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

ATLTimekeeper · Post #2821 » by **ATLTimekeeper** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:58 pm

HeadtopChunes wrote:

Read on Twitter
?s=20

I remember they interviewed him months ago. Another kid with Nigerian roots in this draft. I'm sure Masai has reached out to all of them.

HeadtopChunes · Post #2822 » by **HeadtopChunes** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:02 pm

ATLTimekeeper wrote:
HeadtopChunes wrote:

Read on Twitter
?s=20

I remember they interviewed him months ago. Another kid with Nigerian roots in this draft. I'm sure Masai has reached out to all of them.

I'd be pretty happy with him tbh, a big man wouldn't be my preferred choice but a super mobile big, who can rebound and probably shoot is a pretty good outcome too

HeadtopChunes · Post #2823 » by **HeadtopChunes** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:06 pm

Read on Twitter

?s=21

HeadtopChunes · Post #2824 » by **HeadtopChunes** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:07 pm

Another 3nD big, interesting

Not a huge fan of Smith but I can see the appeal

ATLTimekeeper · Post #2825 » by **ATLTimekeeper** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:10 pm

Someone reported earlier that they've already done a tonne of interviews. What we know about the Raptors is that we almost never get a sense of who the pick will be, based on the ranges they tend to be in.

HeadtopChunes · Post #2826 » by **HeadtopChunes** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:12 pm

ATLTimekeeper wrote:Someone reported earlier that they've already done a tonne of interviews. What we know about the Raptors is that we almost never get a sense of who the pick will be, based on the ranges they tend to be in.

Yeah I wouldn’t take too much from these, these are just the prospects telling reporters who they talked too.

Indeed · Post #2827 » by **Indeed** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:54 pm

HeadtopChunes wrote:

Watch on YouTube

Another guy for 59

Lamar Stevens

6'8 strong athletic/forward, with some ball-skills and a midrange game and shooting woes beyond that

Wish his wingspan is longer than 6'9.
Reminds me of James Johnson with shorter wingspan, I guess. I think he can improve his 3, and could create shots for others. Not sure about his quickness, but being a 2nd round pick, those are good qualities to have.

Dalek · Post #2828 » by **Dalek** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:01 pm

Saben Lee from Vanderbilt could be a dark horse pick at 29. How could a PG who hits only 32% of his threes on a crap team be a first rounder? I have a few thoughts:

Size 6'2", wingspan of 6'10, 40 inch vertical (testing needs to confirm but eye test looks like he is in that range).

Read on Twitter

Closest comp in draft are Dotson and Kyra Lewis. Lee shot one more threes than Dotson last year (39-38) and had more assists 134 to 120 despite having vastly different talent around him.

Lee did have a high turnover rate, so I am not sold on him being a lead ballhandler right away but he made huge improvements this year. He did average 7 assists when he did get to play with Aaron Nesmith who only played 15 games.

Lee averaged close to 7 freethrows per game (75%). His freethrow rate (.498) is second highest in Division 1 with only Mason Jones being higher.

Other things to note:

Lee played under Jerry Stackhouse who coached the 905. Vandy played more of an NBA style motion offense similar to what Toronto does.

Lee's dad is Amp Lee a HoF college running back who played in the NFL. Lee will bring that football mentality to Toronto.

Back in 2018-19 he had 400+ points, 100+ rebounds and 100+ assists which was similar to (Terence Davis and Grant Williams the only other SEC guys to reach those numbers.) Dan Tolzman probably loves this guy as he exceeded those numbers again this year.

Turmoil: The last two seasons Lee lost his top scorer early in the season (Nesmith and Darius Garland). He had two different coaches also. Just a lot of change and playing with young players that impacted Vandy winning in the tough SEC. Despite that all, Lee led them to upsets over teams like Arkansas (30 points for Lee); Alabama (38) ; LSU (33); and played well against top teams (versus Kentucky: 21; Auburn: 27).

Psubs · Post #2829 » by **Psubs** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:09 pm

Dalek wrote:Saben Lee from Vanderbilt could be a dark horse pick at 29. How could a PG who hits only 32% of his threes on a crap team be a first rounder? I have a few thoughts:

Size 6'2", wingspan of 6'10, 40 inch vertical (testing needs to confirm but eye test looks like he is in that range).

