The Raptors are NBA Champions and now it’s back to business. The NBA Draft sparks oodles of excitement and hope in the hearts of most, if not all NBA fans. We witness what teams will take certain pieces as we get to critique picks while also predicting how their careers and impact will turn out. Even the trades made in the draft involving these picks and many desirable players provide us with offseason entertainment. As for the teams with the picks, their fans likely have preferred players but are ready to watch the development of whoever their future becomes. As a Toronto Raptors fan, this is a feeling that’s a bit hard to experience right now.
Considering we have the 59th overall pick, the second last in the entire draft, it’s nothing too encouraging. Hell, last season we didn’t have any and those such as myself got excited over the undrafted likes of Rawle Alkins who we ended up moving on, and who ended up playing a forgettable 10 games with the Chicago Bulls. Anyhow, after researching every prospect the Toronto Raptors have worked out with for this weeks draft, there was a number who I liked. However, for the sake of both my time and yours, I’ve picked five that I think can come to impact the roster as solid role players relatively soon.
Before getting into this list, I would like to make a few things clear. First off, there is no order. Most importantly, please consider this in the context of these being players who are second-round talents, and who a number of outlets have going undrafted. Whether this be because they are simply inferior to the likes of RJ Barrett and Goga Bitadze, due to their age (as all of these players are old for draft prospects), or the level of college basketball they played at (which was a concern for a few, but not all of them), they are surely not consensus players for the first round even if a minimal amount of minds feel they should.
Oshae Brissett – Forward, Syracuse
When talking about Oshae Brissett, the first thing to come to mind would likely be his phenomenal body. 6’8 standing in shoes, 7’0 wingspan, and 2.90% body fat, which would be the lowest recorded at the Draft Combine in ten years. Of course, he does only weight 203.2 lbs, which could be seen as relatively underwhelming for a forward, but his athletic ability is awe-inspiring and makes up for a bit of it. While I could direct one towards his combine measurements, such as his third-ranked standing vertical leap. In reality, though, all you need to do is watch him play to see how greatly gifted he is.
Brissett’s ability to soar through the air ultimately benefits him and his team on both ends of the court. Whether it be with alley-oops, blocks and shot contests, pushing the ball with force in transition, it elevates his game so much. Unfortunately, he has not been able to consistently tap into his athletic abilities to be an impressive finisher – especially when battling through traffic. On the other end of the ball, Brissett is a very active and dedicated defender who knows how to handle himself, but many have questioned whether he can defend man-on-man due to the system his coach had run.
However, considering his height, footwork, length, and general athleticism, it’s hard to see that be a long-term concern of his game when he enters the game if it even becomes one at all. The more serious concerns over Brissett’s game tend to revolve around general maturity in his game. He needs to improve his ball handling and passing ability (two traits he has shown quality potential in and that would adequately compliment his playmaking), become more disciplined on both ends of the ball, as he can become a little too wild at times. And, then there’s the question of his shot.
In his two years at Syracuse, the Mississauga native had shot .307% from deep and .736% from the free throw line. These are not the most promising numbers, but if one were to put more weight into his first season there, as he shot .331% from deep and .787% from the line. Not only are these significantly encouraging numbers, but they’re legitimately promising. I have seen the proposition that Brissett had tweaked his mechanics in-between seasons for the worst, and the shooting performances he showed in events such as the aforementioned combine made some scouts second guess their initial opinions on him.
Brissett has the potential to be so much even though some experts have him going undrafted, but some insiders feel that a team is so in love with him that he could go as high as the late first round. Anyhow, if he were to fall down to the Toronto Raptors, I imagine he would be moulded into a 3&D forward that serves as an excellent cutter and lob target (not to mention two-way transition threat) to come off the bench. And assuming he would tap more into his potential as a ball handler and passer, he could also fulfill a bit of a role as a point forward. Under our development system, the thought of Oshae being a Raptor is very intriguing.
John Konchar – Guard, Purdue-Fort Wayne
Being a 6’5 point guard with a 6’7 wingspan has its benefits. It allows a player to embrace a number of roles on both ends of the court. As a matter of fact, we have seen something of this nature with former Toronto Raptor, Delon Wright. Standing at 6’5 himself, Delon was able to be another ball-handler and playmaker on the floor while playing alongside the likes of Kyle Lowry and others from Kawhi Leonard, to Pascal Siakam, to DeMar DeRozan. This opened up many opportunities for the Raptors on offence, and due to being big enough to deal with shooting guards, Delon was actually positive on defence.
I imagine John Konchar in Toronto being something along those lines. Like Delon, the Purdue product is not the most athletic player, but in his case, it’s more worrisome. It is consensus concern critics have been pondering over, debating just how much it will impact his game as he translates to the NBA. he has the fundamentals and size to guard both guard spots, but will he be able to handle the speed the NBA pros throw at him? Just how explosive can he be on offence? Another concern is his shooting.
