Orlando Pre-Draft Camp Thoughts

by RaptorsHQ - Archives on Jun 2, 2007 12:00 AM EDT in NBA Draft

Once again the tag line for this year’s pre-draft camp could read as follows:

"Lots of talented invitees, few of which actually decided to attend."

As a result, scouts have been left to sift through a great number of possible second round options with nary a first round pick to be found.

Beauty of course is in the eye of the beholder however so perhaps a few players will still catch a GM’s eye enough to warrant a late first-round selection. But as a scout told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford, "I think there are some guys who will stick in the league...But I have 30 guys I like better who aren't here..."

So the question for us here at the HQ is, based on the various reports we’ve read and the players we’ve watched this past college season, is there anyone standing out who could help the Raps?

The answer is yes and below are our top five options in addition to several others we’re keeping our eyes on:

Demetris Nichols: Nichols has been one of the camp’s stars to date. Projected as a second-round option prior to Orlando he may now even get some looks near the end of first round thanks to his ability to flat-out shoot the ball. He has great range on his shot and the size and length at 6-8 to score over virtually anyone in Orlando. Past his scoring he doesn’t contribute much but he has done a good job defensively at times in camp and has the tools to be a good defender at the NBA level. For those who watched Syracuse play this past season they know that it may take some time for Nichols to adjust defensively as the Orangemen play so much zone defense. However for a Raptor team that looks to be losing Morris Peterson, right now Nichols looks to be a perfect cheap replacement.

Taurean Green: Of all the players in this year’s camp, Green is one of the more recognizable thanks to his Gators’ back-to-back NCAA titles. He’s also been one of the stand-outs with his heady play at the point. His squad is 3-0 in games and while he’s not superb in any one area, he looks to be the part of a solid back-up in the league as he has a great feel for the game, good speed and athleticism and a decent outside shooting touch. The Raptors have a great situation at the 1 now, but if BC decides to get inventive and looks to deal one of them or move Darrick Martin into a coaching role, Green might be a great understudy.

Chris Richard: Green’s FLA teammate is a bit of a "bull in a china shop" but is one of the real sleepers in this draft. Had he not played behind Al Horford and Joakim Noah he probably could have started at the 4 for 90 percent of the teams in the nation in Division I. Richard has had a good camp to date and his sheer size, strength and toughness might make him worth a look as a late second-round option for the Raps. As we saw against New Jersey, Toronto could still use some help on the glass and someone to come in and push people around.

Reyshawn Terry: As a Duke fan I’ve seen lots of Mr. Terry over the past few years. He’s a player with that prototypical NBA SF body and athleticism. However much like Chris Richard, playing on such a stacked squad at North Carolina scouts have been unable to see just what Terry is exactly capable of doing. So far in Orlando he’s been fairly solid on both ends of the court but still fades into the background at times. He’s struggled with his consistency throughout his college career and he’s the type of player who could go from looking like a first round pick in an individual workout setting to a future D Leaguer in five on five games. However considering the Raptors needs at SF, taking someone who’s skill sets have been compared to Stephen Jackson without the baggage in the second round might not be much of a risk.

Daequan Cook: Of all the participants at the pre-draft camp, Daequan Cook looked to be the player with the best shot at the first round. Compared to Larry Hughes by some because of his slashing ability and mid-range game, Cook unfortunately has not dominated this camp the way he perhaps should. He’s shown flashes at times but at others has looked the part of a freshman as he is one of the youngest players in this setting. I’ve put Cook on this list however as much like Monta Ellis a few years ago, he is exactly the type of player who could drop into the second round due to his rawness but who down the road could pay big dividends for the Raps.

Other players on the HQ radar:

Herbert Hill – One of our pre-draft favourites Hill has not had a great camp however possesses the size and skills to be a legit NBA center down the road.

Ron Lewis – Another of our faves, Lewis has been one of the biggest disappointments in camp so far.

Trey Johnson – Scoring, scoring and more scoring. Much like Kevin Martin, Johnson is a player who flew under the radar playing for a small program (Jackson State) but who could be a great scorer off the bench for the Raps.

DJ Strawberry – He’s no Steve Nash at the point but Strawberry’s defensive tools make him an interesting option perhaps late for the Raps.

Dominic McGuire – Maybe the best overall athlete in Orlando, McGuire looks to just scratching the surface of his potential who would be a great SF option off the bench for cheap for Toronto.

FRANCHISE

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Comments

Completely off-topic here, but... it seems like you guys have changed your script to be less Firefox-friendly. None of the links on the site work in Firefox.

Just thought you should know.

by Frank on Jun 2, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Yep Frank, seems like there's some issues when using anything but Internet Explorer...not working on my Mac either and a bunch of readers have hit us up via email to say the same thing. We'll investigate and get things fixed up asap...

by Franchise on Jun 2, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

I have been watching the NBA playoffs and I will tell you these games are fixed Detroit did not get the calls from the refs the Cavs did not deserve to win, but we will see the Spurs rip them a part , just like the Raps did not get a fair playoff moments, when Cuban said they were fixed I believe him.

by Marcia on Jun 3, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Offtopic but interesting: the Raps could be going after Jasikevicius:

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/305/nba/es/desarrollo/1001488.html (in spanish)

I would love to see this happening, he is a way better player than what we've seen him do in the NBA so far... Great outside shooter, can play PG and SG, he is not at his prime (he dominated the euroleague with Barcelona first and Maccabi with AP later) but still would be a huge upgrade over the Dixon+Martin combo.

