The Toronto Raptors mock draft prediction-makers are not abating for a second despite the club’s recent push towards postseason contention. Masai Ujiri holds a very powerful pick that could potentially become the first selection of the second round if the Detroit Pistons keep losing.
Toronto may be expected to either add a backup point guard or a wing that can make some 3-point shots. However, Ujiri taking Scottie Barnes when everyone thought Jalen Suggs was coming shows that he is not above going against the conventional line of thinking.
The Raptors could lose both Chris Boucher and Thad Young to free agency, so adding yet another 6-8 forward that could fill one of those roles over the next few years might appeal to Ujiri when the draft rolls around. He’s not exactly going to be short on potential candidates for that role in the second round.
Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today put out a two-round mock draft that features Toronto selecting Stanford forward Harrison Ingram. While the Raptors have other needs that must be addressed, Ingram was born to play basketball in Ujiri’s system given his skillset.
16 points, six boards and eight assists for Ingram now, as he's scored five straight. 66-48 with 4:50 to play #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/Xzogc43pTh
— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) February 13, 2022
Toronto Raptors mock draft: Harrison Ingram may appeal to Masai Ujiri.
A former 5-star recruit, Ingram was considered to be in the same tier of prospects as AJ Griffin and Trevor Keels. Ingram averaged 10.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in what could be his lone season with the Cardinal. The talent on display was obvious.
On offense, Ingram looks more than comfortable handling the ball and setting up his teammates with nice passes. More of a bruiser than Barnes, Ingram made his home in the low post last season. A solid rebounder that can crash the offensive glass, his style of play is very Raptors-like.
His defense might be the calling card that really hooks NBA teams. Having defended multiple positions in college, Ingram could be even more lethal in this area once he adds more muscle and improves his short-area quickness.
https://twitter.com/StanfordMBB/status/1472685625807544321
Ingram has some alarming concerns that could lead to a draft fall. On top of the fact that he is an underwhelming vertical athlete without the explosion that Barnes had in his game, he shot just 39% from the field in the Pac-12. A 31% 3-point shooter, Ingram won’t be an impactful offensive player during his rookie season.
The reason this could make sense for Ujiri and the Raptors is the fact that they have the developmental infrastructure to turn Ingram into a solid scorer. It worked with Boucher and Barnes, so why can’t it work with Ingram? Ujiri doubling down on his positionless fetish might be risky, but we’ve seen him pull off crazier moves.