Reed is that after doing some digging, he seems to have a bit of an ego to him. That's something that could be good or bad, but it seems like Reed doesn't plan on being a roleplayer, he sees himself as a scorer too.

I have also been trending towards wanting a ball-handler for pretty much the same reasons you said, the bigs, and most of the wings in this class are pretty uninspiring and there are some pretty nice ballhandlers in this class and its a position we could use. (replacing Mccaw in the rotation isn't a bad idea lol)

Bolmaro vs Maledon is interesting, I'd probably lean Maledon overall. Maledon is only about an inch or two smaller, about a year younger, a better shooter, I'd say they look pretty similar athletically although I might give Theo the edge here. Not sure who the better defender is but I'd expect both to be positives (maybe not as a rookies though especially Maledon, given his age), Bolmaro seems like a more creative passer.

The big swing factor for me is that Maledon is a rotation player in the Euroleague, while Bolmaro got barely any burn there playing mostly in a secondary league. Maledon, playing in a rotation at the second-best league in the world and being more efficient is a big plus for me for his stock overall. So him being more efficient there than Bolmaro is probably why I'd lean towards him.

Regarding Reed:
I think whether his ego will be a good thing or a bad thing will come down to whether he understands his role. For example, the Raptors are actually filled with talent with egos (Siakam, Fred, OG, TD). They all want to be stars but also do an amazing job of being role players as well.

Based on what I've seen of Reed, it looks like he gets it. He plays hard on defence, runs the floor hard, moves the ball, body language looks fine. In comparison to somebody like McDaniels who has terrible body language and stops the ball, I don't think there is too much to be concerned about.


Regarding Maledon and Bolmaro:
Ya. I was thinking of them replacing McCaw as well. I'm of the minority who doesn't think McCaw is awful but it's clear that we need to replace him with a better ball handler eventually. The key skills we would be looking for of the replacement player would be...
- versatility to defend 1,2,3
- reliable ball handling
- ability to drive and kick
- can hit open jumpers
The cherry on the cake would be if they can become a floor general or a dynamic playmaker.

[HeadtopChunes]

Yeah, Reed's jump shot isn't ideal, there's a lot of unnecessary movement in it. But he does seem to have good touch at least which is seen with the floaters.

What's interesting about Reed is that after doing some digging, he seems to have a bit of an ego to him. That's something that could be good or bad, but it seems like Reed doesn't plan on being a roleplayer, he sees himself as a scorer too.

I have also been trending towards wanting a ball-handler for pretty much the same reasons you said, the bigs, and most of the wings in this class are pretty uninspiring and there are some pretty nice ballhandlers in this class and its a position we could use. (replacing Mccaw in the rotation isn't a bad idea lol)

Bolmaro vs Maledon is interesting, I'd probably lean Maledon overall. Maledon is only about an inch or two smaller, about a year younger, a better shooter, I'd say they look pretty similar athletically although I might give Theo the edge here. Not sure who the better defender is but I'd expect both to be positives (maybe not as a rookies though especially Maledon, given his age), Bolmaro seems like a more creative passer.

The big swing factor for me is that Maledon is a rotation player in the Euroleague, while Bolmaro got barely any burn there playing mostly in a secondary league. Maledon, playing in a rotation at the second-best league in the world and being more efficient is a big plus for me for his stock overall. So him being more efficient there than Bolmaro is probably why I'd lean towards him.

Regarding Reed:
I think whether his ego will be a good thing or a bad thing will come down to whether he understands his role. For example, the Raptors are actually filled with talent with egos (Siakam, Fred, OG, TD). They all want to be stars but also do an amazing job of being role players as well.

Based on what I've seen of Reed, it looks like he gets it. He plays hard on defence, runs the floor hard, moves the ball, body language looks fine. In comparison to somebody like McDaniels who has terrible body language and stops the ball, I don't think there is too much to be concerned about.


Regarding Maledon and Bolmaro:
Ya. I was thinking of them replacing McCaw as well. I'm of the minority who doesn't think McCaw is awful but it's clear that we need to replace him with a better ball handler eventually. The key skills we would be looking for of the replacement player would be...
- versatility to defend 1,2,3
- reliable ball handling
- ability to drive and kick
- can hit open jumpers
The cherry on the cake would be if they can become a floor general or a dynamic playmaker.

