One of the most anticipated NBA Drafts is finally here and the Toronto Raptors will have a chance to strike gold from a pretty deep talent pool with the 19th overall pick.
Toronto drafted at 19 just a couple years ago where they selected Ja’Kobe Walter — a great value pick as he’s carved out an important role in the Raptors rotation. The year before that, Gradey Dick was drafted with the 13th pick, passing on names like Keyonte George, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Brandon Podziemski, who also went 19th overall. It’s easy to look back in hindsight, but those are all names that surely would have made more of an impact than Gradey has going into his fourth season.
It’s difficult to say which direction the Raptors will go in on Tuesday. Looking back to last year’s draft, a lot of the Raptors Rapture team (myself included) were fairly sold on the Raptors selecting Khaman Maluach at their position. I think it’s safe to say that fans are much happier with the Collin Murray-Boyles pick, but what this tells us is the Raptors may draft with a player prototype in mind as opposed to filling a gap in their lineup.
Who should the Raptors target with the 19th overall pick?
There’ are obvious needs that should be addressed in the draft, given the Raptors lack of financial flexibility. Once again, they won’t have that much wiggle room with their current cap situation, so they won’t be able to go big-game hunting in free agency.
That’s why it’s important to find some of these diamonds in the rough in their current draft positioning. Players like Jeff Teague, Tobias Harris and Zach Randolph have all been selected 19th overall, so let’s see if the Raptors front office can find a diamond in the rough.
Here are three names to keep an eye out for that can fill holes in their roster but also present as the best talent available at the 19th pick.
(F) Chris Cenac Jr - Houston
One of the needs the Raptors have is frontcourt depth which Chris Cenac Jr. will be able to help with.
Most boards have him projected to go anywhere in the twenties and sometimes in the early thirties but taking him at 19 is a realistic outcome. He’s got the length and motor that the Raptors love to see, which should also translate to help on the glass. Rebounding is another area that needs attention as the Raptors ranked 24th last year in that department.
On top of being a serviceable shooter, this feels like a fit that can check some of the Raptors boxes. He’s not the rim protector this roster could use but if he continues to develop his shooting and use his length to his advantage, he could be a great option as a stretch-four.
(F) Allen Graves - Santa Clara
This is the catch and shoot threat Raptors fans have been raving about drawing comparisons to Shane Battier. Some even call upon similarities to CMB but I tend to lean on the latter.
Weighing in at 225lbs at 6-foot-9, this is the prototypical player the Raptors are generally attracted to.
He has the ability to facilitate plays and has a relentless pursuit of the ball, which lead to 1.5 blocks and 3 steals last year as per tankathon.com. Rim protection is also another thing the Raptors need help with when bolstering their top-5 defence. If the Raptors decide not to bring back Sandro Mamukelashvili, Graves feels like the no-brainer solution.
(G) Ebuka Okorie - Stanford
Rounding out this short-list with an undersized guard even though adding depth to their backcourt feels like more of an urgent need. Unless they see Aday Mara out of Michigan drop to 19th, which is unlikely, the other options at center include Henri Veesaar and Tarris Reed Jr., which are not as enticing.
That brings us to the dynamic guard out of Stanford who would definitely help the Raptors efforts in running downhill and increasing their pace. They ranked in the bottom third in possessions and pace last season so Okorie’s explosiveness in getting downcourt will be a huge boost. Getting up shot attempts, effective from three and a low turnover rate are all things to love about Okorie’s game.
However, being an undersized guard at 6-foot-2 will present issues. No matter how talented you are, any guard at that size will be targeted on defense. With Jamal Shead currently holding the back-up point guard role, it remains to be seen if the Raptors choose to create competition at that position.
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