And Then There Were Five

by RaptorsHQ - Archives on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT in NBA Draft

Like DeRozan, Johnson has some of the best "upside" in the draft...

This is why I love the NBA draft.

Two huge trades already, and we’ve still got another 48 hours to go!

I think from here on out though we’ll probably only see small manoeuvres, but that doesn’t mean the actual draft is going to be any less entertaining.

For instance, what impact does Minnesota grabbing the fifth pick from Washington have on the Raptors?

Well, at face value, the impact appears to be zilch. From all reports, it sounds like Minny is targeting three players at 5; Rubio, Evans and Thabeet, all of whom were slated to go well before nine anyways. The problem for Minnesota of course is that all three could easily be gone before they get their shot at any of them. If that’s the case, the Wolves will be looking at the likes of James Harden and Stephen Curry in all likelihood with their next two picks.

So again, no impact on Toronto right?

Not exactly.

What if with their top three choices gone, Minnesota suddenly takes a liking to Demar DeRozan?

Then things could really get interesting.

As I discussed with the HQ Associate last night, the dream scenario would be for players like Holiday and Flynn to now jump into the mix in the top 8, thus causing someone like a Harden or Evans to fall.

However the chances of that happening are probably about the same as Chris Bosh signing a contract extension in a few weeks.

So for now, let’s assume that DeRozan is in play at 9. Based on his discussion with the media yesterday afternoon, Bryan Colangelo has his draft-list narrowed to five players:

-Demar DeRozan
-Gerald Henderson
-Jrue Holiday
-Jonny Flynn
-James Johnson

No big surprise there.

We first broke this story regarding three of the options weeks ago and Henderson was a natural addition once he came to work out. Therefore prior to last week, my guess would have been that Toronto had their group ranked as follows:

1) DeRozan
2) Holiday
3) Henderson
4) Flynn

So what about James Johnson?

I personally think that the Raptors extensively scouted Johnson this past year, and that he was always on their radar. However it was only upon closer inspection, that they vaulted him into their top five. And even though he had a sub-par workout for the Dinos recently, something we recapped here, he must have shown enough to warrant a second look as the Raptors apparently brought him back for another look in the past few days.

Holiday returned as well for a last-second glimpse so again, you have to wonder just what the final order of Toronto’s top five will look like come Thursday.

I personally think Henderson and Flynn, my two favourites of the bunch, are sitting in seats 4 and 5 respectively, and that DeRozan is still the top gun, but really, it’s anyone’s guess how this plays out, especially now that Minny holds picks five and six and has a back-court of Sebastian Telfair and…um…me.

If the Wolves decide to swing for the fences on DeRozan (which personally would astound me based on the success of a recent "upside" pick in Corey Brewer), then I’ve got a feeling that James Johnson suddenly emerges as the top candidate. That would leave really throw the rest of the draft for a loop wouldn’t it?

In fact Draftexpress.com’s newest mock shows that scenario, and I have to say it looks to be pretty bang on.

But if James Johnson is now indeed top dog at 9, how does he stack up against the rest of the prospects?

Recently, everyone and their dog has been firing out various statistical analyses of this year’s draft prospects, so I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring. But instead of coming up with new metrics, I put together a sort of "mega-analysis," and combined key stats from John Hollinger and ESPN’s D.R.A.F.T. initiative, and those compiled by our friends at DraftExpress in their recent five-part positional series.

To see the result, you can click on this link which should open up a Google spreadsheet but first, let me explain my methodology.

For starters, I looked at only positions that were of interest to the Raptors in this draft. Therefore all centers were eliminated from the compilation.

Second, I eliminated the following top prospects, who seem a lock to be gone by the time Toronto drafts; Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, Hasheem Thabeet, and James Harden.

Then, I looked at only the remaining US college stars, as their stats were much more readily available and probably a lot more sturdy in terms of projecting off of (not to mention much more likely to be taken at 9 by Toronto.)

