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

[LoveMyRaps]

Do you guys think there's been a single mention of who we'll end up drafting in this thread?
I feel like we've covered just about everyone but Masai will still end up shocking us.

[Psubs]

Winston has a 6'5" wingspan which is way better than FVV and Lowry who I thnk have negative wingspans. Cassius also played under Tom Izzo for his four years meaning he knows team defensive concepts. He has to just work on his body to get a bit stronger and max out his lateral quicks.

What some people may not realize is that Winston, while he put up numbers that look great on paper (43% from three on 5.6 attempts, while ranking in the 97th percentile on spot-ups, 93rd percentile on jumpers, 90th percentile off screens, and 90th percentile off the dribble) it hides the fact he did not play to his full ability.

His brother committed suicide just two games into his season. Cassius played depressed all year, probably even gained some weight during his grieving and lost sleep. He just wasn't quite himself until after the New Year. The crazy thing is even when he wasn't all there his basketball skill and IQ still kept his team afloat.

Even prior to the death of his brother, Winston apparently only sleeps 4-5 hours a night. I'd imagine getting this guy on proper sleep, diet and weight training regimen, he could easily become the next Lowry - because the natural basketball skill is all there. I'd argue he is the best shooter in the draft.

Thanks for the info. Michigan State is a great defensive program, but it isn't all Tillman, Winston is decent too.

Winston seems like a winner. We have to remember the previous year as he took down Duke, who had Zion, Barrett, Reddish and Jones.

Watch on YouTube

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/it-took-a-man-to-beat-these-duke-kids-the-man-was-cassius-winston/2019/03/31/75b89c00-53f6-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.html

20 pts, 10 asts (1 to) and 4 steals!

Watch on YouTube

[Dalek]

?? Why not?

He is a hard player to get a read on, but I think he ends up drafted at the end of the draft. You have to like his size at 6'7" with a 7 footer wingspan. I mean that is prototypical SF size so that is a good starting point.

He is the jack of all trades type. They call him a PG in Cholet, but he is only average in the French league and is not likely a PG in the NBA. He shot over 40% from three but his shots per game from that area actually went down so he may not translate to the NBA range. He looks like he is not afraid of contact in his clips, but he doesn't seem to have freakish athleticism to be a slasher. So, he is a project.

At age 22 and his second time in the draft process, I could see a gamble at 59, but I don't think he has progressed enough. He recently signed with Monaco which may have an NBA out, but to me it shows the interest in him may not have really improved much from last year.

[Dalek]

Winston has a 6'5" wingspan which is way better than FVV and Lowry who I thnk have negative wingspans. Cassius also played under Tom Izzo for his four years meaning he knows team defensive concepts. He has to just work on his body to get a bit stronger and max out his lateral quicks.

What some people may not realize is that Winston, while he put up numbers that look great on paper (43% from three on 5.6 attempts, while ranking in the 97th percentile on spot-ups, 93rd percentile on jumpers, 90th percentile off screens, and 90th percentile off the dribble) it hides the fact he did not play to his full ability.

His brother committed suicide just two games into his season. Cassius played depressed all year, probably even gained some weight during his grieving and lost sleep. He just wasn't quite himself until after the New Year. The crazy thing is even when he wasn't all there his basketball skill and IQ still kept his team afloat.

Even prior to the death of his brother, Winston apparently only sleeps 4-5 hours a night. I'd imagine getting this guy on proper sleep, diet and weight training regimen, he could easily become the next Lowry - because the natural basketball skill is all there. I'd argue he is the best shooter in the draft.

Thanks for the info. Michigan State is a great defensive program, but it isn't all Tillman, Winston is decent too.

Winston seems like a winner. We have to remember the previous year as he took down Duke, who had Zion, Barrett, Reddish and Jones.

Watch on YouTube

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/it-took-a-man-to-beat-these-duke-kids-the-man-was-cassius-winston/2019/03/31/75b89c00-53f6-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.html

20 pts, 10 asts (1 to) and 4 steals!

