Toronto Raptors: Canadian Joshua Primo could be flying up draft boards

The Toronto Raptors are working hard to figure out who they should add to their roster in the 2021 NBA Draft given the fact that they own a pair of consecutive second-round picks in the draft. If they want to potentially stay local and draft a Canadian, their best shot at landing an instant contributor might be Alabama wing Joshua Primo.

Primo needed to make a name for himself at the NBA Draft combine, as scoring just 8.1 points per game in college is not going to do much for the majority of the NBA scouting community. Luckily, he showed everyone what he was made of by testing as one of the best athletes in this class.

In both scrimmages and athletic testing, the latter of which featured a 37.5 inch vertical from Primo, the Toronto native showed that his lack of production should not deter teams looking for a wing that can shoot, defend, and develop into a quality starter.

The Raptors have shown a willingness to gamble of physical tools in the draft, and while the 18-year-old Primo may not mesh with a draft philosophy that usually involves drafting experienced players, but his performance at the combine could force Toronto to reverse that trend and select him.

Joshua Primo could help the Toronto Raptors immensely.

Should he add some weight, Primo has the potential to guard both point guards and power forwards. He might stand 6-6, but his 6-11 wingspan and consistant effort on the defensive side of the ball give him a much higher defensive ceiling than most of the wings who could end up getting picked around this range.

Primo has taken some strides in the right direction as a 3-point shooter, and he’s got the combination of bounce and slashing ability that could make him one of the more high-ceiling wings in this class on offense.

Primo is not a tremendous generator of offense at this stage in his career. Playing with the likes of Herbert Jones and John Petty unquestionably ate into his production, but the Raptors will need to come to terms with Primo’s issues scoring the basketball. If he can’t hit double digits per game in college, what will he do in the pros.

The second round is a place to take gambles on prospects with an intriguing combination of skills that could evntually morph into a high-level NBA player if given the proper care and attention. Primo might not provide much in the way of immediate dividends, but the thought of what he could become might be enough to convince Toronto.