Yeah, I don't think wanting to do more is necessarily a bad thing, it could be a driving factor to reaching a player's ceiling or beyond.

- versatility to defend 1,2,3
- reliable ball handling
- ability to drive and kick
- can hit open jumpers

Maledon would fit all this, other players that could potentially do this (Maxey, Haliburton, Bolmaro, Nate Hinton, Desmond Bane, maybe Dotson.)

[casual_raps_fan]

Yeah, Reed's jump shot isn't ideal, there's a lot of unnecessary movement in it. But he does seem to have good touch at least which is seen with the floaters.

What's interesting about Reed is that after doing some digging, he seems to have a bit of an ego to him. That's something that could be good or bad, but it seems like Reed doesn't plan on being a roleplayer, he sees himself as a scorer too.

I have also been trending towards wanting a ball-handler for pretty much the same reasons you said, the bigs, and most of the wings in this class are pretty uninspiring and there are some pretty nice ballhandlers in this class and its a position we could use. (replacing Mccaw in the rotation isn't a bad idea lol)

Bolmaro vs Maledon is interesting, I'd probably lean Maledon overall. Maledon is only about an inch or two smaller, about a year younger, a better shooter, I'd say they look pretty similar athletically although I might give Theo the edge here. Not sure who the better defender is but I'd expect both to be positives (maybe not as a rookies though especially Maledon, given his age), Bolmaro seems like a more creative passer.

The big swing factor for me is that Maledon is a rotation player in the Euroleague, while Bolmaro got barely any burn there playing mostly in a secondary league. Maledon, playing in a rotation at the second-best league in the world and being more efficient is a big plus for me for his stock overall. So him being more efficient there than Bolmaro is probably why I'd lean towards him.

I think Reed will be able to fix his janky jumper.

Terence Davis should replace McCaw completely next season with more experience on offense and defense.

Maledon is still only 18!!! He turns 19 next month.

I trust Masai will keep TD as a lifetime Raptor.

Watch on YouTube

Don't draft a Steve Francis when you have a Bibby; take Lamar Odom.

We have to eventually grab a guard at some point though. I know we have lots of guards but many of them will be free agents very soon. Even if we are able to retain all of them, Kyle is getting old and we will want another guy who can develop into a primary ball handler.

I like Terence Davis but that isn't the ideal role for him. He's a natural scorer who plays much bigger than his height. He's a classic swing man. The Raptors will continue to develop his ball handling and playmaking skills but it'd be a waste of his talents to put him into McCaw's role.

Fred is obviously a reliable ball handler but he excels when there is somebody else to take on the floor general responsibilities (e.g. when he plays with Kyle or Delon Wright).

Since there is a plethora of guards in comparison to bigs this draft, it might be optimal to grab our guy this year.

With all that said, I'm cool with drafting Reed. I like him and he would fit the Raptors program nicely.

[casual_raps_fan]

- versatility to defend 1,2,3
- reliable ball handling
- ability to drive and kick
- can hit open jumpers

Maledon would fit all this, other players that could potentially do this (Maxey, Haliburton, Bolmaro, Nate Hinton, Desmond Bane, maybe Dotson.)

Which is why I don't think Maledon will be available. He's a really young well rounded prospect. I can imagine the Raptors development staff drooling over him.

[HeadtopChunes]

- versatility to defend 1,2,3
- reliable ball handling
- ability to drive and kick
- can hit open jumpers

Maledon would fit all this, other players that could potentially do this (Maxey, Haliburton, Bolmaro, Nate Hinton, Desmond Bane, maybe Dotson.)

Which is why I don't think Maledon will be available. He's a really young well rounded prospect. I can imagine the Raptors development staff drooling over him.

Yeah, he was projected top 10 at the start of the year, and seems to be a top 20 lock everywhere so it be hard to seeing him be available at 28. Maybe a trade-up candidate but not sure how viable that is.

[casual_raps_fan]

Read on Twitter

Would recommend reading this when it comes to evaluating Bigs for us. (Or anything else he’s written, is pretty good)

Cool read!

