Thursday's Workouts - More Swingmen

Here's Raptorshq.com's breakdown of Thursday's two participants:

JOEY GRAHAM
Who Is He? 6-7 Senior Guard/Forward for Oklahoma State.

Last Year: Averaged 17.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in 33 games for the Cowboys. Dropped 26 and 8 on Arizona in a heartbreaking loss to the Wildcats in the Sweet 16.

What Can He Do? A licensed pilot, Graham can fly in more ways then one. The overall most athletic player in the draft based on pre-draft testing, Graham is a beast. Built like a football player Graham is tremendously strong, quick and powerful making him an imposing player on both offense and defence. Graham has the speed and strength to guard 3 positions and while not a great ball handler, is ferocious around the rim and shoots a great percentage from the free throw line.

Bottome Line: Graham would be a great fit for the Raptors. His strength, work effort and athleticsm are all qualities the current Raptors squad lacks. Graham has been compared to Corey Maggette by many in terms of his combination of high flying abilities and strength. However watching Graham throughout this past season's March Madness reveals that he's simply not the scoring threat Maggette is. Graham lacks a quick first step and his lack of ball handling skills negate him as being a first option scorer. This can be explained by his progression from a power player early in his career, to more of a wing/slashing type and may explain why he disappears at times in games. Knowing these things, Graham would still make a great pick at 16 if still on the board and would fit right in with the new identity the Raptors are trying to create.

RAWLE MARSHALL
Who Is He? 6-5 Senior Shooting Guard from Oakland.

Last Year: Averaged 19.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 32 games for the Golden Grizzlies. This was his third straight year as an all-conference selection, was the Mid-Continent Conference's top scorer (dropped 31 on Marquette in November) and led the Golden Grizzlies to their first NCAA Tournament win with 29 points and 9 rebounds in a win over Alabama.

What Can He Do: Marshall is a top choice for sleeper pick of this year's draft. While he measured under his 6-7 listing at the pre-draft camp, he has the length of someone with a 7-1 frame and uses this length quite effectively. Incredibly quick and athletic his length helps him get to the rim with ease on offense and on defence he can be a terror in the passing lanes. His silky smooth jumper and experience playing the point guard position for Oakland will make him quite versatile in the NBA.

Bottom Line: Marshall and the Raptors in the second round could be a marriage made in heaven. This is exactly the type of long, athletic scorer that the Raptors crave, especially as someone who has good defensive abilities as well. Marshall was criticized at Oakland for bad shot selection, lack of focus and a poor percentage from beyond the arc but these are all traits associated with someone being the sole offensive option for their team. Marshall was forced to carry his team most of the time on his skinny frame, but had a great pre-draft camp, has put on 15 pounds already and has all the tools needed to be a great pro.

Raptorshq.com Note - Interestingly, Gerald Green, the most highly touted high schooler in this year's draft, switched his workout from today to tomorrow. Raptorshq hasn't discovered a concrete reason for the change but there is a good possibility that this was a strategic move on behalf of his agent. Green would have had a tough workout one on one with such a physical player in Joey Graham and this may have hurt his draft stock. Tomorrow's workout showcases mostly forward and power players and therefore he won't be facing similar competition.

Tomorrow's Workout: Gerald Green, Sean May, Nate Lofton, Uros Slokar.

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