Would it really be an NBA Draft without a Toronto Raptors shocker?
With the #20, 37, and #59 picks in this year’s draft, the Toronto Raptors selected Bruno Caboclo, DeAndre Daniels, and Xavier Thames (who was moved to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for cash considerations).
Bruno Caboclo, SF (6’9″, 200 lbs, Pinheiros (Brazil))
When Caboclo was selected by the Raptors at #20, it was perceived as the first huge “who?!” pick of the 2014 NBA Draft . After the dust has cleared, it still remains atop the list of draft night’s unexpected occurrences. The 18 year old small forward was just about the last player that fans and analysts had expected the Raptors to choose with their first pick. With the team’s drafting history in mind, the pick was met with more doubt than optimism. While followers of Raptors may have found some solace in the lofty Kevin Durant comparison (seriously, that Kevin Durant) that was quickly given to Bruno Caboclo, the comment on the ESPN broadcast saying that the Brazilian forward is currently “two years away from being two years away” may have added a ton of ambiguity to his reception here in Toronto.
Bruno over Shabazz is Raptors fan angst Valanciunas over Knight/Kemba all over again. Were wrong then, probably wrong again.
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) June 27, 2014
Just three years ago, similar doubt surrounded the selection of Jonas Valanciunas over Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight – but with time, the Lithuanian big man has grown into a fan favorite. What differs with this year’s choice however, is the fact that the Raptors selection was nowhere to be found in their range on any mock drafts. With Caboclo set to make his debut this upcoming season, fans will be gripping onto the hope that his talent will translate to the court more like Valanciunas’ and less like former Raptors draftee Rafael Aruajo‘s did when he made the jump from Brazil back in 2004.
As story goes, Raps promised to take Brazilian project Caboclo w/No. 37 & that's why he skipped all workouts. Grabbed him at No. 20 instead
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 27, 2014
Indications are Caboclo never would've made it to 37, so Raps wise to gamble if they like him that much. Other teams were quietly in hunt
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 27, 2014
If Caboclo was one of the guys that Raptors GM Masai Ujiri truly wanted with one of his picks – possibly due to his Basketball Without Borders ties – here’s hoping that the Brazilian rookie can prove that he was worth the risk. With a 7’7″ wingspan and a ton of athleticism, Caboclo could become an interesting player at the SF and PF spots if he pans out in the future. He’s only 18 now, so he’s not at his peak. His game will need to mature along with his body. He’ll probably need to bulk up a bit. One could assume that he may be able to step in and contribute on defense relatively soon because of his rare length at the forward positions. On offense however, the general consensus is that he’s still relatively raw, so he’ll have work to do. A more reasonable comparison was made by Raptors coach Dwane Casey during his post-draft presser when he likened the pick to the younger Rashard Lewis that he coached in Seattle.
Seeing as this choice was really plan B for the Toronto Raptors after Tyler Ennis was snatched by the Phoenix Suns at #18, the test will be for fans to have patience while they observe Caboclo’s progress. On the bright side, unlike many other international selections, we’ll all get a glimpse of Caboclo in the near future— he won’t be stashed away in Brazil any longer. All in all, this pick defines “high risk, high reward”.
DeAndre Daniels, SF (6’9″, 196 lbs, UConn)
Toronto’s second pick of the night came from a basketball program much closer to home. At #37, DeAndre Daniels was a more recognizable choice by the Raptors front office on draft night. Daniels is another long wing player who has some talent, but also has some polishing to do. Daniels gave a pretty solid showing in his final season at UConn, averaging 13.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 1.4 bpg. Like Caboclo, Daniels’ 7’2″ wingspan gives him a length advantage that can’t be taught – and considering his play 
style, it could prove to be a major plus.
On offense, the 6’9″ UConn product found his strength in the pick-and-pop game, taking and making his share of jumpshots. The fact that he shot 41.7% from beyond the arc this past season is pretty intriguing. However, due to his ball handling weaknesses, he won’t be quite capable of creating his own opportunities effectively just yet. He’ll need to move without the ball and have his teammates set him up, at least initially.
Where Daniels will need the most work is on the defensive end. While he appears to have the tools needed from a height and length standpoint to be effective on this side of the floor, his performance was not consistent enough in college. Increasing lateral quickness will probably be near the top of his to-do list this summer. In addition to this, various scouting reports have noted that the UConn forward will need to add strength to deal with the increased amount of contact that he’ll face at the professional level. To say the least, Daniels may be another project. It’ll be interesting to see how he finds his role on the Raptors roster this summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4CuRT_KV1A
