The Toronto Raptors and the rest of the NBA are on hiatus as the world deals with the fallout from COVID-19. With so much uncertainty as to when and if the season will resume, we might as well turn our attention to the offseason.
The NCAA currently has a deadline of June 3 by which underclassmen will need to withdraw their names from draft consideration to remain eligible for college basketball. Jonathan Givony of ESPN recently reported that the league is bracing for the potential impact of a delayed 2020 NBA Draft.
There could also be significant ramifications on the pre-draft process. It is unclear whether the draft combine will take place (currently scheduled for May 21 to 24). Also, teams may not get the opportunity to conduct individual workouts.
While the primary concern is getting players safely back on the court. What cannot be overlooked is the importance of having rotation players locked into a four-year, rookie scale contract.
The NBA is a salary cap league. There is only so much money to go around. As a result, teams need to hit on draft picks. But it isn’t just about finding young, talented players. Teams must also put those players in a position to succeed.
A lot has been written about how the Toronto Raptors were the first team in NBA history to win a championship without having a single lottery pick on their roster. Other teams like the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic or Detroit Pistons select in the lottery year and year but struggle to even make the playoffs.
Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster have done a masterful job building this team. As an organization they have decided to use the back-end of the roster to develop young players, instead of signing veterans trying to chase a ring.
This season’s success story has Terence Davis II. Davis went undrafted after four years at Ole Miss. But that didn’t discourage Davis. He parlayed one half of a summer league game into a two-year contract with the Raptors. Now Davis looks like he should have been a lottery pick.
The Raptors haven’t had a first-round pick in each of the last two drafts. One was used to shed the final two years of DeMarre Carroll’s contract. The other was packaged along with DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade.
As things stand, the Raptors are poised to pick towards the end of the first round in this year’s draft. FiveThirtyEight.com projects that the Raptors will finish with the fourth-best record in the NBA at 57-25 records. If the season resumes and those projections hold the Raptors would select no. 27.
The 2020 NBA Draft isn’t expected to be the deepest in recent memory. However, just because there isn’t a LeBron James, Anthony Davis or Zion Williamson in this year’s draft, doesn’t mean teams can’t find a useful player or two.
As it is only March, draft boards are still in flux. But as things stand today, here are five players Raptors’ fans might want to keep an eye on.
Patrick Williams
Patrick Williams is a freshman who has primarily come off the bench for Florida State. He’ll be one of the youngest prospects in this year’s draft. Williams won’t turn 19 until August.
Williams is a combo forward and checks off a lot of boxes that NBA teams are looking for. He stands 6-foot-8, with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. Williams already has a pro body. He is strong and weighs 225 pounds.
Williams is still a work-in-progress. But has shown flashes and all the tools are there. Williams averaged 9.2 points, four rebounds, one block and one steal per game. He is also shooting 32 percent from three-point range.
Williams’ best game came on February 15, in a win over Syracuse. He scored 17 points while adding seven rebounds, two steals, and a block.
FSU coaches have commented that Williams’ demeanor on and off the court is very similar to former Seminal, Jonathan Isaac. Much like Isaac, Williams is just scratching the surface of the player he can become.
In terms of his fit with the Raptors, Williams would slot in behind Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, spending time at either forward position. He could play a similar role to that of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. However, Williams projects as a much better shooter than Hollis-Jefferson, along with a higher ceiling long-term.
Unfortunately for the Raptors, Williams may not be available when they are picking. Several mock drafts have Williams being selected in the early 20s (ESPN: 23, Sports Illustrated: 22 and Bleacher Report: 27). But if Williams does slide down further, he has the potential to be a very special player.
Robert Woodard II
Robert Woodard II is another wing. He is exactly the type of player NBA teams are looking for. Woodard is a sophomore at Mississippi State. He’s slightly older. Woodard will turn 21 before the start of next season. However, the Raptors have had success with older players in the past.
Siakam, Norman Powell, Fred VanVleet, and Davis were all 22 years old when they joined the Raptors. Often older prospects fall towards the end of the first round or even the second round due to the lack of perceived upside. But with that experience comes an ability to step in and play from day one.
Someone like Woodard is more developed than his younger counterparts. Woodard already looks the part of an NBA player. His chiseled 230-pound frame is strong enough to handle the grind of an NBA season. Woodard isn’t going to be pushed around once he gets to the next level.
Woodard also has great measurements for a combo forward. He is 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. Woodard is capable of guarding multiple positions. He is also a good athlete, capable of making highlight plays on both ends of the floor.
One reason Woodard is likely to fall towards the end of the first round he isn’t an advanced shot creator. Woodard needs to work on his handle. Early in his career, most of Woodard’s points will come in transition or spot-up opportunities.
Woodard looks the part of a 3-and-D player. He’s averaging 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and a block while shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range.