In terms of metrics, I also examined only stats that I felt were key to the Raptors this coming season. Therefore metrics like "points scored," "3-point attempts," "assists" and "free-throw percentage" I threw out the window. As you can see from the spreadsheet, I focussed solely on stats that spoke to areas of need for Toronto, and therefore statistics that would hopefully identify which players would be most beneficial to the Raptors in terms of upgrading key areas. These included:

-Free-throw attempts per possession (attempting to measure a player’s aggressiveness in terms of attacking the basket.)
-True-shooting percentage (attempting to measure a player’s true offensive efficiency by factoring in free-throw and 3-point shooting.)
-Assist to Turnover Ratio (classic measure of how well a player takes care of the ball and makes decisions with it)
-Rebounds per 40 Minutes (attempting to garner a player’s rebounding propensity)
-Steals and Blocks per 40 Minutes (not a perfect way to measure a player’s defensive abilities but does take some of these things in addition to athleticism, length etc, into consideration)
-PER – John Hollinger’s measure of a player’s value on the floor
-Hollinger Draft Rater – From ESPN’s analysis this score is a forecast of what level Hollinger expects a given prospect to produce at at the peak of their NBA production.

Finally, I applied these metrics and rules to a list of 30 players, all of whom had been graded by Draftexpress.com, and most of whom had been graded by Hollinger as well.

(For a full explanation of metrics, see this link.)

The results were quite interesting.

As per Hollinger’s article, his top prospect was Ty Lawson. Lawson also tested out extremely well using Draftexpress.com’s analysis and I truly believe that whoever drafts him, probably later in the first round, will have one of the more productive NBA players when we look back at this draft in a few years.

But for our purposes, I want to focus on the Raptors’ top five list to see how each shook out, starting with Mr. DeRozan.

To be honest, my analysis has DeRozan in a similar light as what John Hollinger reported about a week ago; there’s just nothing statistically that indicates that Demar will be a huge success in the NBA across my key metrics. He ranked right in the middle of the prospects I surveyed in terms of ability to get to the line (behind several less-mobile bigs in fact like DeJuan Blair and DeMarre Carroll), near the bottom of the group in true shooting percentage (and obvious red flag), had the fifth-worst assist-to-turnover ratio of the 30 prospects I surveyed, and while was slightly better in terms of rebounding, for someone so athletic his steals per 40 minutes and blocks per 40 minutes were quite poor. In fact his blocks per 40 were in the range of many of the point guards in my survey. Of the group he also posted the second worst PER.

Of course if Toronto is drafting DeRozan it’s on his upside and with only one year of college experience, one could argue that these stats don’t tell the whole story.

Therefore I did a compare of sorts, and matched DeRozan’s key metrics to those of another one-and-done athlete, Thaddeus Young. Unfortunately, Young’s stats surpassed those of DeRozan in virtually every area with the exception of blocks per 40 minutes, both sat at 0.5.

Jrue Holiday fared better than DeRozan, especially in the defensive metrics (his 2.3 steals per 40 minutes was one of the top marks in my group of 30), but he hardly blew anyone away either in many categories. Unfortunately, much like Rajon Rondo at Kentucky, it’s hard to take many of Holiday’s stats at face value because of the system he played in; it simply didn’t take advantage of his offensive abilities.

Jonny Flynn and Gerald Henderson tested out as the two top prospects of Toronto’s group of five and while their PER scores weren’t great, again, Syracuse’s zone and Duke’s "spread the floor" system probably factor in a lot here as well.

So what about James Johnson, the new dark horse option for Toronto at 9?

Unfortunately he wasn’t far from DeRozan in terms of under-performing in key areas.

His free-throw attempts per possession were fifth worst in my group of 30, and his assist to turnover ratio and steals per 40 minutes metrics ranked near the bottom of the pool as well.

The two areas Johnson did excel in however were rebounding and shot-blocking, and perhaps the thought from the Raptors’ brain-trust is that they can work on improving the rest of his game – these two traits are ones that would translate to the NBA right away. Johnson’s 9.9 boards per 40 minutes was behind only DeJuan Blair and Jordan Hill in my survey, and his 1.8 blocks per 40 ranked behind only the aforementioned Hill.

Conclusions to be drawn from all of this?

For me, I’d prefer if Toronto stayed away from both DeRozan and Johnson, the latter especially. I can see what Colangelo is thinking in that both players provide potential upgrades in size and or strength/athletic ability that this team sorely needs, but I’m just not sure their stats bear this out. For players who should have had the ability to create mismatches at the college level, this sure didn’t show through statistically and going into the bigger and stronger NBA, this has to be a concern.

