Toronto Raptors lottery draft prospects playing in March Madness
The Toronto Raptors will have a lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft, and will pick from a great crop of young talent.
It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Toronto Raptors are heading for the NBA Draft Lottery. Based on their current record, the Raptors currently have the 7th best odds for the draft, meaning they are likely to receive the 7th pick. Yet, they still have a chance to drop into the top-4 range.
With March Madness starting today on the Men’s side, many of the NBA Draft’s future picks are currently getting ready to compete for a National Championship. Of course, Cooper Flagg and his Duke Blue Devils are among favourites to win it all. Let’s go through a few players the Raptors could pick up, and where they are playing as The Dance begins.
Kon Knueppel (no. 1 Duke) — No.10 NBA, No.7 Tankathon, No.8 ESPN
No shock that we will see a few of Flagg’s teammates on this list. Knueppel is listed as a SG/SF and is 6-foot-6, with a true shooting percentage of 63.3% per ESPN. He ranges in the mid-late lottery in most drafts, meaning he would probably be available if the Raptors got the 7th pick but maybe even if they fell to the 10th.
He is currently Duke’s second leading scorer behind Cooper Flagg, and every mock lists him as a very versatile player who would adapt to any system. For now, he is hoping to help Duke win a championship.
Khaman Maluach (no. 1 Duke) — No.7 NBA, No.9 Tankathon, No. 7 ESPN
Standing at an impressive 7-foot-2, Khaman Maluach is a centre with a 71.9% true shooting percentage per ESPN. He comes from South Sudan. According to the mocks, he anchors Duke’s defence (I’d hope so at that height), and is a rebounding machine. He doesn’t contribute much on Duke’s offence, but that’s mostly by the design on their Flagg/Knueppel etc. offensive lineup.
He seems to be a good big-man to build around, a position the Raptors very much need. He could play back-up behind Poeltl while he works on his offensive game and turn into a great back of centre of this current team.
Jeremiah Fears (no.9 Oklahoma) — No.9 NBA, No.8 Tankathon, No.11 ESPN
Jeremiah Fears is hopping all over the mock drafts, meaning he could very well be available no matter where in the lottery the Raptors end up. A 6-foot-4 point guard, Fears has stepped up his game heading into March Madness, the timing on his ascension quite perfect.
His young age makes him a little unpredictable, but he shows flashes of confident shotmaking, creation, and playmaking. According to some of this analysis on the NBA mock and ESPN, his defence needs a little work and he will need some bulking.
With the Raptors in on Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead, it seems a little unlikely they’d draft Fears, but it’s not impossible.
No.9 Oklahoma has a tough draw as they face back-to-back champions UConn in the first round of the tournament.
Kasparas Jakucionis (no. 6 Illinois) — No.11 NBA, No.6 Tankathon, No.6 ESPN
Another interesting prospect lingering at various spots in the mock drafts, Jakucionis out of Lithuania is a 6-foot-6 guard with a 60.8% true shooting percentage per ESPN. The mocks describe him as “streaky” which isn’t surprising for a lot of these 18-year old players.
He seems to be scouted as a “project” player. Buy early, train up, and hope to reap the rewards. Unfortunately once you exit the top 4-5 prospects in this draft, that seems to be the consensus — which is why the Raptors continuing to push themselves further from that possibility has been frustrating to those tapped into the draft.
He also seems to struggle with turning over the ball, and there isn’t much here on his defensive ability. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the tournament as Illinois will face no.11 Xavier and then most likely no.3 Kentucky.
Tre Johnson (no.11 Texas) — No. 6 NBA, No. 5 Tankathon, No.5 ESPN
Surprisingly, Tre Johnson won’t be a player you’ll get to see in March Madness, because his Texas Longhorns were eliminated in the First Four. Still, he is quite agreeably a top 6 pick according to our three mocks of choice here. At 6-foot-6, Johnson is compared to Tyler Herro, and said to have incredible shot-making and footwork.
Apparently, his “faults” lay in free throw ability (fixable), and a lack of rim pressure (fixable). He is touted to be a good passer, with some flashes of playmaking ability in there. He has a true shooting percentage of 56.7% per ESPN, and is said to have had a “demanding role” on his middle of the pack Texas team.
The Raptors lack depth at shooting guard, as Gradey Dick has been in and out with injury this season. Grabbing another guy to develop at that position could be a good idea for Toronto. If they fall to 5th or 6th pick, Johnson could still be available for them.
VJ Edgecombe (no.9 Baylor) - No. 3 NBA, No. 4 Tankathon, No.4 ESPN
Edgecombe is another player that could be in the realm of possibility — if they either fall to a 3/4/5 pick, or if Edgecombe himself falls to 5/6/7th. Another shooting guard, his 6-foot-5 stature and 56.5% shooting percentage helped him become the Big-12 Freshman of the Year. ESPN calls him “the most explosive athlete in this class.”
His improvement over his freshman season at Baylor, as well as an impressive ability to shoot the three-ball, are all factors in favour of Edgecombe. He has potential as a ball handler, and his athleticism alone is a huge reason he is mocked so high.
Another young guy the Raptors could mould into the player they want him to be. He’d be a steal at 7th, but if the Raptors miraculously fall, he’d be a good pick in the 4-6 range as well. It will be interesting to see how far he can lead his Baylor Bears in March Madness.