The NBA Draft is knocking at the door, and there’s still no clear idea of who the Toronto Raptors are targeting with the No. 19 pick.
While assistant general manager Dan Tolzman said the Raptors would be looking to add a lob threat/rim protector through the draft or free agency, it's hard to look past the dire need for shooting. While it is unclear what will happen outside the top four in this draft, one player expected to be on the board when Toronto steps up to pick is Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson Jr.
When you build a team around Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, you need players to open things up and space the floor to give them maximum space to operate. The postseason was living proof of that, and drafting Anderson Jr. would be a strong first step to fixing that.
Anderson Jr. is the type of shooter the Raptors need
In his sophomore season, Anderson Jr. averaged 18.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from three.
Now, if anyone shoots 41.5 percent from three, it’s going to be eye-catching. What makes it crazier is that he was doing that while attempting 7.9 threes per game. Most of his looks from there came off the dribble as he possesses an effortless pull-up game, but also thrived off the catch. His ability to be a flamethrower on or off the ball would give Toronto a luxury they haven’t had in a while.
The immediate red flag Raptors fans are going to see when looking at Anderson Jr.’s draft profile is that he is an undersized ball-dominant guard. With Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead already on the roster, adding Anderson Jr. may feel redundant or unnecessary, but the skillset and upside with him are completely different.
What ball-dominant means for Quickley vs. Anderson Jr. is vastly different. With IQ, he is ball-dominant in the sense that he takes a lot of shots, isn’t a high-level playmaker, and often dribbles the air out of the ball. Anderson Jr. is the opposite.
At Tech, he was a creator for his teammates, a true floor general, dominant in the pick-and-roll, and calculated with his shot selection. Anderson Jr. has a strong handle and is incredibly unselfish, which would add a nice different flavor to the Raptors' backcourt rotation.
Defensively, Anderson Jr. has some fight to his game. He was strong from the point of attack and is very active in passing lanes off the ball, averaging 1.5 steals per game last season. Now, most guards who measure in at 6-foot-1 (barefoot) or shorter aren’t blessed with a 6-foot-6.25 wingspan like Anderson Jr.
While some may worry about his defense at the next level, the compete he shows on that end, paired with his wingspan, makes me feel comfortable that he’ll be a good defender on 1s and some 2s in the pros.
Anderson Jr. has long-term upside with his three-point shooting and playmaking chops to develop into a franchise-level guard and be the steal of this draft. Depending on how the draft shakes up come No. 19, the Raptors taking a swing on Christian Anderson Jr. would fix a major need and bring down-the-road upside.
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