Perhaps what really stood out to me from my analysis however wasn’t so much the pros and cons of top-rated prospects, but which players could be huge second-round sleepers in this draft. Here are a few notable names:

-Paul Harris posted incredible rebounding and free-throw attempt per possession metrics. His length and toughness at the 3 could be a great value in the second-round.
-Jerel McNeal continues to look like a high-value late option and his 2.2 steals per 40 minutes was one of the top marks defensively in the group of 30.
-Danny Green has all the statistical markers of a solid NBA pro for years to come. He contributes positively in almost every key stat and considering Toronto has brought him in for workouts now in two consecutive years, perhaps they take a flyer on him.
-Wes Matthews and Jermaine Taylor are two other players I’d love to see the Dinos snatch up late in the draft if possible. Matthews is an excellent athlete who overall put up some of the best metrics of any of the 30 players I examined. He’s a very solid defender in the Dahntay Jones mould, excels at getting to the line, and would be a cheap replacement in my opinion for Joey Graham, providing very similar skills.

Taylor tested out as one of the best athletes in the combine (his vertical was a shade under 38 inches) and reminds me a lot of Von Wafer. Both played under the radar for lesser-known schools, both can score at will and both have questions regarding defensive intensity and shot-selection.

Franchise would love to see Wes Matthews somehow end up in a Raptors' uniform on draft night...

Due to the parity in this draft, and the fact that many teams like Portland and Minnesota have excessive draft picks, perhaps Toronto can grab someone with a great deal of upside late in the process. Considering this economy, there’s very little risk in doing so as only after Summer League and Training Camp would the Raptors actually have to commit to such a player.

As a final note, we’ll be having our annual NBA Draft Party at Harbour Sports Grille here in Toronto tomorrow night. Howland will be holding down the fort himself this year as I will actually be attending the draft in New York, an incredibly exciting development made possible by media access via the Raptors and the NBA. Unfortunately due to work I’ll be missing today’s series of prospect interviews, but I’ll heading off to NYC tomorrow afternoon and blogging live from the actual event bringing all the Raptors-news and notes.

FRANCHISE

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Comments

Wow, great news for Raptors HQ. Well done and well deserved.

by Kdawg on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

HUGE NEWS! Agree with Kdawg, well deserved after all the work u guys have been putting in the last few years. Can't wait to see the results!

Also, agree on Johnson, nice breakdown. I still like DeRozan and Henderson but would love to see something crazy happen and Evans fall.

by lurker on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

The quality of these articles are astounding. What an excellent read. I’ve always been wary of Derozan and I’m still not convinced that he is a good pick at #9; I refuse to jump on the bandwagon. The same goes for Johnson although I’d pick him before DD.

The problem I have with Johnson is he weighs 257 and although he’s mobile, that’s still pretty heavy for a SF. JJ was already not the quickest athlete you’ve ever seen and since mid season he’s put on more weight and is up to 257, no thanks, not with the 9th pick anyway.

Flynn, Henderson, Johnson, Derozan & Holiday would be my order based on readiness to contribute today and upside. Upside alone means nothing to me; read this article and see where picking based on upside or positional needs alone gets you:
http://thesportcount.com/2009/06/24/the-10-worst-picks-of-the-last-10-years/

by Member29 on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

great news on the invite to draft night; CONGRATS.

by Member29 on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Franchise, Congrats on the well deserved invite to NYC for live coverage. I know where I will be glued tomorrow night while watching the draft.

I also would love to see the Raptors grab a 2nd 1st rounder, but that does not appear to be on the radar if we take Colangelo at face value.

I have a sneaking suspicion that someone will unexpectantly drop down to the Raps outside of the 5 they expect to see available. Mock drafts are exactly that, mock drafts, and teams take flyers on players they fall in love with from their own scouting. We know that Isiah with the Knicks was notorious for that, so let's hope we have a few more Isiah's out there in the GM role.

by Brian Gerstein on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

BREAKING NEWS:

Minnesota has added to it's arsenal of picks by acquiring the 5th pick in the draft from the wizards for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. The Timberwolves also get Songalia, Etan Thomas and Oleksiy Pecherov.

This gives the Wolves the 5th, 6th, 18th and 28th pick.

Can the raps now make a move for that 6th pick and possibly land Evans???? Hmmmmmmm..... I guess we'll wait and see.

by mcclarky on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

So here I think I've landed some breaking news... and post it BEFORE reading FRANCHISE's article.....ugh....I guess that's why you guys are the pros! Now if you'll excuse me I'll just slink away with my tail between my legs.

