Raptors mock draft: Toronto takes supremely athletic point guard

The Toronto Raptors spent nearly a week off due to COVID-19 outbreaks both internally and externally, and that pause gave the Raptors mock draft experts plenty of time to cook up additions for a potential lottery team lacking in both frontcourt and backcourt depth.

The Raptors appeared to do a very good job of finding talent in the 2021 NBA Draft, as they added a potential franchise cornerstone in Scottie Barnes at No. 4 overall and a quality backup point guard in Dalano Banton with their first second-round selection.

Even with Banton, their backcourt bench could stand to be just a bit more electric. Why not use a lottery pick on a player that was earning comparisons to Russell Westbrook in high school and just helped his team take down potential No. 1 pick Chet Holmgren and Gonzaga?

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have Toronto once again selecting an elite bench player by taking Alabama point guard JD Davison. The Raptors have been searching for an impact sixth man all season long, and Davison could check that box for years to come.

Toronto Raptors Mock Draft: JD Davison is a high-reward prospect.

Davison’s calling card is his freaky athletic ability. He will make his money in the pros going downhill and shaking the rim with some thunderous dunks. In transition, Davison will be a weapon the second he steps on an NBA floor.

Davison is averaging 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game despite playing just 24 minutes per game as a guard. He’s formed a nice yin-yang combination with former top recruit Jahvon Quinerly, as his ability to both secure the glass and make some very impressive passes will help him ease into NBA action.

NBA evaluators might not be encouraged by his play in an upset loss against Davidson, but they will like the fact that he helped topple Gonzaga. Davison recorded 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists in the upset win.

Davison’s production on offense leaves something to be desired. He hasn’t started a game yet for Alabama, and he is averaging just 8.5 points per game. He is converting just 31% of his 3-pointers. However, given how well the Barnes pick worked out, fans might be willing to overlook that.

While Davison is not going to take over for Fred VanVleet, he shows enough athletic bounce and playmaking ability on both ends to be one of the team’s top reserves as a rookie. While the starting lineup appears to be set in stone, Davison has enough talent to force a change if he keeps improving.