Toronto Raptors signed Khem Birch to a Toronto Raptors signed Khem Birch to a Toronto Raptors signed Khem Birch to a
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3 Raptors NBA Draft targets who could replace Khem Birch

By Mike Luciano

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 25: Doug Edert #25 of the St. Peter's Peacocks shoots the ball as Trevion Williams #50 and Sasha Stefanovic #55 of the Purdue Boilermakers defend (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 25: Doug Edert #25 of the St. Peter's Peacocks shoots the ball as Trevion Williams #50 and Sasha Stefanovic #55 of the Purdue Boilermakers defend (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Drew Timme, Toronto Raptors
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 24: Drew Timme #2 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs defends the ball against Jaylin Williams #10 of the Arkansas Razorbacks (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

2. Drew Timme, Gonzaga

While Chet Holmgren will be picked in the top three picks in this class, it was Timme who led Gonzaga in scoring with 18.4 points per game while putting up 6.8 rebounds per contest. Consider that Timme had the least efficient shooting season of his career in 2021-22, and he still shot 59% from the field.

Timme has been a rock-solid interior finisher in the way that Birch was during the Tampa season. With an excellent feel for the game and a surprising array of moves to help him finish from awkward angles, Timme’s offensive production should be able to translate over to the NBA.

Drew Timme will score for the Toronto Raptors.

Timme’s lack of athletic ability will overshadow his gaudy college production. Defensively, he is going to be extremely limited in the NBA. That tradeoff could be enough to take him off some team’s draft boards altogether. The Raptors still should not be deterred by that unfortunate fact.

The Raptors have plenty of solid defenders on the roster already, so sacrificing a bit of it on the interior for the handful of minutes Timme would play every week likely won’t be a huge deal for Toronto. As long as he can hit the post turnarounds Birch was missing, Timme will be worth the pick.