Great job FRANCHISE!

by mcclarky on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Breaking???? Franchise already referenced that trade early in the post. And dont think that changes a damn thing for TO.

I have no idea which way i want the rappies to go anymore.

I like most of these guys, havent seen them in college enough though, and with so many being only there for a year, who really knows right?

The stats are huge though, and while you cant go entirely with them, you cant just right them off either. Hollingers numbers the past few years were pretty bang on – especially for wings and big men.

by fromlongrange on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

I wouldn't say it's completely irrelevant to Toronto. For example, Minnesota may be more inclined to move a late round draft pick now that it has so many. Considering this is such a weak draft, that possibility certainly is out there.

by Vicious D on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Quick update:

Based on my interview with Jonathan Givony at Draftexpress Derozan seemed to be the guy but apparently the Raps are looking at Johnson quite seriously as he could immediately help the team, has great toughness (blackbelt and Junior Seau's cousin) and is more mature than DD. Given all the talk about toughness by BC this off-season, this pick makes sense. Johnson doesn't have as much potential but Draftexpress seems to believe this is the way the team is leaning.

They have Derozan going to NJ. If Derozan blows-up in NJ this could be a bitter pill to swallow a few seasons from now.

by HOWLAND on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

If Toronto really wants to rebuild, (and has decided that Bosh is really not going to stay) then this Minnesota trade could work out.

The Raps could trade Bosh and Hump to Minny for Jefferson, Brewer, Cardinal (expiring contract) and the 5th and 6th pick. That gives us an all-star centre (with sort of abum knee), an athletic swingman, and sizeable expiring contract, and three picks to re-shape this team. If he buys a late first round pick, even better.

Going into next season, our lineup would be YOUNG, but possibly quite talented.

Calderon
Holiday
Marion
Bargs
Jefferson

with

Reggie Evans
Corey Brewer
Carlos Delfino (or whatever we get for him if we ship him out)
Jordan Hill
Demar Derozan
Late 1st round pick (Casspi, Ellington, Earl Clark?)
With Doubi, Banks and Jawai to fill out the roster.

Again, though, this is not what I want to see happen, but just an option to be considered.

by Casey on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Taking Johnson over Derozan is simply a safer move. Johnson may never be more than a 7th or 8th guy but considering the depth on this team it's decided lack of toughness and rebounding it makes more sense to get Johnson. As I have said many times, they should skip all then noise and just draft the best player available and trade them for a pick later on to get what they want , say draft Henderson and trade him to Chicago for their pick and dump Bank's contract on them to boot or something along those lines(Chicago is actually rumoured to be looking to trade up to make sure they get henderson). I doubt anyone else will take a flyer on Johnson before 16 so why not milk the system in our favour. Worse case is that we are stuck with Henderson or whomever the best player is and is that really a bad thing?

by mcgateway on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Nice work on the draft access! That is going to be fun.

These draft blogs have been excellent buy man, none of these guys are really blowing my skirt up.

Hoping for a surprise move by bc, maybe involving a trade or trade down for an asset and off the radar pick. Bc sucks at drafting anyways...

by Axl on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

ESPN.com is reporting that a team in the East with a top 10 pick is looking to get their hands on Travis Outlaw.

Not sure it's the Raps, but I've been saying he'd be a great fit here for years now and would love to see Toronto move the ninth pick exchange for Outlaw and Portland’s late pick. Toronto would need to throw in some salary to make things work financially (there’s no way Portland would take Banks is there???) but this seems like a good match for both clubs. With the ninth pick, Portland could make a run at one of the point guards they covet and open up room for Fernandez in terms of playing time.

by Franchise on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Excellent article again! I've said before that the Hollinger type stats stuff generally baffles me, but, it does seem that everything points to DeRozan being a huge risk. I'd stay away. I'm also confused by his so called upside. What is this based on? Doesn't seem to be based on any type of in game, on court measurement that anyone can come up with - as evidenced by the stats that you and people like Hollinger are coming up with. Athletic ability? Leaping ability? That doesn't cut it for me.

I think BC might be doing a little misdirection. I think Holiday is his guy, but he's trying to drive up DeRozan's value. Let's hope it works.

by Silverback on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Whoa, Outlaw? I may be getting my wish...

by axl on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Outlaw would be great... and if BC could somehow get Bayless too...