One concern for scouts is will Woodard’s shooting translates to the next level. He is not a high volume shooter. Woodard only averages 2.3 threes per game. He is also a below-average free throw shooter at 64.1 percent.
Woodard doesn’t appear in everyone’s mock drafts. Sports Illustrated doesn’t project Woodard as a first-round pick. ESPN has him at no. 26, whereas Bleacher Report had Woodard being selected in the 20s until their most recent mock draft.
Leandro Bolmaro
Leandro Bolmaro is the final wing prospect that the Raptors may want to consider. Bolmaro is from Argentina but is currently playing with FC Barcelona. His stats don’t jump out at you, but Bolmaro is emerging as a legitimate first-round prospect.
Bolmaro is a 6-foot-7 playmaker. He is a good athlete and has been compared to Manu Ginobili. Mike Schmitz of ESPN identified Bolmaro as one of the top European prospects in this year’s draft.
Bolmaro can play on or off the ball. This makes him a good fit with the Raptors, who like to have multiple ball handlers on the floor at any given time.
Another positive is that since Bolmaro has been playing overseas, there may be some NBA teams that haven’t had the opportunity to scout him. The Raptors have one of the better scouting departments in the entire Association and have a knack for finding overlooked talent.
Bolmaro may not be ready to contribute next season. He isn’t playing heavy minutes for Barcelona. It’s possible whichever team drafts him, does so intending to stash him in Europe for another season or two.
When Bolmaro does come over, he has the passing skills and creativity to make him one of the more entertaining players in all of basketball. Bolmaro doesn’t have the pedigree of former European standouts like Luka Doncic or Ricky Rubio, but he has the tools to follow in their footsteps and have a long successful career in the NBA.
That’s why most mock drafts have Bolmaro being selected towards the end of the first round. ESPN slots Bolmaro in at no. 22. Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report aren’t much further behind at no. 24 and 26, respectively.
Jalen Smith
Before the basketball world was put on hold, Jalen Smith was having a remarkable sophomore season at the University of Maryland. As Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has pointed out, Smith is one of six players since 1992 to average at least 10 rebounds, two blocks and a three-pointer per game.
Smith looks the part of a modern big. He stands 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-1.5 wingspan. Smith has gotten stronger since his freshman season. He currently weighs 225 pounds and he has the potential to fill out more.
Smith was named a third-team All American by the Associated Press. He averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Smith is also shooting 36.8 percent from three-point range on 2.8 attempts per game.
Smith does not have a strong face-up game. Most of his offense will come in transition, off put backs and from drive and kicks. But Smith provides shot-blocking, rebounding and the ability to space the floor. All requirements for today’s NBA.
Selecting a big man makes sense for the Raptors. Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka are both set to hit free agency. One may remain in Toronto next season, but this team could use some more help up front.
Rebounding has been one of the Raptors’ biggest weaknesses this season. Adding a 20-year-old, athletic freak is always a good idea. Plus depending on how Smith expands his game imagine the defensive potential of a starting frontcourt featuring Siakam, Anunoby, and Smith. Good luck scoring against that unit.
Smith could be selected anywhere from the late first to the early second round of the draft. ESPN has him projected to go no. 34 overall. Bleacher Report, on the other hand, has Smith being picked in the early 20s at no. 23.
Zeke Nnaji
Zeke Nnaji is a former five-star recruit, but entered college basketball without much fanfare. He committed to Arizona and arrived in Tuscon in the shadow of Nico Mannion and Josh Green. Despite that, Nanji established himself as one of the team’s most consistent contributors and was named PAC-12 Freshman of the Year.
Nnaji has great size at 6-foot-11, with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He averaged 16.1 points and 8.6 points per game. Nnaji has shown the ability to score out of the post or in transition. But there are questions about his fit at the next level.
Nnaji needs to become a more consistent outside shooter. He hasn’t shown the ability to space the floor. Nnaji shot 29.4 percent from three-point range this season. But Nnaji is a good free-throw shooter at 76 percent, which suggests that with time and repetition, he can develop this part of his game.
The other problem is that Nnaji doesn’t protect the rim. He has only 28 blocks through 32 games this season. Modern NBA offenses typically only play one big to have proper floor spacing. A big who cannot anchor a team’s defense often has trouble staying on the court.
The Sacramento Kings have discovered that with Marvin Bagley III. Bagley is a talented player, but he isn’t a stretch-5 and can’t protect the rim. He is better suited to play the 4, which makes finding the proper lineup combinations difficult.
With that being said, there is no question that Nnaji much like Bagley has a place in the NBA. These flaws may keep Nnaji from being selected in the lottery. But when a team is picking late in the first round, it is mostly about finding someone who can become a legitimate rotation player.
ESPN has Nnaji projected to go no. 27. Sports Illustrated is slightly higher on him at no. 23. Bleacher Report doesn’t have Nnaji being selected in the first round.