NBA Mock Draft: Raptors add “Vision 6-9” power forward

The Toronto Raptors mock draft predictors have come out of their respective caves as the draft lottery inches closer. This season has made it painfully clear that the Raptors need more offensive juice, and they could have a golden opportunity to select a player that can fix those issues in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

The Raptors are expected by many as a team that could select the best available point guard in the draft in order to fix up a lackluster bench, but fans should be prepared for the possibility of Masai Ujiri once again opting to select a player that fits in with their “Vision 6-9” ethos.

This draft is not short on players that could match up with Ujiri’s motives, as the move towards a positionless style has swept up the rest of the NBA world. The Raptors may add another bigger forward in the draft, albeit one with some deadly 3-point marksmanship.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman had the Raptors opting for yet another power forward, grabbing UCF star Taylor Hendricks. While fans may groan at the idea of adding another 6-9 player that has risen up draft boards lately, Hendricks will come into the league as a refined offensive player.

NBA mock draft: Will the Toronto Raptors draft Taylor Hendricks?

Hendricks averaged 15.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game with the Knights this season. The All-Conference player’s most impressive stat, for Toronto’s purposes, is his 3-point percentage, as he has shown to be UCF’s most consistent and dominant offensive weapon for large chunks of the season.

Hendricks’ athletic ability gives him a fairly high ceiling, as he can get to the rim with ease and jump out of the gym. On a team that has traditionally tried to add as many premium physical talents as possible and letting them work out the kinks, Hendricks could be worth tooling around with.

Hendricks is a bit of a project from a defensive point of view, as his slight frame calls into question where his best positional fit might be. Some GMs may not like the fact that Hendricks was not a very high recruit, implying that his risk might be due to a small sample size.

https://twitter.com/UCF_MBB/status/1633133011976830977

The key to making Hendricks a high-end contributor with the Raptors is turning him into a quality defensive player and taking advantage of his natural athletic gifts. Making good on those accomplishments could turn Toronto into a long-term winner.