But Outlaw and a late 1st would be decent for the 9th pick... I would want Portland to take a bad contract though...

by lessthanzero on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

oh boy, i hope that eastern conference team that wants travis outlaw is the raptors, but it was said in the bleacher report that the plan would be for outlaw to run out and score... with the report that darko could be on his way to the knicks for quentin richardson, and given d'antoni's system, and new york as an eastern conference team with a pick in the top 10, all signs point to new york as the team that wants travis outlaw.

by ted c on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Are you sure it wasn't a trade for Bo Outlaw? That would seem to be in line with the Raps bad luck when it comes to player movement history.

by McGateway on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Ted C - Yeah, the Knicks were the other team that made sense to me in that top 10 - and WHO KNOWS what they'll do.

Pretty exciting though right now as the ninth pick is so up in the air. We might not know until Stern actually gets up there and calls it out, something that's unusual in this media day and age.

by Franchise on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Oh Chad Ford just doesn't seem to get it:

ryan (ns)
Chad, what does Bryan Colangelo have up his sleeve? Any chance he tries to move up for Evans?

Chad Ford
He might ... he could use Jose Calderon as a chip. Sounds like they're starting to cool toward DeRozan ... at least that's the buzz today. Seems like Holiday or James Johnson now.

Move Jose for a more inexperienced backcourt? Apparently he didn't listed to BC's press conference at the end of the year.

by HOWLAND on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

One more question regarding trading down in the draft. I have heard some good things about Brandon Jennings (including that he is actually better than Rubio right now) and I swore I saw a DraftExpress listing that had him as a top 5 or 6 prospect (talent wise) in the draft. Now granted, things change but I am suprised that we haven't been at least taking a look at him as a possible player the Raps could target (especially if they trade down). Am I misinformed about his abilities? I get the impression that he is being punished somewhat for chosing to play pro ball in Europe rather than go through the US system. Am I missing something?

by McGateway on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

What's the deal with DraftExpress? Are they seriously thinking that we would pass up the next Bosh to get the next Ryan Gomes? Are they for real?

by Zona on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

McGateway: you are missing out the fact that Jennings could not play in a league where Calderon was a star. So it is not a punishment, the guy seems to be a project and maybe a very hyped one at this stage.

by renato on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

So what IS the deal with BC giving a presser discussing his top picks? Misdirection? Cause hype over guys he wants out of the way?

It just seems counter intuitive to tip your hand to your decision making process unless you have alterior motives and a backdoor plan.

Man I can't wait for this draft!

by mcclarky on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Zona, I agree, I would pick Jordan Hill in a heart beat over our current 5 if he's still available.

by Member29 on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

From here on in, I think it's going to be real interesting to see how Colangelo & Company 'exploit' the draft.

Caution: 'Leggo-Master at Work'

by JENGE on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Clearly a wise choice. Jordan Hill is like getting MJ plus Grant Hill, all in one!

by d on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

By the way, is there any way of going back into the archives to check out posts from previous drafts? It would be good to look at the posts from the last 4 or 5 drafts from the day before and after, not only to see the articles but also to see peoples calls on players who've now stepped up or down...

by d on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

All the talk about Johnson really scares me because it feels like we're picking based on needs rather than basketball talent. At least with Derozan, you look at his upside if he develops in a year or two, but Johnson seems to be a known quantity that will not make a big difference on this Raps club.

I am seriously hoping that a clear cut pick drops to Toronto at 9 (like Jordan Hill, Evans or Harden) because I can already hear BC giving excuses as to why his #9 pick is only averaging a couple of points a game and sitting on the bench with DNP-CDs.

In an ideal world we see this pick moved with cap filler for Outlaw and Portland's late pick. Then we don't have to sign Marion and can either let him walk or sign/trade him for a more pressing need.

Rob

by 2nd Raps fan in LA on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Talk is Crawford to Hawks for Law and Claxton?!?

Can the Raps not offer more?

If the Warriors think Law can be their PG, who do they draft?

This is a big wrench being thrown in to the draft mix...

by lessthanzero on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

If that's what the Warriors are willing to accept for Crawford, then BC needs to make a call. They need some size, more than guards, so why not put together a package involving Hump.

Crawford would be ideal on this Raps team, and he's only under contract for a couple of more years.