Read on Twitter

Closest comp in draft are Dotson and Kyra Lewis. Lee shot one more threes than Dotson last year (39-38) and had more assists 134 to 120 despite having vastly different talent around him.

Lee did have a high turnover rate, so I am not sold on him being a lead ballhandler right away but he made huge improvements this year. He did average 7 assists when he did get to play with Aaron Nesmith who only played 15 games.

Lee averaged close to 7 freethrows per game (75%). His freethrow rate (.498) is second highest in Division 1 with only Mason Jones being higher.

Other things to note:

Lee played under Jerry Stackhouse who coached the 905. Vandy played more of an NBA style motion offense similar to what Toronto does.

Lee's dad is Amp Lee a HoF college running back who played in the NFL. Lee will bring that football mentality to Toronto.

Back in 2018-19 he had 400+ points, 100+ rebounds and 100+ assists which was similar to (Terence Davis and Grant Williams the only other SEC guys to reach those numbers.) Dan Tolzman probably loves this guy as he exceeded those numbers again this year.

Turmoil: The last two seasons Lee lost his top scorer early in the season (Nesmith and Darius Garland). He had two different coaches also. Just a lot of change and playing with young players that impacted Vandy winning in the tough SEC. Despite that all, Lee led them to upsets over teams like Arkansas (30 points for Lee); Alabama (38) ; LSU (33); and played well against top teams (versus Kentucky: 21; Auburn: 27).

Dennis Smith Jr. 2.0? He'd be another nice pick at #59. Markus Howard, Saban Lee, Skylar Mays, Nat Hinton, Ashton Hagans, all of the international guards. I'm sure the Raptors can find a good guard at #59.

I think they'll take the best big at #29 or gamble on Karim Mane there.

Syd-TK3 · Post #2830 » by **Syd-TK3** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:19 pm

I've mentioned Lee a few times for our 59th pick
He's still very under the radar and not mentioned in most mocks or big boards

Dalek · Post #2831 » by **Dalek** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:32 pm

Psubs wrote:
Dalek wrote:Saben Lee from Vanderbilt could be a dark horse pick at 29. How could a PG who hits only 32% of his threes on a crap team be a first rounder? I have a few thoughts:

Size 6'2", wingspan of 6'10, 40 inch vertical (testing needs to confirm but eye test looks like he is in that range).

Read on Twitter

Closest comp in draft are Dotson and Kyra Lewis. Lee shot one more threes than Dotson last year (39-38) and had more assists 134 to 120 despite having vastly different talent around him.

Lee did have a high turnover rate, so I am not sold on him being a lead ballhandler right away but he made huge improvements this year. He did average 7 assists when he did get to play with Aaron Nesmith who only played 15 games.

Lee averaged close to 7 freethrows per game (75%). His freethrow rate (.498) is second highest in Division 1 with only Mason Jones being higher.

Other things to note:

Lee played under Jerry Stackhouse who coached the 905. Vandy played more of an NBA style motion offense similar to what Toronto does.

Lee's dad is Amp Lee a HoF college running back who played in the NFL. Lee will bring that football mentality to Toronto.

Back in 2018-19 he had 400+ points, 100+ rebounds and 100+ assists which was similar to (Terence Davis and Grant Williams the only other SEC guys to reach those numbers.) Dan Tolzman probably loves this guy as he exceeded those numbers again this year.

Turmoil: The last two seasons Lee lost his top scorer early in the season (Nesmith and Darius Garland). He had two different coaches also. Just a lot of change and playing with young players that impacted Vandy winning in the tough SEC. Despite that all, Lee led them to upsets over teams like Arkansas (30 points for Lee); Alabama (38) ; LSU (33); and played well against top teams (versus Kentucky: 21; Auburn: 27).

Dennis Smith Jr. 2.0? He'd be another nice pick at #59. Markus Howard, Saban Lee, Skylar Mays, Nat Hinton, Ashton Hagans, all of the international guards. I'm sure the Raptors can find a good guard at #59.

I think they'll take the best big at #29 or gamble on Karim Mane there.

At 29, I just cannot see them going with a big unless Jalen Smith falls. All of them have real issues guarding in space which limits their viability in the modern NBA.

From the past, Masai and Bobby have opted for big time athletes like OG and Siakam in the first, so I could see also see them gamble on a young player who is a plus athlete. My underrated pick would be Jayden Scrubb. I think from a skill and athleticism point of view they might like the gamble. He is a really interesting case.

