3 reasons the Toronto Raptors shouldn’t draft Scottie Barnes

1. The Raptors can’t pass on a franchise point guard

The Raptors were able to lean on Kyle Lowry in the backcourt for the better part of a decade, but his impending free agency could create a huge hole at the point guard spot. Yes, Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. would make for an excellent backcourt, but the Raptors need to prioritize a point guard.

Considering how the Raptors have been one of the more consistently successful franchises over the last decade, they probably won’t be able to pick this high for quite a while. Franchise point guards like Suggs don’t always pop up when you’re picking in the 20s.

The Raptors could land a franchise point guard.

The Raptors can either draft Barnes, and either place him in a crowded frontcourt or try to make him a Ben Simmons-like tall point guard, or they can take Suggs, one of the most pro-ready prospects out of college in the last few years.

Drafting Mobley, a game-changing center for the next 10 years, would be acceptable. Eschewing the addition of a point guard in order to draft Barnes and plug this square peg into a bunch of round holes is a very risky strategy that won’t yield the most immediate dividends for this team.