Toronto Raptors dream offseason: A 4-step plan for success
By Mike Luciano
2. Draft a backup guard.
The Raptors could use No. 33 to draft a backup center who can protect the rim, but they should instead prioritize finding a point guard who can orchestrate the second unit and take some of the pressure off of Fred VanVleet while helping the squad rip off the Malachi Flynn Band-Aid.
Just to name a few lottery tickets that could potentially fall into Toronto’s lap, Arizona’s 6-7 point guard Dalen Terry and Nebraska’s Bryce McGowens could be dream scenarios for Toronto. Trading up for a player like Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley or Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler is very much in play.
The Toronto Raptors should draft a point guard.
If the Raptors want to move down just a bit, that could help them gain more draft capital and still find a winner. Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard and Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. could be worth taking in the middle of the second round. The Flynn experiment is reaching its end.
Toronto is in a position to gamble on a raw toolbox of skills that eventually slides into the rotation and takes over the backup point duties. As VanVleet gets older and slightly more beat up, getting quality deputies who can alleviate the responsibility burdened by Wichita State’s finest is even more critical.