Sports
Latest Mock Draft Has Raptors Making an Exciting Pick
Just wait for the draft.
That’s essentially all the Toronto Raptors can do at this point with Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl out indefinitely and the hopes of a play-in berth essentially gone.
So what can the Raptors expect when June 27 rolls around?
Jonathan Wasserman’s latest mock draft for Bleacher Report sheds some light on what may be coming down the road:
No. 15: Ja’Kobe Walter (Baylor)
With the pick Toronto acquired from the Indiana Pacers, Wasserman expects the Raptors to go after 6-foot-5 combo guard Ja’Kobe Walter out of Baylor.
The 19-year-old Walter has been projected to go much higher than this by most other draft prognosticators, but his 33.5% three-point stroke has raised some concerns about his shooting ability. That said, Walter has been an efficient shooter from the free throw line, converting 83.1% of his free throws this season, and his 14.7 points per game should certainly intrigue teams.
His on-ball defense would help fill a hole for the Raptors this summer as the sort of multi-positional defender Toronto lost in the OG Anunoby trade.
Walter may be off the board when the Pacers’ pick rolls around, but if he’s not, the Raptors would be wise to give the Baylor product a hard look before making their pick.
No. 32: Zach Edey (Purdue)
Toronto may have Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk locked up for next season but an opportunity to draft Zach Edey early in the second round may be too good to pass up.
The 7-foot-4 Canadian big man has been college basketball’s most dominant player for years now. He’s averaging 24.1 points per game, the second most in Division I basketball, and that’s with 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game on 62.3% shooting.
Edey is a monster at both ends of the court and has been virtually unstoppable for the Boilermakers, but opinions vary on how impactful he’ll be at the NBA level. He’s slow as a defender who has struggled in pick-and-roll coverages when he’s pulled out of the paint. Offensively, he’s incredible inside but offers nothing in terms of distance shooting.
It’s not hard to get excited about Edey as a more traditional big man, but his fit in the NBA may be tough to get a read on.
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