Toronto Raptors draft: 3 SEC players to select in 2023 NBA Draft

The Toronto Raptors may need to head down south to find their next tremendous prospect to mold into a star. The 2023 NBA Draft has plenty of solid players to draft at No. 13 overall, with the SEC specifically pumping out multiple quality first-round prospects.

The Raptors’ fetish for 6-8 players that can move well for their size might tip them off to one or two interesting players currently percolating around the fringes of the lottery. However, this team is expected to use their first pick on a guard that can make the team a more feared offensive squad.

Toronto hasn’t had a ton of success looking to the SEC for talent in the past, as their best players come from the ACC, Big Ten, and WAC. This year might be different, as so many Top 20 prospects come from one of the best conferences in all of college basketball.

The Raptors need to look at one of these three players if they have their minds set on adding a player from the SEC to the fold. While all three of them have different skill sets, Toronto should be able to work them into the rotation and get them performing at the top level relatively soon.

Toronto Raptors draft: 3 SEC players to consider drafting.

3. GG Jackson, PF, South Carolina

Jackson is a victim of circumstance, as the former top recruit (who is still just 18 years old) chose to reclassify rather than remain in the current recruiting cycle. While he is projected to be a mid-first-round selection, he was being discussed as a potential No. 1 overall pick in 2024 prior to his freshman year with the Gamecocks.

Jackson averaged 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on a South Carolina team that was oftentimes more than content with rolling the ball out to him and hoping that he could make magic happen. Even after some rough stretches, his pure basketball talent was so bright that GMs are still not going to let him fall out of Round 1.

Toronto Raptors draft: GG Jackson is young, but talented.

The negatives, like with Baylor’s Keyonte George, stem from inefficiency. A big man shooting 38% from the floor (32% on 3-pointers) is unacceptable, and it speaks to how much developmental time Jackson will need in the G League before he can be trusted to hold his own in the NBA.

He’s raw, and the defense is bad, but the glimpses of potential he showed in college will get him picked high. Even though Toronto has plenty of power forwards, adding one more to the mix based purely on potential alone is something that could help Masai Ujiri decide on him.