Can the Toronto Raptors make the most out of Scottie Lewis?

The Toronto Raptors are expected to select a player ready to make an immediate impact at pick No. 4 in the 2021 NBA Draft. While that may be the case, that opens up the opportunity to take a shot on projects with raw talent with one of their two second-round picks. Florida wing Scottie Lewis could be exactly who the Raptors are seeking in the second round.

Lewis, currently ranked as the 63rd best player in the draft by CBS and 80th by ESPN, decided to forego his junior season at Florida and instead declare for the NBA Draft. The Raptors have already shown interest to some degree as Lewis was one of six prospects whom Toronto worked out Wednesday.

Coming out of high school, Lewis was a 5-star recruit and ranked seventh on 247’s 2019 rankings. Names such as LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Maxey, and Patrick Williams ranked beneath him.

Entering college, Lewis was seen as a sure-fire lottery pick. Unfortunately for Lewis, his college career was underwhelming, to say the least, where he averaged just 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, all while shooting 44% from the field and 34% from 3.

While Lewis admits that he didn’t perform up to the expectations set. He believes it was more so a situational issue, and playing with ball-dominant players like fellow 2021 draftee Tre Mann didn’t give him a chance to shine. With Lewis’ draft stock taking a plunge, could Toronto pounce on the opportunity to select the former top recruit?

Can Scottie Lewis reach his ceiling with the Toronto Raptors?

Lewis is an incredible athlete and it shows on both ends of the floor. On offense, Lewis shows his explosiveness with his ability to fly by defenders and is able to finish at the rim with the best of them. He makes for a great wing scorer, as his athleticism allows him to escape from the defense’s view for easy cuts to the rim.

On defense, Lewis has made a name for himself. His lateral quickness is incredible and it prevents opponents from blowing past him. Lewis’ great hands showed on defense where he averaged 1.6 steals a game. His insane vertical helps him contest shots, and even helped him average a block per game in his two seasons at Florida.

In college, Lewis didn’t show that same aggression on offense as he did on defense. He refused to shoot the ball at times, even when given great looks. This was a surprising sight considering the hype around him as a scorer coming into college. When he was aggressive, he showed great promise as a scorer at all three levels, but those moments appeared too inconsistently

Lewis was relegated to the bench during his time in Gainesville. If the SEC was too tough for him at times, how will he hold up in the pros?

Lewis is very similar to former Raptor Norman Powell coming out of college. Like Powell, Lewis is an athletic wing with loads of untapped potential entering the draft.

Lewis is a prospect teams love to take shots on in the second round. Many teams prefer to take athletic freaks with the hope that their staff can develop the player’s game. Pair Lewis’ raw talent with the Raptors coaches, and this could be yet another homegrown gem developed by Toronto.