2011 NBA Draft: 7 Reasons the Raptors Absolutely Must Not Draft a Small Forward

With the 2011 NBA draft fast approaching, some are starting to believe that the Raptors should not in fact draft a point guard with Jerryd Bayless showing promise. There is also the recent breaking news that Jonny Flynn is available and that the Raptors are among the front-runners in getting him.

This logically leads one to believe that we will look to address our next biggest need, which is, arguably, at the small forward position. Although Kawhi Leonard, Chris Singleton and Jan Vesely are all interesting prospects, there are six reasons the Raptors should not draft a small forward this year. We have more pressing needs at the center position but no prospect that projects as a five is expected to be available when it is the Raptors' turn to choose at fifth overall.

Thus, Bryan Colangelo will think long and hard about some of the intriguing lottery-bound small forwards in this draft. It is our contention that this is not the draft for a small forward, as the 2012 NBA draft promises to provide at least six reasons to wait until next year.

Harrison Barnes was the top recruit from the 2011 class and was slated to go in the top five had he not pulled himself out of the draft. He is exactly the type of superstar talent that can help take the Raptors to the next level and will instantly be our team's most talented player. A tandem of Barnes and DeRozan would be a dream come true type of scenario for the Raptors and Raptors fans alike.

James McAdoo is nephew of Bob McAdoo and is quite the player in his own right. McAdoo is an interesting fit for the Raptors as a player who can play both the four and the three, but will probably be an NBA three due to his lack of height. He is a hard worker on both ends of the floor and has the shooting touch to play at the three full-time in the NBA. He may be a top-five pick next year.

Perry Jones is a hybrid forward and is another of the top-five picks to pull out of the 2011 NBA draft. Jones is an extremely interesting forward prospect who can play both the four and the three. It is good for Jones that he went back to school to work on his game, as he is not ready for the NBA this year. NBADraft.net has compared him to Anthony Randolph, who is a forward who, like Jones, can man the four, the three and even the five spot.

Michael Gilchrist is an interesting prospect who has committed to powerhouse Kentucky. He is a terror on the defensive end but still needs to extend his range and ball handling to become a competent three in the NBA. He would be an excellent perimeter partner for DeRozan despite his lack of shooting touch. NBADraft.net has compared him to Andre Iguodala.

Adonis Thomas is another small forward who is currently projected to go in the lottery during the 2012 draft. He lacks range for the three in the NBA but has already acknowledged this and plans to work on it at Memphis.  Thomas is a very effective finisher in the paint who is also a solid rebounder due to his athleticism. He is projected to go late in the lottery.

Terrence Jones is yet another player who withdrew from the 2011 NBA draft, and he is also slated to go in the lottery in 2012. Jones is a solid all-around player who has a proven ability to damage in the rebounding, blocked shots and steals departments. Jones is definitely a prototypical point forward and was a point guard up until after his freshman year of high school. NBADraft.net has him compared to Marvin Williams. He is expected to go in the mid-to-late lottery.

The Toronto Raptors should look to trade up first and foremost to try to land Kanter, and if that is not possible, the Raptors should look to move down a couple of spots and select the best player available. With the general consensus now being that Andrea Bargnani will not be a Raptor come opening night, drafting another high upside big seems to make sense for the Raptors. Most notably, Bismack Biyombo, Jonas Valanciunas, Tristan Thompson, Kenneth Faried, Marcus Morris and Jeremy Tyler should be looked at by the Raps when and if we move down.

It should also be noted that if DeMar DeRozan was not available, James Johnson was indeed near the top of the list of next to be drafted by the Toronto Raptors, along with Jrue Holiday and Earl Clark. Thus, he should be given at least one full year to prove his mettle.