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Paul Reed could be a steal for the Toronto Raptors in this year’s draft

By Mark Birdsell

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 21: Paul Reed #4 of the DePaul Blue Demons looks on during the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wintrust Arena on December 21, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 21: Paul Reed #4 of the DePaul Blue Demons looks on during the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wintrust Arena on December 21, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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The playoffs are in full swing, but the Toronto Raptors also need to start thinking about the draft. One player that could end up being the steal of this year’s draft is DePaul forward, Paul Reed.

For a moment it looked like the NBA bubble was about to burst. But the playoffs have now resumed. For the Toronto Raptors, they are about to embark on what should be a very difficult series against the Boston Celtics.

The Toronto Raptors hope to make a deep playoff run, which could stretch all the way until early October. While that is going on, Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster, and the rest of the front office need to prepare for the NBA draft.

The draft is currently scheduled for October 16, just three days after the season ends. However, the NBA is moving towards pushing back the draft and the start of free agency in order to determine the economic ramifications of the coronavirus.

Evaluating prospects is going to be difficult without the regular draft combine and with large contingents of most front offices locked in a bubble at Disney World.

Raptors’ general manager, Bobby Webster said that the team has already conducted interviews with 50 to 60 prospects. For the Raptors, they have a first-round pick for the first time since 2017. At that time, the team selected OG Anunoby no. 23 overall.

This year’s draft is devoid of any franchise-altering players. There is mostly a consensus about who belongs at the top of the draft. But teams should be able to find rotation players anywhere between 10 and 40.

The Toronto Raptors could go a number of different ways with their pick. Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka are all set to hit free agency. The team could look to add a backup point guard or a young big man.

One player for Raptors’ fans to monitor is Tyler Bey, a combo forward out of the University of Colorado. Bey is a 6-foot-7 forward with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He is long and athletic. Bey was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He would fit in perfectly with the defensive-minded Toronto Raptors.

Another would be Jahmi’us Ramsey, a combo guard out of Texas Tech. Ramsey is 6-foot-4 with an NBA ready body. He is athletic and an excellent 3-point shooter. Ramsey was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He would add a nice scoring punch off the bench for the Raptors.

No matter which player the Raptors select, he will have to fight for playing time as a rookie. But sitting on the bench and learning from players with championship experience should be beneficial in the long run.

Players that go to bad teams learn bad habits. That isn’t going to be the case for anyone that joins the Toronto Raptors. Whoever is selected will get a first-class education in what it means to be part of a strong organization with a winning culture.

All of the players projected to be available when the Raptors’ are selecting have obvious flaws in their games. Ujiri has never been shy about taking a risk and swinging for the fences. One player with obvious talent, but who isn’t getting the same media coverage or first-round buzz is Paul Reed from DePaul.