Watch on YouTube

The Duke upset was a huge feat last season for Michigan State. I think Winston has a pretty clear resume at this point. A team like the Lakers or Raptors should draft him because he has a high floor to run a second unit and some potential to start if he gets his body right.

Check this stat that which groups the three non-lottery best PGs among others in the recent past:

Read on Twitter

Winston is on that list 3x which shows how he is a brilliant offensive weapon. The more I watch his film, the more I see the little things he stole from Chris Paul and Klow. He has variety of skills to get his shot off even if he isn't a an exceptional athlete. Size-wise, he not too different from Trae Young, assuming current measurements for Winston are correct:

Young
6'2" in shoes
6'3" wingspan

Winston
6'1" in shoes
6'5" wingspan

Not that he is in Young's class because of Young's volume shooting skill, but Winston does seem to hold his own floor leader. Maybe he ends up more like a Kemba Walker or Mike Conley level or KLow.

[LoveMyRaps]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

I like the fact that he listed Smart as one of his favorite players to watch.

[Kevin Willis]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

He's a good stash pick. If he continues to improve his outside shooting, bring him over in a year or two.

I bet his head coach wish he took the job given to Nurse now. Well everyone is happy right now so no big deal.

[DreamTeam09]

We need a tall wing creator who can get to the bucket and get some buckets. We need an MPJ clone or something. Whoever that guy is, get him. We just need some tall wing players tho. 6'6+ and taller.

Ino Jaden McDaniels name, we need a few more options in that bracket tho. Cassius Stanley is my pick

[Indeed]

Do you guys think there's been a single mention of who we'll end up drafting in this thread?
I feel like we've covered just about everyone but Masai will still end up shocking us.

Lack of combine measurement is difficult to rank players.
Plus, 3-on-3 workout to understand if they can play at the pace of NBA can be massively different, as the decision making needs to be much quicker. If we are looking for a guy who can drive-pass-shoot, then we will definitely need to understand if he reads fast enough in a quicker pace environment.

[mellymel1234]

Udoka Azubuike looks very interesting.. physical specimen... If he could just develop a shot, improve the free throw % -- and that's a huge if -- he'd be a really good player.

[Indeed]

Udoka Azubuike looks very interesting.. physical specimen... If he could just develop a shot, improve the free throw % -- and that's a huge if -- he'd be a really good player.

I thought of that earlier, but after the playoffs, I am curious about how impactful would a big C does.
I certainly like to look at some future PF/C (rim protector with 3 point potential), as I am unsure about Hernandez with a 7'1 wingspan, maybe future backup C. But the bright side is that getting a C from FA isn't so difficult, maybe I should focus at the forward spot, which could be more impactful.

[WeTheNorth123]

Winston has a 6'5" wingspan which is way better than FVV and Lowry who I thnk have negative wingspans. Cassius also played under Tom Izzo for his four years meaning he knows team defensive concepts. He has to just work on his body to get a bit stronger and max out his lateral quicks.

What some people may not realize is that Winston, while he put up numbers that look great on paper (43% from three on 5.6 attempts, while ranking in the 97th percentile on spot-ups, 93rd percentile on jumpers, 90th percentile off screens, and 90th percentile off the dribble) it hides the fact he did not play to his full ability.

His brother committed suicide just two games into his season. Cassius played depressed all year, probably even gained some weight during his grieving and lost sleep. He just wasn't quite himself until after the New Year. The crazy thing is even when he wasn't all there his basketball skill and IQ still kept his team afloat.

Even prior to the death of his brother, Winston apparently only sleeps 4-5 hours a night. I'd imagine getting this guy on proper sleep, diet and weight training regimen, he could easily become the next Lowry - because the natural basketball skill is all there. I'd argue he is the best shooter in the draft.

Thanks for the info. Michigan State is a great defensive program, but it isn't all Tillman, Winston is decent too.

Winston seems like a winner. We have to remember the previous year as he took down Duke, who had Zion, Barrett, Reddish and Jones.

Watch on YouTube

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/it-took-a-man-to-beat-these-duke-kids-the-man-was-cassius-winston/2019/03/31/75b89c00-53f6-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.html

20 pts, 10 asts (1 to) and 4 steals!

Watch on YouTube

The Duke upset was a huge feat last season for Michigan State. I think Winston has a pretty clear resume at this point. A team like the Lakers or Raptors should draft him because he has a high floor to run a second unit and some potential to start if he gets his body right.

Check this stat that which groups the three non-lottery best PGs among others in the recent past:

Read on Twitter

Winston is on that list 3x which shows how he is a brilliant offensive weapon. The more I watch his film, the more I see the little things he stole from Chris Paul and Klow. He has variety of skills to get his shot off even if he isn't a an exceptional athlete. Size-wise, he not too different from Trae Young, assuming current measurements for Winston are correct:

Young
6'2" in shoes
6'3" wingspan

Winston
6'1" in shoes
6'5" wingspan

Not that he is in Young's class because of Young's volume shooting skill, but Winston does seem to hold his own floor leader. Maybe he ends up more like a Kemba Walker or Mike Conley level or KLow.

He mentions watching - chris paul, kyle lowry and kemba walker

Imagine getting the chance to learn directly from lowry if the raptors draft him

Watch on YouTube

[God Squad]

Udoka Azubuike looks very interesting.. physical specimen... If he could just develop a shot, improve the free throw % -- and that's a huge if -- he'd be a really good player.

I thought of that earlier, but after the playoffs, I am curious about how impactful would a big C does.
I certainly like to look at some future PF/C (rim protector with 3 point potential), as I am unsure about Hernandez with a 7'1 wingspan, maybe future backup C. But the bright side is that getting a C from FA isn't so difficult, maybe I should focus at the forward spot, which could be more impactful.

Udoka Azubuike would get run off the floor so fast in the NBA. Guards and Wings will put him in the blender. He'll be a good shot blocker though with his sheer size.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Do you guys think there's been a single mention of who we'll end up drafting in this thread?
I feel like we've covered just about everyone but Masai will still end up shocking us.

What's funny is in the past this thread would have been flooded with raw athletic boom/bust types and now because of the Raptors' success with older players it's all these polished players, shooters and seniors.

That being said, there's been so much time that I think it's likely our pick will have been mentioned. This is going to be a weird draft where teams aren't getting their usual workout settings (how we decided on Siakam). There probably won't be a Portsmouth (where TD made a name for himself). And I think a lot of players will have had since March to add to their skillsets. That's a massive amount of development time.

[Psubs]

Do you guys think there's been a single mention of who we'll end up drafting in this thread?
I feel like we've covered just about everyone but Masai will still end up shocking us.

What's funny is in the past this thread would have been flooded with raw athletic boom/bust types and now because of the Raptors' success with older players it's all these polished players, shooters and seniors.

That being said, there's been so much time that I think it's likely our pick will have been mentioned. This is going to be a weird draft where teams aren't getting their usual workout settings (how we decided on Siakam). There probably won't be a Portsmouth (where TD made a name for himself). And I think a lot of players will have had since March to add to their skillsets. That's a massive amount of development time.

We've had so many months to dissect player's game footage and scour the internet for scouting reports.

Added that the talent is spread out flat it really seems like 80% of the players from #1 to #45 will be rotational players.

[pr0gr4m]

What does everyone think about Hughes? He seems like a strong shooter with the ability to create his own shot. I like Bolmaro due to his potential but he could create a good backcourt with Davis with his defense, playmaking, and length. I would be happy with a draft taking away Bolmaro/Hughes, Winston, and Tillman. I would look to see how they perform in summerleague before considering the final roster. Bolmaro makes the most sense as we are set in our future forward spots and need a high level guard to place next to Siakam. He has the highest potential in our range.

[Kevin Willis]

Do you guys think there's been a single mention of who we'll end up drafting in this thread?
I feel like we've covered just about everyone but Masai will still end up shocking us.

What's funny is in the past this thread would have been flooded with raw athletic boom/bust types and now because of the Raptors' success with older players it's all these polished players, shooters and seniors.

