Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors, now armed with a first-round pick after trading away last year’s haul to acquire Thad Young, are already hard at work scouting prospects that can fit their mold. Even though they likely won’t be in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, there are plenty of quality future Raptors out there.
The Raptors have had hits both early and later in the draft during the last few years. While taking Scottie Barnes at No. 4 led to a Rookie of the Year award showed that Ujiri is not going to miss with his best assets, he also found Christian Koloko and Dalano Banton in the second round and Justin Champagnie as an undrafted free agent.
Ujiri’s acumen will be testedt once again, as the Raptors have some areas of concern that could be easily filled if they nail it with their first-round draft choice. While Ujiri has typically preferred veteran players over standout freshmen, the Barnes selection could hint at a change in philosophy.
This trio of terrific freshmen is performing so well in their debut collegiate season that the Raptors may be left with no choice but to use their premium draft capital on them. Any one of them has the talent necessary to become a long-term contributor in Toronto.
3 top freshmen the Toronto Raptors could draft in 2023.
3. Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke
While fellow top recruit and projected first-round Dereck Lively II arrived in Durham with tons of hype, he’s only averaged 4.0 points per game while Filipowski is leading the team in scoring. Teams hoping for a more immediate offensive return will clearly head toward the do-it-all freshman.
Filipowski is leading the Blue Devils in points per game (14.9), rebounds per game (9.4), and steals per game (1.4). With a solid 3-point percentage of 35% and enough soft post moves to pile up the points against quality competition, Filipowski’s scoring will translate to the pros.
Toronto Raptors draft: Kyle Filipowski could play right away
While Toronto spent a pick on an all-defense, minimal-offense prospect like Koloko last year, Filipowski might be the polar opposite. He lacks tremendous athleticism and verticality, which makes him a subpar interior defender. Can Toronto tolerate a liability like that out of a first-round pick?
Filipowski seems like a low-floor player that is going to be a consistently solid shooter and scorer in the pros, which could be a better long-term solution to the center spot in Toronto than trying to put 6-8 Thad Young in that role against Joel Embiid. Filipowski needs developing, but he’s got all the offensive goods.
2. GG Jackson, PF, South Carolina
Jackson is playing at just 18 years old, as the top recruit in the 2023 class decided to reclassify and start his college journey early. Even with the age difference, his talent has been so exceptional that he is quickly becoming a lottery fixture Toronto may have to move up to acquire.
Jackson is averaging 17.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while making 43% of his shots and 37% of his 3-pointers. The physicality jump from high school to college is not bothering him, as Jackson is a supremely athletic power forward who can shoot and create for himself. Sign us up!
Toronto Raptors draft: GG Jackson is a tremendous offensive prospect.
Because of how young he is, Jackson will be a long-term project that needs time to adjust to the speed and complexity of the professional game. Learning Nick Nurse’s defense is difficult, and someone who will be 19 during his entire rookie season may run into some trouble here.
The Raptors have built their whole team with the expectation that Nurse could take players that need work and iron out the rough edges while keeping the team competitive. Jackson will be a great test of that, as he has some genuine game-changing abilities.
1. Cason Wallace, SG/PG, Kentucky
You can always count on Kentucky sending a hyper-athletic combo guard to the NBA, and Wallace is the next one up in the pipeline. Unlike some of the guards John Calipari has been able to work with in the last few years, Wallace profiles as someone who can defend and score.
In addition to some solid on-ball defense and terrific leaping ability, Wallace has averaged 11.0 points and 4.6 assists per game despite oftentimes playing as the off-ball two-guard and sharing shots with a host of talented scorers. Wallace looks like what the Raptors want from their young point guards.
Toronto Raptors draft: Cason Wallace fits this scheme
Think of Wallace as a sort of combination of Dalano Banton and Malachi Flynn with hops. From Banton, he takes the versatility on defense, rebounding, and hustle. From Flynn, he takes a 3-point jumper that is lethal (50% from the field this year) and terrific on-ball playmaking ability.
Toronto seems to have solved their lack of great height by bringing Koloko in last year, and they could end up checking their perimeter shooting box by getting a hold of Wallace and turning him into a long-term contributor. If he keeps playing well, however, Toronto may need to move up to get him.