Dalek · Post #2832 » by **Dalek** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:41 pm

Syd-TK3 wrote:I've mentioned Lee a few times for our 59th pick
He's still very under the radar and not mentioned in most mocks or big boards

Good find. I had not picked up on him as a prospect before I started looking deeper into freethrow rate. He is the type of athlete that I think can be a real weapon in the NBA as he has elite finishing ability.

The hard part about drafting slashers/drivers are limiting turnovers. Lee is sometimes a bit too fast and that could lead to charges and turnovers. In that way he reminds me a lot of Norman Powell.

pr0gr4m · Post #2833 » by **pr0gr4m** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:47 pm

I would be on board with taking Mane and Lee with the picks and putting them through the developmental system. Considering how the Raptors taught Powell, OG, and a few other guys to shoot they could do the same here. They have the highest potential in our range and could be developed together to be the future backcourt.

I would immediately put them in the Gleague for the following 2 years, then bring them on as back ups. From there on you could see their value and adjust their role accordingly. I think they both have a lot of potential, at 6'2 (Lee) and 6'4 (Mane) they are small enough to be quick. On top of that they have a lot of length to be used in a switch defense.

Dalek · Post #2834 » by **Dalek** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:08 pm

HeadtopChunes wrote:

Read on Twitter
?s=21

I mean Toronto usually interviews 50 prospects per draft so it may not mean much.

The same SI writer also mentioned our interest in Zeke Nnaji, which would mean we have a couple stretch bigs in the mix. This quote was interesting:

The Raptors had a "great interview" with Nnaji, he said, and have spoken to his agent multiple times...
"I’ve been lifting a lot, getting stronger, doing a lot in the weight room, I feel stronger, feel quicker, in terms of lateral quickness, I feel quicker laterally than ever," he said. "I think the biggest thing I’ve been working on is my shooting, I’m shooting the ball extremely well from 3, from mid-range, from everywhere on the court, I think I’m shooting the ball extremely well. I think teams are going to be shocked when they’re able to see me shoot the ball."

https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-nba-draft-preview-zeke-nnaji

Early on in the draft I thought he would be a nice pick for Toronto. He isn't a trad' rim protector, but he seems like he has a great work ethic and high motor. If his shooting has improved he could be a 1b to Jalen Smith who is likely a 1a option.

Spoiler:

Indeed · Post #2835 » by **Indeed** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:46 pm

Dalek wrote:
HeadtopChunes wrote:

Read on Twitter
?s=21

I mean Toronto usually interviews 50 prospects per draft so it may not mean much.

The same SI writer also mentioned our interest in Zeke Nnaji, which would mean we have a couple stretch bigs in the mix. This quote was interesting:

The Raptors had a "great interview" with Nnaji, he said, and have spoken to his agent multiple times...
"I’ve been lifting a lot, getting stronger, doing a lot in the weight room, I feel stronger, feel quicker, in terms of lateral quickness, I feel quicker laterally than ever," he said. "I think the biggest thing I’ve been working on is my shooting, I’m shooting the ball extremely well from 3, from mid-range, from everywhere on the court, I think I’m shooting the ball extremely well. I think teams are going to be shocked when they’re able to see me shoot the ball."

https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-nba-draft-preview-zeke-nnaji

Early on in the draft I thought he would be a nice pick for Toronto. He isn't a trad' rim protector, but he seems like he has a great work ethic and high motor. If his shooting has improved he could be a 1b to Jalen Smith who is likely a 1a option.

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

I hope he is being drafted earlier, and we can have more options at 29

Mark_83 · Post #2836 » by **Mark_83** » Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:38 am

ATLTimekeeper wrote:Someone reported earlier that they've already done a tonne of interviews. What we know about the Raptors is that we almost never get a sense of who the pick will be, based on the ranges they tend to be in.

I think the interviews and background will mean a lot for the Raptors. They love their high character guys.

Post #2837 » by **DG88** » Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:18 am

Mark_83 wrote:
ATLTimekeeper wrote:Someone reported earlier that they've already done a tonne of interviews. What we know about the Raptors is that we almost never get a sense of who the pick will be, based on the ranges they tend to be in.

I think the interviews and background will mean a lot for the Raptors. They love their high character guys.