That being said, there's been so much time that I think it's likely our pick will have been mentioned. This is going to be a weird draft where teams aren't getting their usual workout settings (how we decided on Siakam). There probably won't be a Portsmouth (where TD made a name for himself). And I think a lot of players will have had since March to add to their skillsets. That's a massive amount of development time.

We've had so many months to dissect player's game footage and scour the internet for scouting reports.

Added that the talent is spread out flat it really seems like 80% of the players from #1 to #45 will be rotational players.

Yeah, not too many super star players out there this draft. Teams will probably go with what they know which might lead to unknowns not being drafted as high. As said there are no workouts so even if a player is better than they have shown, no way to find out.

Let's face it we can go anyway and we can make an argument for a lot of players because our FAs are an unknown and we don't know which players will be available. This draft will be interesting - if we sign most of our FAs we would likely stash away and if most leave we might need a particular type of polished player.

[DG88]

What does everyone think about Hughes? He seems like a strong shooter with the ability to create his own shot. I like Bolmaro due to his potential but he could create a good backcourt with Davis with his defense, playmaking, and length. I would be happy with a draft taking away Bolmaro/Hughes, Winston, and Tillman. I would look to see how they perform in summerleague before considering the final roster. Bolmaro makes the most sense as we are set in our future forward spots and need a high level guard to place next to Siakam. He has the highest potential in our range.

I've liked both players to be honest. The question with Bolmaro is the shooting. The question with Hughes is his defense outside of the 2-3 zone. Both are play makers a shot creator a (Hughes more so).

[HeadtopChunes]

Wonder what the chance of taking Paul Eboua with 59 is lol

The athletic has had him mocked to us there for months

[Psubs]

What's funny is in the past this thread would have been flooded with raw athletic boom/bust types and now because f the Raptors' success with older players it's all these polished players, shooters and seniors.

That being said, there's been so much time that I think it's likely our pick will have been mentioned. This is going to be a weird draft where teams aren't getting their usual workout settings (how we decided on Siakam). There probably won't be a Portsmouth (where TD made a name for himself). And I think a lot of players will have had since March to add to their skillsets. That's a massive amount of development time.

We've had so many months to dissect player's game footage and scour the internet for scouting reports.

Added that the talent is spread out flat it really seems like 80% of the players from #1 to #45 will be rotational players.

Yeah, not too many super star players out there this draft. Teams will probably go with what they know which might lead to unknowns not being drafted as high. As said there are no workouts so even if a player is better than they have shown, no way to find out.

Let's face it we can go anyway and we can make an argument for a lot of players because our FAs are an unknown and we don't know which players will be available. This draft will be interesting - if we sign most of our FAs we would likely stash away and if most leave we might need a particular type of polished player.

Like stash Bolmaro for 1 year to keep the extra year of control and not add the $1 million to the payroll. That can contribute to an overpay 1 year deal to Serge. I also like the stash 1 year because there aren't too many roster spots with Stanley and McCaw on the team, unless Johnson is waived/bought out. Watson and Dewan should get a shot, while Brissett gets a 2-way (though would rather give Ellenson a 2-way before Brissett).

What does everyone think about Hughes? He seems like a strong shooter with the ability to create his own shot. I like Bolmaro due to his potential but he could create a good backcourt with Davis with his defense, playmaking, and length. I would be happy with a draft taking away Bolmaro/Hughes, Winston, and Tillman. I would look to see how they perform in summerleague before considering the final roster. Bolmaro makes the most sense as we are set in our future forward spots and need a high level guard to place next to Siakam. He has the highest potential in our range.

If Bolmaro has Manu Ginobili potential, I'd take him.

[casual_raps_fan]

Do you guys think there's been a single mention of who we'll end up drafting in this thread?
I feel like we've covered just about everyone but Masai will still end up shocking us.

“With the 29th pick, the Toronto Raptors select Li qiang from Guangdong China. “


Realgm reactions:
“Fire masai!”

“He was on my radar. Huge potential.”

“Bruno 2.0”

“Scouting report says he is a hybrid of Yao Ming, Steph curry and milt pilacio.”