In the article it basically says that Gherardini is considering what the Raps can offer the Warriors (Saras has still one year at 4M), maybe a sign and trade with Mo Pete would work. Looks great to me!

by Sergi P on Jun 3, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Sergi, I think Sarunas may be a player whose best days are behind him. He's a smart player but he really can't guard his shadow.

As far as second round guys who might be available and who I like, I definitely agree with the Nichols and Taurean Green suggestions. Green isn't the flashiest player, but he's quarterbacked two NCAA championship teams. That has to count for something. I would also add:

1) Aaron Brooks, Oregon: He impressed me in the tourney with his quickness and moxie. He is more of a scoring point than a true point, but I'd take him as my 3rd point guard in a heartbeat, especially if Dixon doesn't stick around.

2) Morris Almond, Rice: Haven't seen him play (be honest: who has ever seen a Rice game?) but I hear nothing but good things. He might be this year's version of Antoine Wright, a player at a small school who didn't get enough pub. If any one has seen him play, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

3) Jared Dudley, BC: This is a bit of a reach, as he's really an undersized four. But I always liked his hustle and rebounding ability.

by Skywalker on Jun 3, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Colour me among those firefox users who had to get creative in order to read the latest postings (I googled the name of the post and sifted through till I found Raptors HQ - it ain't pretty, but it works).

That said, I've got a newborn at home now, so it isn't like I couldn't use a friendlier interface to save me time! I'm sure it'll get fixed no problem.

Back to the topic though, I really dig the DJ Strawberry suggestion, as I think he could end up being a decent defender at the 2 spot.

Given that I was one of the losers who couldn't tell his Quinton's apart, I'll re-echo the suggestion that we pursue his defense for the team as well.

All in all, a modest development by Bargnani, and continued excellence by Bosh, with contributions from Ford, Calderone, etc., and its clear the team really doesn't need to necessarily go looking for an offensive weapon, especially when there are decent defensive options to consider.

If offense is the way to go, I've mentioned before I like Sun Yue late in the 2nd, or Marco Bellinelli late in the first, but as everyone knows, in both cases a trade is required to get the necessary pick.

Jasikevicius is definitely intriguing, as I've always wondered if he was being used correctly. He could be another steal if he is gettable cheap.

Some questions;

- If the Raps don't get a pick, can they sign un-drafted players as free-agents? For example, if Yue (or Strawberry) is left out of the draft for whatever reason (but has declared) can the Raps just sign him as a free-agent?

- I know this won't be a popular stance, but I've always sorta hated the name 'Raptors'. As a bird of prey reference it's kinda cool and nerdy in a way, but as a purple or red dinosaur it's pure Spielberg schlock. Once upon a time wasn't their the 'Toronto Towers' team? I could dig that, and I'm sure your readership here can suggest even better.

- Is Mo Pete done as a Raptor?

by Bedhead on Jun 4, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Considering that the first game in NBA history was between the NY Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies, I think many would agree that although it's not a flashy name, it should have been the name of the new Toronto franchise. But instead Bitove and co. turned their backs on that legacy and decided to run with a kid-friendly, Disney-happy-meal-theme-ride name that still makes my face go a little warm with embarrassment when I think about it.

by Commentatador on Jun 5, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

The Toronto Huskies!! That's good stuff, right there.

I e-mailed Chuck Swirsky a while back (when all the retro jerseys were becoming popular) and asked him what the likelihood of the Raptors using Huskies jereseys for their alternates was. He liked the idea and said he'd pass it on to mangement -___-

Still, it's a nice thought.

by Frank on Jun 5, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Firefox is working ^_^

by Frank on Jun 5, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

With regards to the uniform, I remember going to a Raptors vs Knicks game in their second season where they were sporting the old school white and blue Huskies jerseys. It was a really simple, classy uniform; especially compared to the white and purple uniforms with the big dinosaur logo that looked liked kids pyjamas.

While the current white and red uniform looks good and positions them as 'Canada's team,' I still cannot help but feel it has betrayed the roots of the history of basketball in the city in some way. Also, lets be serious, if the Blue Jays, Leafs and Argos are all blue and white, why do the Raptors have to mess around with all of this purple and now red nonsense? Where is the solidarity?

At the very least, I think the Raps should bust out the old Huskies jerseys a few times this year, and resist the urge to go to a third jersey that is black - just like so many other teams already have.

by Vincenzo Esposito on Jun 6, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Aren't the Jays' uniforms more black than blue these days? And, blue as they've been, haven't the Argos had about 6 different logos since the mid-80s?

I don't think our teams all have to have the same colours for solidarity... I like the red, white, and black theme the team has now. Would I go back in time and change the name? Surely... but now that it's been around this long I'm not sure a name change is a good idea.

by MattK on Jun 6, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

the raps dont need a pg like sarunas or taureen green, they need a sf who can slash to the basket and play defence, and they also need a big man who can rebound and defend like jamaal magloire. it would be cool to see him play for his hometown.

by mike on Jun 9, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions