The NBA Champions, the Toronto Raptors followed up their stellar 2019 season with a 71.9% win percentage through 64 games of the 2019-20 season. While the Raptors were certainly Kawhi Leonard-less, they didn’t lose any of the defensive tenacity and “never give up” attitude instilled under head coach Nick Nurse.
2019’s breakout star player, Pascal Siakam, took another large step forward and became a bonafide 1st scoring option who was clearly capable of making plays for others as well. With the continued progress of Siakam and big steps in development from Norm Powell, Fred VanVleet, and Chris Boucher, the Raptors were essentially able to pick up where they left off.
The COVID-19 pandemic postponed the 2019-20 season with the Raptors sitting at 46-18. The NBA is still working on potential postseason formats to continue the 2020 season and while that is surely at the forefront of any internal conversation in the Toronto Raptors’ front office, Masai Ujiri and Co. surely have one eye turned towards a somewhat parity filled 2020 NBA Draft class.
The Toronto Raptors are stocked with the 28th and 58th overall picks in the 2020 NBA Draft. The franchise doesn’t have many holes to fill, giving the Raptors maximum flexibility in terms of how they want to operate. With the Raptors’ penchant for both finding diamonds in the rough and helping them reach their full potential, there is a good chance they grab a legitimate rotation player (and possibly much more) in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Here are five possible options for the Toronto Raptors:
Paul Reed
Paul Reed is an incredible athlete with a big-time motor and he turned quite a few heads this season with the way he applied those skills to both ends of the floor but specifically on defense. As you’ll see throughout this list, most of the prospects on this list bring some serious punch on the defensive end of the floor but no one possesses the ability to change a game on D as much as Reed.
After winning the Big East Most Improved Player in the 2018-19 season, he followed up with an All-Big East 2nd team selection in 2019-20.
Defensively, Reed has the ability to cover for his teammates’ mistakes with his speed and athleticism alone but under the tutelage and Nick Nurse and co., could sharpen a burgeoning defensive-IQ. While Reed will be able to easily handle man, zone, or switching schemes one day, it will take proper development and patience, two things Toronto has in spades.
On that same note, Reed is by no means an outside shooter but has the skills to develop into one in the right place. He shot 30.8% on a career-high 52 3-point attempts in the 2019-20 season and is a 73.9% free throw shooter for his career. Similar to current Raptors star Pascal Siakam, Reed can work on his jumper with an increased amount of attempts each year and know he has a solid infrastructure behind him.
For Masai Ujiri, Reed provides a little bit of insurance in case of the departure of Serge Ibaka and/or Marc Gasol. And in any event, a Reed-Chris Boucher pairing in the frontcourt could be a big spark for Toronto’s already impressive bench unit.
Nick Richards
Continuing the theme of the Toronto Raptors possibly losing some of their key frontcourt players his offseason, we next look at Kentucky center Nick Richards, who broke out in the 2019-20 season after a weak 2019 season. During the 2019-20 season, Richards went from one of John Calipari‘s “kids” to one of his “guys” in a 2020 season that saw him become an intimidating presence on both ends of the floor.
There’s reason to believe Richards has can become a legit shooter though that day would be long, long in the future. But in the meantime, Richards can immediately help shore up some of Toronto’s weakest areas.
Over 64 games in the 2019-20 season, the Raptors were 22nd in the league in offensive rebound percentage and 25th in second-chance points. Richards—whether he was brought along slowly or thrown right into the fire—would be able to step in and contribute in a role that would see him crashing the boards and being the roll man in many, many pick-and-rolls.
In the 2019-20 NCAA season, Richards shot a remarkable 83.7% at the rim per Hoop-Math.com. He did expand his shot profile a bit as well, shooting 46.9% on 2-point jumpers. As he gets more comfortable with the league, Nurse would slowly be able to work in 16-foot pick-and-pop opportunities for Richards.
The defensive numbers and accolades, of which there are many—including 146 blocks over 105 games, a career 96.2 defensive rating, All-Defensive Team (SEC), and First Team All-SEC—all showcase the ease of which Ricards will translate to the NBA in terms of rim-protection.
But if Richards is selected by the Toronto Raptors, he will be able to develop into a two-way player whose offensive contributions can at least come close to matching his defensive output.
Cassius Winston
Point Guard-Michigan State
Cassius Winston is on this list because he comes about as close you can get to a young Kyle Lowry-in-training for the Toronto Raptors. Winston is 22 years old, has average measurables (6-foot-1), and is coming off of a just OK senior season. But there was an obvious cloud hanging over Winston’s year with the tragic passing of his brother Zachary in November.
It took incredible strength and courage for Winston to finish out the season and while the numbers may have plateaued, he showed off enough of what makes him such a plug-and-play leader on a basketball team.
Over Winston’s four years at Michigan State, the Spartans boast an impressive 104-36 record. Winston’s best skill is merely winning. His intangibles are through the roof and he is a knockdown 3-point shooter to boot.
Winston didn’t have an incredible 3-point volume as a player who had the ball in his hands most of the time but he hit 43% of his 8.8 attempts per 100 possesions from 3-point range over his four years and showcased the ability to thrive under pressure.
At the NBA level, Winston’s lack of above-average burst or athleticism will prevent him from finishing at a high-level but the savvy guard knows how to draw contact. He posted a 34.9% free throw (attempt) rate for his MSU career and while he isn’t going to get many calls a rookie, that isn’t going to stop Winston from going full bore when attacking the rim à la Kyle Lowry.
The many awkward finishes that Winston scored on at the rim over length—like on the drive at the 18-second mark in the video below—won’t be successful at the NBA level. But as a heady player with a solid floater, he can still be a decent scoring threat in the league.
Winston’s athletic shortcomings on the court can’t be changed in a major way but with effort and hard work, he can improve his defensive technique and become an above-average two-way point guard. Winston is worth a pick for his leadership qualities and ability to fit into a positive locker room alone but the fact that he is unselfish and unafraid of the big moment makes him worth a very late first or an early second-round pick in my book.
Tre Jones
Continuing our run of uber-intelligent floor generals is none other than All-American 3rd team point guard Tre Jones. He comes with flaws that are entirely fixable: a jumper that needs to be rebuilt and some finishing concerns at the rim. Jones took on a bigger role in his sophomore year at Duke, running the show without the help of Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett to fill the scoring void. Jones didn’t turn into a bonafide scorer but he did see a big uptick in usage rate and while still bringing his trademark intensity of defense.
Jones averaged 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in just over 35 minutes per game in his sophomore season. His 3-point shooting increased to 36.1% on 5.8 3-point attempts per 100 possessions, both big-time improvements from his freshman season in which he was an abysmal 26.2% from 3-point range.
NBA teams will still ignore Jones on the perimeter and go way, way under screens to force him to be a jump shooter. Fortunately for Jones, he has the speed to penetrate despite the poor shooter treatment and is particularly effective in finding big men in the dunker’s spot.
At the end of the day, Jones projects as a high-end backup point guard because of his ability to contend with lightning-quick guards —of which there are many in the NBA— on the defensive end of the floor and run the offense on the other end.
But with elite coaching, which is more scarce in the NBA than you think, Jones can develop into a solid starting point guard, somewhere in the top-30 area long-term. He will likely go high in the second round because of outside shooting concerns but Jones represents a clear first-round value coming off of a season in which he was both the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and the ACC Player of the Year.
Udoka Azubuike
The final name on the list is perhaps the most attainable prospect for the Toronto Raptors, Kansas big man Udoka Azubuike. At 7-feet tall and 270 lbs, the Nigerian center would quickly become one of Masai Ujiri’s favorite players. Azubuike can be picked up with a second-round pick due to the fact that he is a very limited player who is likely to develop much further outside of his role.
Azubuike is a rim-rattler who crashes the boards with aplomb at both ends of the floor. He has always been an imposing presence in the Big 12 but he took it to another level in the 2020 season. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19, the Kansas Jayhawks looked like the clear favorite to win the title and Azubuike was a central part of their success.
Over 31 games Azubike averaged 29.2 points and (a career-high) 22.2 rebounds per 100 possessions. The per 100 possessions numbers were used to showcase just how much Azubuike stepped up his physicality and production. He demolished any defender near the basket and the beauty of his game was the simplicity of it.
Games like his 23-point, 19-rebound double-double in Kansas’ win over then-No. 1 Baylor was a perfect example. Azubuike ran the floor hard and often sealed his man deep in the post. Getting his work done early led to a squeaky clean 11-for-13 shooting night from the field for Azubuike and his 3 blocks were more about the intimidation factor than the blocks themselves. With Azubuike patrolling the paint, Baylor shot 39.7% from the field and only put 61 points.
In the NBA Azubuike will be a classic drop-back pick-and-roll defender and though he has a little bit of mobility, he will be taken advantage of by NBA guards. This is what will hold him to being a bench unit big but in a setting with solid team defenders around him, Azubuike has perhaps the clearest path to be ing a plus contributor on the floor.
Azubuike wouldn’t be the most exciting pick in the world but Azubuike could be a day one contributor with his penchant for aggressive rebounding and finishing around the rim. His hard-working attitude and physicality would endear him to the Toronto Raptors fanbase in no time and stabilize his spot on the roster.