Raptors Draft Needs.

The Raptors draft needs greatly depends on what Bryan Colangelo does in the next few days leading up to the draft. Colangelo could attempt to trade Chris Bosh or sign one of the 2009 free agents but until that happens I will discuss the Raptors draft needs as if the roster will be the same as it is now.

Need #1: Shooting Guard – Anthony Parker has been a solid shooting guard for the Raptors for the past few years. Parker was the beginning of Bryan Colangelo’s European movement in Toronto after he was the European MVP two years in a row. The duo of Parker and Kapono were among the top five in the NBA in 3-pt shooting percentage over the last few years. However, Kapono was traded to the Sixers for the gritty Reggie Evans and Anthony Parker is is getting old (34) and an unrestricted free agent this summer. Colangelo has made a qualifying offer for ex-Raptor Carlos Delfino who is currently playing in Russia but he is not the answer at SG.

Possible Selections: Demar DeRozan (USC), Gerald Henderson (Duke) – This is a desision between youth and potential or experience and instant impact. DeRozan was great in the last 1/4 of his freshman season at USC and carried his team in the Pac-10 tournament. DeRozan has tons of potential and projects as a 20+ points a game producer in 2-3 seasons. DeRozan’s ‘09 stats: 13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.1 turnovers, 52.3% FG, 64.6% FT. On the other hand Henderson has been at Duke for 3 years but was at his best in the second half of this past season. Henderson was always a shutdown defender but last year showed that he can also score with a nice mix of short and long range shots. Henderson’s ‘09 stats: 16.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.2 turnovers, 45% FG, 76.1% FT.

Need #2: Center – Andrea Bargnani is currently listed as the Raptors starting center but plays more like a SF or PF when he is on the court. The Raptors need a player who is more physical at center and move Bargnani to SF. When the Raptors last made the playoffs they had Raso Nesterovic at center and while his 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds aren’t mind blowing he had something the current Ratpors lack: size and grit. Nesterovic cleared space under the basket for Chris Bosh to get rebounds and was an intelligent partner down low for Bosh. It’s no wonder that Bosh and the Raptors struggled this year without a physical presence at center. The Raptors picked up Reggie Evans in their deal with the Sixers who is physical and gritty but is not a starter and is only 6′8.

Possible Selections: Trade up for Hasheem Thabeet (UConn) – Thabeet is the only elite center in the draft and is likely going in the top 5 so if the Raptor decide to find their center in the draft then they will have to trade into the top 5. The Raptors would have to trade their first round pick and likely one of their three top players (Bosh, Calderon, or Bargnani) to get into the top three. Thabeet is not worth that much so the Raptors will likely try to find their center in free agency. Their options in free agency are Mehmet Okur and Rasheed Wallace.

Need #3: Backup Point Guard – A major reason for the Raptors issues last season was the lack of a reliable backup behind Jose Calderon. Calderon was injured for an extended period last season and in that time his backups Roko Ukic and Marcus Banks could not lead the team. So the Raptors need to find a PG that can lead the Raptors offense when Calderon is on the bench or in the case that he gets injured again, start and lead the team.

Possible Selections: Patrick Mills (St. Mary’s), Darren Collison (UCLA) – The Raptors don’t have a second round pick but could trade away one of their reserve players for another teams second rounder. The two most likely players that the Raptors would trade are the athletic but underperforming Joey Graham or the expiring contract of Marcus Banks. For either player the Raptors could get a pick at the top of the second round where either Mills or Collison should still be available. Both Mills and Collison were the leaders of their teams in college for multiple years and have the experience to come into the league now and play the backup role for the Raptors. I would prefer Collison because he played on a bigger stage at UCLA and brings a defensive presence which Calderon lacks and could be used late in games to stop the other teams point guard but either player would be a welcomed addition to the Raptors roster.

It is unlikely that the Raptors address all their needs in the draft but if they can fill 2 of their 3 needs they will be in a position to succeed next season.

-KC Roberts