While the .416% he shot in college seems amazing, the .697% he shot at the charity stripe is something that would leave one very skeptical, as college free throw percentages are known to be better indicators of NBA three-point shooting opposed to college three numbers. As a guard, shooting is a rather important trait, but there are some numbers that are comforting. The first ten games of his last school year dramatically brought down his free throw percentage to .713% as he shot .491% from the stripe in that start. In the next/final 23 games of the year, he shot .823% which is pretty damn good.
Athletic and shooting concerns aside, Konchar is a low-risk player that is able to do a lot on the court. On offence, he can effectively serve as a spacer (especially if his shooting translates to an average-at-least level) or a ball-handler on offence (thanks to quality handles, good passing, and great IQ). Defensively, he is a very smart player that can defend both guard spots thanks to his size which can compensate for the athletic ability to some extent, and he uses his size well on the boards to create new opportunities for his team and prevent some for the other. Konchar actually averaged 8.5 boards last season, and 8.6 throughout his four-year college career which is greatly impressive.
His size can also partially make up for his athleticism inside the arc too, considering he shot .629% on two-shots. Konchar is a very smart player that is able to impact the game in every way possible. However, one neglected critique I failed to mention was his lack of ceiling, which could be a turn-off to many teams trying to find the next second-round home-run. But, in Toronto’s case, they don’t need to do that. Konchar is a safe-pick that could pan out into a solid role player, and I imagine him being a Delon Wright-type player for Toronto, and maybe with a more reliable shot too.
Quinndary Weatherspoon – Guard, Mississippi State
When it comes to shooting guards (small forwards too) that are too small to play the position, look no further than Quinndary Weatherspoon. Measuring in as 6’4.45 in shoes with a 6’9 wingspan and weighing in at 206.6 lbs. For a point guard, he has a pretty good build, but as a shooting guard, he would have even more to work through in order to be impactful despite a small stature in a similar way Norman Powell has. Similar to Norman Powell, some project that Weatherspoon can be a 3&D type player.
With great mechanics that involve a high release point with a smooth follow-through, Weatherspoon was able to shoot an impressive .368% from deep on 3.9 attempts during his four years in the NCAA. Catching fire in his initial two years, he had a rough stretch in 2017-2018 when he shot .313% from deep. What manages to impress, though, is the way he bounced back. The following season, which would also be his last as a college student, saw him shooting his highest percentage from three (.396%), on his second highest volume (4.1 attempts). He also had a career-high .809% on free throws on a high amount, which is very encouraging when pondering over how his shot will translate to the league.
Despite occasional struggles to finish in traffic, his length and athletic ability to provide him with the potential to be a solid one with proper time and development. Anyhow, for scoring as a whole, Weatherspoon is capable of scoring at any spot and in different ways. Whether it’s off the move, a catch and shoot, or off the dribble in a shot he created for himself. As a matter of fact, some believe he looks more comfortable with the ball in his hands than without. Problem is that since he is not a natural point guard, he is not the greatest playmaker. As someone who is more so forced to be a guard opposed to a wing, he is still learning.
This often leads to a lot of reckless plays on offence, leading to inefficiency/more turnovers than one would want when Quinndary is trying to create for his teammates. On the flip side, in terms of pure passing ability, he is very capable of getting the ball where he wants, and this is something that increases his ceiling as a facilitator. However, to improve his IQ and decision making is something that will surely need work. But, the concept of him playing alongside a primary ball handler so he could serve as the secondary is something that would likely help him, and his team.
Now, what about his defence? Thanks to his length and athleticism, he is a pretty good player on that end of the ball. Capable of guarding both guard positions, not only is the Canton native crafty at collecting steals, but he does it in a manner that doesn’t make him foul prone either. He stays in front of his man and is impressive when navigating his way around screens. He’s also shown potential to be relatively good when switching onto small forwards too, which would fit in Toronto.
Like Konchar, I believe Weatherspoon could be that third-string point guard that is capable of sliding to the two. Although his game may be more well-rounded like Konchar, though, he is more lengthy and athletic with a more dynamic score-first mentality.
Dedric Lawson – Guard/Forward, Kansas
Looking at his mere eight and weight, Dedric Lawson does not seem like that interesting of a physical prospect at 6’7 and 233 lbs. However, if one were to notice his 7’2.25 foot wingspan, they’d be taken aback. For Lawson, this is something he’’ have to use to the fullest due to his relatively questionable athletic ability. Many, if not most, are heavily concerned about how this Jayhawk will translate to the NBA due to that very thing. He is often seen as slow-footed meaning it is harder for him to guard wing-players (like DeMar DeRozan), and lack of athletic ability makes it more difficult for him to go up against many of the forwards we see today (like Aaron Gordon.)