Gasol is top notch at all of these except for switching. His blitzing especially is super impressive considering his foot speed. His anticipation and timing is amazing.

I find it so interesting how effective the Bucks have been with drop coverage. You'd think in this day and age, where everybody can shoot so well, it'd cause problems for the defence constantly dropping your big man so deep.

It's kind of cool because OG actually sort of fits the bill as a Draymond Green type of switch all big. OG defends the wing mostly now but I could totally see a future where the Raptors deploy him on the defensive end in a Draymond Green role during crunch time.

[Dalek]

Blake Murphy and Sam Vecenie did an article discussing a few picks.

Due to popular sentiment Paul Reed was looked at and Sam said that his offense was really behind with a bad jumpshot that needs reworking and not a good passer. Overall a good fit for Raps but Sam thought him to be a project.

Grant Riller also fit the Raptors but not sure about starter potential. Sounded like he would be a second unit guy.

Also looked at Isaiah Stewart who had a great season in Washington. His age, scoring skill, and grittiness seem to be the big factors. I would guess if Toronto does not bring back one of Gasol or Ibaka height be a worthy investment. Apparently, Stewart can shoot it a lot better than he has shown.

[PhilBlackson]

If I'm Masai, I'm gonna trying to figure out how to trade up for Jaden McDaniels.

I obviously got love for OG but he simply doesn't have the talent base JM appears to have. Some might flame but I'd consider (didn't say absolutely would) even flipping OG to be able to move up and get him. The kid just looks to have some of the tools to be an excellent scoring wing which is needed to compliment Siakam. Yes OG's defense would be missed but overall I think a more talented secondary scorer is a greater need for the team. McDaniels looks like with some development which we excel at, could become a go to scorer in time.

[Psubs]

Blake Murphy and Sam Vecenie did an article discussing a few picks.

Due to popular sentiment Paul Reed was looked at and Sam said that his offense was really behind with a bad jumpshot that needs reworking and not a good passer. Overall a good fit for Raps but Sam thought him to be a project.

Grant Riller also fit the Raptors but not sure about starter potential. Sounded like he would be a second unit guy.

Also looked at Isaiah Stewart who had a great season in Washington. His age, scoring skill, and grittiness seem to be the big factors. I would guess if Toronto does not bring back one of Gasol or Ibaka height be a worthy investment. Apparently, Stewart can shoot it a lot better than he has shown.

I'm cool with keeping FVV long-term and him being the primary ball-handler. He's almost at 3 A/T (2.87). If Lowry wasn't on the team, I can see him upping to 8 apg (from 6.6 already) on 2.5 A/T. Lowry only averaged 7.7 apg and had 2.56 A/T.

Sign Fred to a 4 or 5 year deal around what Rozier got and we're good to go.

I'd extend Powell too. Chemistry and continuity is a big deal. What guard in this draft can put up 16ppg on 50/39/83? I know the rookie scale is cheap but we don't have any terrible contracts and he's not a big fake star.

Since there are so many guards in this draft, it is likely that a good one doesn't get drafted in the 2 rounds. Keep the reputation going with FVV, TD and ...

[Psubs]

If I'm Masai, I'm gonna trying to figure out how to trade up for Jaden McDaniels.

I obviously got love for OG but he simply doesn't have the talent base JM appears to have. Some might flame but I'd consider (didn't say absolutely would) even flipping OG to be able to move up and get him. The kid just looks to have some of the tools to be an excellent scoring wing which is needed to compliment Siakam. Yes OG's defense would be missed but overall I think a more talented secondary scorer is a greater need for the team. McDaniels looks like with some development which we excel at, could become a go to scorer in time.

OG is proven to be able to be a plus defender in the league already and is solid offensively. He's #2 or 3 most valuable on the team behind Pascal and FVV.

Scoring is not a weakness of this team. They need a big as Gasol is getting older.

Look at GS getting Russell but as he is blocked got flipped for under-achieving Andrew Wiggins. Sure if a great guard or wing like McDaniels drops, take him but if not, go big late in the 1st.

Masai has never traded up. It's crap shoot for most outside the lottery so why give up multiple assets for a another lottery ticket? Is it like trading 2 Lotto 649 tickets for 1 Lottomax ticket.