Ranking the Toronto Raptors' Biggest 2015 NBA Draft Needs
After getting bounced early from the 2015 NBA playoffs, the Toronto Raptors should look forward to the draft and its potential treasures.
General manager Masai Ujiri has a talented core to work with moving forward, including Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas. However, there may be some key departures, as Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams and power forward Amir Johnson are both free agents.
There will also be some holes to shore up at the back end of the rotation, so the Raps should be pretty busy this offseason.
Toronto boasted a bunch of skilled bucket-getters and ample athleticism last season, but it was destined to fail in the playoffs. Dwane Casey's squad couldn't consistently get stops, nor could it run smooth offense and move the ball quickly.
Let's break down precisely what deficiencies the Raptors need to focus on with the No. 20 pick. Which areas should they patch up, and which prospects can brighten the team's long-term outlook?
3. Backcourt Defense
Lowry is a dangerous slasher and playmaker, and Greivis Vasquez is a solid backup quarterback. Along with Williams, they formed a potent trio of offensive initiators.
However, their collective defense was shaky.
Lowry can play physically and challenge some point guards, but he gets beaten by the rangier, explosive ones. And Vasquez and Williams were largely ineffective, lacking the lateral quickness or instincts to stop foes from getting what they wanted. In fact, the only Raptor with a worse defensive box plus/minus than Vasquez and Williams was teenage rookie Bruno Caboclo.
There will be a couple of talented guards on the board at this stage, but only one of them stands out as a versatile defensive option.
Utah's Delon Wright is the best fit because he's a 6'5" floor general who can check both guard spots. He owns tremendous instincts and length on the defensive side, and he'd make plays via ball screens in a reserve role.
"A 6'5" point guard that can defend? Greivis Vasquez better not get too comfortable," said B/R Raptors scribe Christopher Walder. "Defense needs to be his bread and butter, especially if the Raptors take a chance on him."
Wright is not an electrifying pick because he doesn't explode to the rim or wow you with sweet pull-up jumpers. However, he's sneakily good at turning the corner, distributing the rock or drawing fouls. Meanwhile, he racked up 2.5 steals per 40 minutes en route to a stifling 87.7 defensive rating.
As long as Ujiri finds some shooting elsewhere, Wright could be a great long-term addition to the Raptors' stable of guards.
2. Frontcourt Versatility
If Johnson bolts via free agency, the Raptors will still have a couple of solid frontcourt weapons in Valanciunas and Patrick Patterson. Valanciunas is a strong interior scorer, and Patterson provided stretch 4 production.
However, the team could use a little more inside-out production in the rotation, and it would definitely welcome more defensive grit to help James Johnson. The potential loss of Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough will leave a rebounding void off the bench.
Ujiri isn't going to solve all of his big-man concerns with one draftee, but the Raptors should try to get as much versatility as they can with the pick.
The choices at No. 20 will come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Arkansas big man Bobby Portis is the best overall value because he can battle in the paint on both ends and also play skillful offense. But he's projected to land between 15 and 20 by many scouts and mock drafters, so it would take a little slide for him to land in Toronto.
Louisville's Montrezl Harrell wouldn't supply shooting, but he'd compete immediately as a rebounder, defender and forceful finisher. Harrell is a powerful type of forward who can come off the bench, instantly grab every carom in his vicinity and attack the rim in the open floor.
Lastly, there's UCLA freshman Kevon Looney, who's raw but has intriguing upside. While he's not physically or fundamentally ready to play defense, he possesses terrific rebounding instincts and a promising jumper.
In addition to shooting 42 percent from three-land and snaring 11.9 boards per 40 minutes, Looney showed confidence and potential putting the ball on the deck.
All three offer a different value and playing style, but Portis is the no-brainer if he's still on the board.
1. Defensive-Minded Wing
All but one of Toronto's wing players produced a negative defensive box score rating last year. Landry Fields was the lone wing with a plus-0.1 defensive box score margin.
Casey's crew was unable to consistently corral opposing swingmen and slashers, so they were often a threat to be out-gunned. They ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference in opponent points per game, which undermined their conference-best scoring average. Even worse, their defensive rating (107.7) was dead-last among playoff teams.
It's time to mix some rangy stoppers into this rotation.
Nearly all of the draft's big-name wings will already be plucked by the time Toronto drafts at No. 20, but there is an awesome defensive specialist who will likely be available.
Arizona's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is as talented and physically gifted on defense as anyone in this draft. He stands 6'7" with a 7'2" wingspan, and he also has a 38" vertical leap to go along with superb lateral quickness. When you factor in his instincts and passion for defending, it's easy to see why he's elite.
CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie explains why Hollis-Jefferson would be an excellent fit for the Raps:
"Hollis-Jefferson was one of the first prospects the Raptors brought in to work out, and profiles well on a team that really struggled defensively. It also doesn't hurt that he'd fit a positional need, given that the Raps small forward spot is rather unsettled right now beyond DeMar DeRozan occasionally filling in there.
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When it comes to establishing a better defensive culture, he's the clear-cut best prospect at that range in the draft.
Adding the young Wildcat would immediately boost the team's per-possession effectiveness and limit challengers to fewer high-percentage opportunities. He wouldn't be as handy on offense because he's not polished, but he can attack in straight drives and spring loose in transition.
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