However, it’s not like his defence is all bad. He has shown he is capable of using his length to force the other team to cough the ball up, and his ability to block shot attempts (especially as a weak-side defender) has been very evident. He is a very strong player which is able to compensate a bit for some of the athletic deficiencies, and this is also something that plays a role in his outstanding rebounding ability. Not only does he have a three-year career average of 6.8 defensive boards, but on the offensive end, he is always hunting as well, with an admirable average of 3.0 boards on the scoring end of the ball throughout his college tenure.
As for that offence, the biggest concern is his ability to score. He struggles to score inside, especially through traffic, and his shooting ability has been questioned (especially after shooting an average of .304% from three and in his two years at Memphis. Fortunately, in his last year, he shot an amazing .393% from deep and .815% from the charity stripe. Although he likely won’t draw fouls at the rate he did in college as an NBA player, these are very promising improvements. So much so, that tankathon.com predicts Lawson to be a .354% shooter at the next level, which is only .001% below league average.
Despite his scoring more or less being projected to result from deep shooting due to inside struggles, he is occasionally hesitant/passive to take the shot, but it’s possible this is due to how good at moving the ball he is. For someone of his stature, he is an above-average passer. Not only does he have incredible vision and showcased the skills of an intelligent playmaker, but he is also capable of handling the ball if need be. Having another ball handler on the court is always something that will help a team, especially when he is capable of making plays for others. Nonetheless, Lawson does not need to be handling the ball to make an impact.
With all that being said, everything comes back around to his athleticism. For years it has been labelled as quite simply terrible compared to NBA athletes, and will surely be the main thing Dedric will have to work around. He has shown an ability to prove translation doubts wrong before, as he was able to not only seamlessly switch from the AAC to the Big 12 but to play better in the superior conference. That aside, Lawson has solid potential to become a respectable role player, maybe a Paul Millsap in terms of playstyle, not play quality. And even then, that’s a pretty damn impactful player to have off the bench.
DaQuan Jeffries – Guard/Forward, Tulsa
As Toronto Raptors fans, we tend to know a thing or two about the players who do the little things. It is something we have adored Kyle Lowry for over the course of his tenure with the team, and throughout his 34 games with the team, we have fallen head over heels for talents along the lines of PJ Tucker, although there were many more. The reason I want to mention Tucker, though, is because he is the talent I have seen DaQuan Jeffries likened to the most coming into this draft. Due to height, apparent mentality, and similarities in playstyle.
Jeffries is a player best suited to play the 2 guard position, and in some instances small forward. However, despite measuring as 6’5” and 215.6 lbs, he did get a considerable amount of time playing power forward in his college days. Part of this can be attributed to impressive athletic ability, some towards a 6’11.25” wingspan His experience at the 4 despite being a little undersized is something that could benefit him as he translates his game to the next level, especially since the primary thing that seems to restrict him from being such full-time is his size.
Offensively, Jeffries has shown some shooting potential. Three years in college has led to career-averages of .377% from deep and .770% on free throw attempts. If Jeffries were to play power forward, it would more so be on the offensive end of the ball to utilize his floor spacing. And that may be best for him, as he is not really someone you want to be handling the ball for you as most wing players would. However, he certainly has the playmaking chops to be a wing. He tends to make the right plays and knows where his man is, and sometimes can actually pass a little too much by giving up good looks for himself.
Regardless, the most impressive offensive ability is the way he attacks the rim. Simply said, imagine an uber-athletic player with incredibly long arms rushing to the basket in transition, or cutting to it in a halfcourt offence. Many players with impressive size don’t know how to use it, DaQuan Jeffries is one of the people who do. This even shows on defence. Thanks to not only those traits of his but also for high IQ and a toughness/motor that any team would love, he is a sureshot positive on that end of the ball too.
Despite struggles to guard quicker guards, his ability to defend wings/forwards is something you should be happy to have on your team. The most jaw-dropping aspect of his defence, though, would have to be his help defence (especially on the weak side). He is great at predicting where he should be to stop certain passes and drives, while also using his length (and athleticism) to rack up steals and blocks without taking painful gambles for them the way you see some players do. He also uses this as a method to stay in front of his man, contest shots, and grab boards (of course, he is a great transition defender too). His abilities also make him very versatile and switchable, which of course, is beneficial to us.
Although so much more could be said of Jeffries, he is a swiss-army knife of a 3&D player. Someone who won’t be the best player on the court, but someone who can do a lot for any team that takes a chance on him. The Toronto Raptors could surely turn him into a solid bench player.
