Title: Draft prep: Discussing the Raptors’ landscape at Nos. 28 and 58 with Sam Vecenie
Date: May 18, 2020
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, Sam Vecenie and I had a discussion about the options facing the Raptors in the 2020 NBA Draft.
What and who is a “Toronto Raptors prospect?” The team’s success in finding and developing young, undervalued contributors has become a defining characteristic. But are there patterns? Skill or personality types? In other words, whom should we be focusing on when the NBA Draft is held?
For the first time since 2014, the Raptors enter the draft holding a first- and second-round pick, allowing us a rare window for standard draft analysis. If the league determines the draft order based on the standings at the time of the hiatus, those picks will be at Nos. 28 and 58. If the league finishes out the regular season, the Raptors figure to remain in the Nos. 25-29 and Nos. 55-59 range. It’s safe to call them a late first and a late second.
We brought in The Athletic’s NBA draft analyst, Sam Vecenie, to weigh Toronto’s options, look at a few Raptors-type prospects and figure out whether the front office’s draft success is repeatable.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 