They do but these interviews and workouts only re-affirm what they've already known about the prospect. The scouts of the Raptors are seeing these guys from highschool to college. They've been tracking these guys for years sometimes. The Raptors have their big board of prospects aligned already with the chance that certain players move up or down depending on what they've done during the pandemic.

HeadtopChunes · Post #2838 » by **HeadtopChunes** » Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:20 am

Dalek wrote:
Psubs wrote:
Dalek wrote:Saben Lee from Vanderbilt could be a dark horse pick at 29. How could a PG who hits only 32% of his threes on a crap team be a first rounder? I have a few thoughts:

Size 6'2", wingspan of 6'10, 40 inch vertical (testing needs to confirm but eye test looks like he is in that range).

Read on Twitter

Closest comp in draft are Dotson and Kyra Lewis. Lee shot one more threes than Dotson last year (39-38) and had more assists 134 to 120 despite having vastly different talent around him.

Lee did have a high turnover rate, so I am not sold on him being a lead ballhandler right away but he made huge improvements this year. He did average 7 assists when he did get to play with Aaron Nesmith who only played 15 games.

Lee averaged close to 7 freethrows per game (75%). His freethrow rate (.498) is second highest in Division 1 with only Mason Jones being higher.

Other things to note:

Lee played under Jerry Stackhouse who coached the 905. Vandy played more of an NBA style motion offense similar to what Toronto does.

Lee's dad is Amp Lee a HoF college running back who played in the NFL. Lee will bring that football mentality to Toronto.

Back in 2018-19 he had 400+ points, 100+ rebounds and 100+ assists which was similar to (Terence Davis and Grant Williams the only other SEC guys to reach those numbers.) Dan Tolzman probably loves this guy as he exceeded those numbers again this year.

Turmoil: The last two seasons Lee lost his top scorer early in the season (Nesmith and Darius Garland). He had two different coaches also. Just a lot of change and playing with young players that impacted Vandy winning in the tough SEC. Despite that all, Lee led them to upsets over teams like Arkansas (30 points for Lee); Alabama (38) ; LSU (33); and played well against top teams (versus Kentucky: 21; Auburn: 27).

Dennis Smith Jr. 2.0? He'd be another nice pick at #59. Markus Howard, Saban Lee, Skylar Mays, Nat Hinton, Ashton Hagans, all of the international guards. I'm sure the Raptors can find a good guard at #59.

I think they'll take the best big at #29 or gamble on Karim Mane there.

At 29, I just cannot see them going with a big unless Jalen Smith falls. All of them have real issues guarding in space which limits their viability in the modern NBA.

From the past, Masai and Bobby have opted for big time athletes like OG and Siakam in the first, so I could see also see them gamble on a young player who is a plus athlete. My underrated pick would be Jayden Scrubb. I think from a skill and athleticism point of view they might like the gamble. He is a really interesting case.

If defending in space is what you what its Nnaji not Smith you want. Smith is too stiff to defend outside the paint

HeadtopChunes · Post #2839 » by **HeadtopChunes** » Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:20 am

Indeed wrote:
HeadtopChunes wrote:

Watch on YouTube

Another guy for 59

Lamar Stevens

6'8 strong athletic/forward, with some ball-skills and a midrange game and shooting woes beyond that

Wish his wingspan is longer than 6'9.
Reminds me of James Johnson with shorter wingspan, I guess. I think he can improve his 3, and could create shots for others. Not sure about his quickness, but being a 2nd round pick, those are good qualities to have.

Actually reminds me of Stanley Johnson lol

Dalek · Post #2840 » by **Dalek** » Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:42 am

HeadtopChunes wrote:
Indeed wrote:
HeadtopChunes wrote:

Watch on YouTube

Another guy for 59

Lamar Stevens

6'8 strong athletic/forward, with some ball-skills and a midrange game and shooting woes beyond that

Wish his wingspan is longer than 6'9.
Reminds me of James Johnson with shorter wingspan, I guess. I think he can improve his 3, and could create shots for others. Not sure about his quickness, but being a 2nd round pick, those are good qualities to have.

Actually reminds me of Stanley Johnson lol

Lamar Stevens is an interesting player. He was their lead ball handler and he is a gritty defender. He is a bit of throwback with his mid-range game, and I think he will get a two-way deal from someone. Not sure if people will buy into his jumper completely as he regressed last year. He reminds me a bit of Kris Middleton coming into the NBA. I can also see the James Johnson comparison although JJ was an athletic freak.