This week is going to be insanely crazy for sports. Well, not all sports. The NBA draft is this Thursday while the NHL draft is on Friday. Already there are rumours swirling, Carmelo’s leaving, the Flyers trading and the Raptors waiting (creative, eh?)
So we're sure by now, unless you’re living under a rock, you can assume this year’s NBA draft is going to be intense. Not only is it regarded as one of the most talented group of players in years, but NBA costless agency has everyone talking. LeBron has opted out of his contract with Miami and will become a costless agent. Does he stay for less money? Does he go to LA? Where does Carmelo Anthony go (Hmm, Chicago probably, spoiler alert)? And if you’re in Canada, will the Toronto Raptors re-sign Kyle Lowry?
But that can all wait for another day. Today VAVEL is going to focus on Toronto’s spot in the NBA draft. This writer has done enough wondering whether or not Lowry will re-sign in Toronto, and yours truly's hunch says yes, he stays. But the Raptors can not only add to their young up and coming team, they can also add in the second round. They hold three picks in total: The 20th selection, the 37th and the 59th. Realistically, the 59th pick will be anyone's guess considering almost no one makes an impact being drafted second last. That's just how it goes.
But they can surely find someone at the 20th spot. Mock drafts, for the most part, are useless. No matter who has what pick, there are always going to be surprises.
So after much reading, YouTube watching, imaginary scouting and guessin, this author is going to offer his opinion on five players the Raptors could target with the 20th overall selection, in no particular order.
1. Adreian Payne, PF, Michigan State
23 years old, Senior
NBA comparison: Drew Gooden/Robert Horry
Payne is an intriguing big man. He’s older than most prospects this year (23 is considered old in this draft and in most drafts) and what makes him different is his shooting stroke. He shot a very impressive 42.3% on 3.4 3-point attempts per game as a college senior and has averaged around seven rebounds per game since 2012. What makes it slightly more interesting is that Payne played through last season with Mono, an illness in which it drastically affects your stamina and energy.
How does he fit with Toronto?
It’s slightly complicated because the Raptors have Amir Johnson as a starter, and Patrick Patterson as a restricted costless agent. Patterson is actually quite similar to Payne, as he can shoot and is fairly athletic. If the Raptors either trade Johnson (which seems unlikely) and opt not to bring back Patterson (which also seems unlikely) than Payne would be a more logical fit. What makes him more of a possibility is the need for size off the bench. Tyler Hansbrough may be bought out and they lack a good big man behind Johnson and ever behind Patterson.
For now, he’s a big PF with shooting skills and solid intangibles. If the Raptors bring Payne in at the draft, it would be a well regarded piece, though for now we don’t know if it’s logical.
2. TJ Warren, SF, NC State
20 years old, Sophomore
NBA comparison: Caron Butler/Jarvis Hayes
Warren’s stock has been shuffling for some time now. At 6″8 he’s somewhat undersized for the small forward position, though it’s not a major red flag here. What’s noteworthy about Warren is his knack for playing solid defense. Not only did he average 24 points a game as a sophomore, but his defense and hustle is what scouts are talking about the most. While he’s a below average costless throw shooter, Warren makes up for it due to his basketball IQ and his solid rebounding potential. As mentioned, the biggest knock on him is his size at the SF position.
How does he fit with Toronto?
The Raptors need some defense off the bench. While Terrence Ross currently holds the starting SF position, he struggled mightily in the playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets. Warren would provide the Raptors with another young, athletic player off the bench who could be groomed for a starting position down the road.
It’s also tricky because Ross is young and needs to get better, and probably can. Regardless, Warren’s name has been around the 20 spot for a while now and the Raptors have to like his rebounding and defensive potential.
3. Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse
20 years old, Freshman
NBA Comparison: Jrue Holiday/George Hill
We have to put Ennis here, and for a few reasons (And no, not only because he's Canadian.) But, admittedly, that’s sort of a factor. The point is, Toronto shouldn’t just draft someone because they’re from Canada. They have to have talent, and Masai Ujiri already knows this. However, that’s exactly what Ennis has. He started getting recognized due to his leadership and clutch play while with Syracuse. His story and road to glory is pretty impressive considering he wasn’t even a lock to start as a freshman in college yet he proved he could play and here we are today.
He has good size at the PG position (6″2) and is also a very unselfish player. He averaged over 12 points a game, 3.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Not bad for a youngster. He can also shoot the three. What he lacks though, is quickness. While Ennis can run the floor, his defense also comes into question here. For the most part, his skills make up for his weaknesses.
How does he fit with Toronto?
Did we mention he’s Canadian? Just kidding. Again, it all depends what happens with Kyle Lowry. If Lowry opts to sign with another team (which Toronto probably won’t know come Thursday) then drafting Ennis makes much more sense here. Another possibility is Greivis Vasquez, the Raptors back up point guard and fan favourite, is a restricted costless agent and wants to come back. If the Raptors intend on bringing him back as well as Lowry, than there is absolutely no spot for Ennis.
If they bring back Lowry and let Vasquez go via trade, than it could be a fit, and Ennis could back up Lowry.
Many possibilities, but the odds aren’t really in Ennis’ favour. Ujiri has stressed he will take the most talented player regardless of the position, so in all honesty stranger things have happened.
4. Cleanthony Early, SF, Wichita State
23 years old, Senior
NBA Comparison: Cliff Robinson
We’ll begin by saying we really like Early’s game. His stock has dropped a bit for whatever reason as of late, and it could be because of his size. He’s even smaller than TJ Warren at the SF position listed as 6″7. He’s also a senior and is 23 years old. He averaged over 16 PPG with Wichita, and is noted as being a terrific costless throw shooter, and has an already lethal jump shot. He also gets rave reviews for his athleticism. The knock on him is he has a tendency to turn the ball over and has made questionable decisions during games, at times.
How does he fit with Toronto?
We at VAVEL personally think he would fit in very well. He’s not super raw as a prospect and could prove to be a very good option off the bench, or even a starter replacing or challenging Terrence Ross. His defense is fairly good and his sweet jump shot could be a welcomed addition as well.
Early has talent and fairly solid potential. He would fit well with the Raptors young, fast tempo style of play and would be another athletic player behind DeRozan, Ross and Lowry.
5. Kyle Anderson, SF/PG, UCLA
20 years old, Sophomore
NBA Comparison: Lamar Odom/Jalen Rose
We put SF/PG because Anderson has the rare ability to not only be 6″9 but be an above average passer for his size. In his second year with UCLA, Anderson average around 14 PPG with 8.8 rebounds and a very impressive 6.8 assists per game. Pretty interesting stat line. His size is a major advantage here, but what everyone keeps talking about is his quickness. He’s extremely slow at the position (his nickname is Slo-Mo) so that could be a problem. On the flip side, he’s already had some people compare his size and passing skills to Magic Johnson…. now that’s definitely a stretch but you can see the intrigue.
Oh, not to mention he has a 7″2 wingspan… Insane.
How does he fit in Toronto?
It’s not every day you see a player with Anderson’s skill set. He has flaws, most notably his quickness, but he has rare skills. He’s a fairly good defender due to his lanky frame, and he’d be an intriguing guy in Toronto’s rotation. He may not start right away, but his passing skills and size would make for a very good option off the bench to mix in with Ross’ speed.
Anderson is a favourite of ours regardless of the knocks on his game. He could go anywhere from 15th to 23rd which proves this draft has pretty deep talent. If Anderson is still on the board come the Raps pick, we’d be pretty surprised if they didn’t give him a hard look.