1 Prospect to target, 1 to avoid for every Raptors draft pick

The Raptors should avoid Bronny James with the 31st pick

This is not a statement on the media firestorm that would descend on the Toronto Raptors were they to draft Bronny James; the Raptors are a professional organization and could handle that. At the other end of the spectrum, taking Bronny James would not be a ploy to land his father; LeBron James is not moving to Toronto.

The Raptors should avoid drafting USC guard Bronny James because he's not worth using the 31st pick on. Because of the spotlight on him his stock is rising in the pre-draft process; that always happens to players who get talked about the most in these months leading into the draft. That doesn't mean he has earned that.

Bronny James is an excellent athlete with a 6'7" wingspan, plays with a high motor and should generate defensive events at a solid clip. He's also just 6'1" so his impact as a defender at the high end will be limited. He's not his father pinning shots at the rim and switching 1-through-5.

Evaluating his offense should lead draft analysts to question why Bronny is in consideration as a potential first-round pick, or potentially even why he would get a second-round pick outside of his famous name. He is an abysmal shooter, he can't handle despite being just 6'1" and has no avenue to creating his own shot. Defense-only players make it in the NBA when they are 6'8" or have a seven-foot wingspan; they don't make it when they are 6'1" and can't do anything valuable on offense.

The Toronto Raptors should use the 31st pick on a player who can actually help them, not on a low-probability prospect who is only rising up draft boards because of hype unrelated to his basketball ability. It's not fair to Bronny, but it was never going to be given his heritage. Toronto should look elsewhere with their pick.