Rob

by 2nd Raps fan in LA on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

crawford to atlanta BC where are u please ...

by mobchester on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

i believe the raps are seriously looking at james johnson because not only is he a three (which we need especially if marion can not be signed) but more importantly he can also play the 4, in case bosh decides to leave and is traded. if we trade bosh it wont be for centered around a skilled pf as bosh is as good as it gets, so were likely trading him for either a 2 or a 3. that would mean johnson can be pushed to the 4 position in case bosh leaves. if bosh doesnt, well for at least this coming season, then james johnson can play the 3 behind marion or marion may be traded for a 2 this year, which makes johnson an ideal pick. if jordan hill is available then he should be the pick but he is likely going ahead of us which makes johnson the obvious choice.

demar d is a project, and if we select him we are expecting him to play alongside marion, bosh, calds, and bargs, but because of marions uncertain future with the raps, and bosh likely to move next year that would involve a trade which centers around either a good sg or sf, it would be hard to find him a position if heès still learning the ropes of the nba.

this is why BC and co. is leaning towards james johnson because of his ability to play both sf and pf, both positions uncertain for the raps. but if he does look to grab johnson then i hope he looks to trade down.

by tea time on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Wow, just saw the Hawks move. Again, this is the problem with the contracts BC has taken on - he's got virtually no small pieces that he can package to clear space.

Anyone want to take Marcus Banks?

How about Kris Humphries?

Didn't think so.

Then beyond that, we get into all random spare parts like O'Bryant and Douby...yuck.

What a steal for ATL though - and that puts the pressure on Bibby's agent to ask for a decent deal because they could play Crawford at the 1 in a pinch.

Great move.

As for past draft pieces, on the home page, near the RSS feed on the upper right, there is a RaptorsHQ Archives Section. Click that, and then on the "Draft" section, that should do it.

I like Jennings, but it sounds like BC has put guys like him and Terrence Williams out of the running.

And Zona - saw that too on Draftexpress. I like Gomes, BUT AT NINE?? Hopefully BC has some tricks up his sleeve, because right now, his peers seem to be making off like bandits.

by Franchise on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Just watched James Johnson's workout with the Bobcats last week and I stand corrected; yes he weighed in at 257 but dang that guy can move. He's easily a SF, strong,surprisingly quick and decent looking shot. I'm not jumping on the JJ bandwagon but I didn't realize he had that many tools.

Know I understand why we're hearing he's a top choice for us. I never saw him play in college so I really didn't know; he looked like he's make a excellent SF in that work out last week, i'm impressed.

by Member29 on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

still wouldn't pick JJ at 9 tho. He surprised me in the workout video but frankly, he a 15-20 pick imo.

by Member29 on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Can anyone explain to me how Johnson vaulted ahead of Earl Clark in the SF who can also play the PF spot conversation.

Clark may lack a little bit of intensity, but at least he and T. Williams helped lead Louisville deep in the NCAA tourney; Johnson combined with Aminu and Teague to help Wake Forest to get bounced in the first round by Cleveland friggin state. (I'm still bitter because Wake was an elite 8 pick for yours truly)

So, Franchise, what makes Johnson a better pick than Earl Clark, or Sam Young for that matter???

Rob

by 2nd Raps fan in LA on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

The quality and depth of this blog is outstanding - the best I have seen among sports blogs! Constructive and intelligent commentary, instead of "(insert name here) sucks" - common on some other blogs - is greatly appreciated. It's not hard to understand why the Raptors have given you guys media access.

by DC on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

In my view the difference between Johnson and Clark is intensity and toughness. Both are good defenders but Johnson tends to be more consistent with what he brings.

That being said what is a little concerning is that both players will be trying to make a transition to the 3 similar to Joey Graham.

by HOWLAND on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Howland, you bring up a very salient point: Joey Graham. In a sense, aren't we just drafting the next Joey Graham by picking Johnson. Wouldn't this team be better served by picking a back-up PG like Jennings, Flynn or Holiday than an arguably lesser player to fill a need???

Rob

by 2nd Raps fan in LA on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

DeRozan is the next Joey Graham - all kinds of athletic talent + long wait for them to consistently use it.

by robertr on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

From ESPN:

The Portland Trail Blazers acquired the 22nd pick in Thursday's NBA draft from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the 24th and 56th picks in this year's draft, and worst of their second round picks in 2010.

Why isn't BC making these tpye of moves? Looking at who might be available in round 2. Green , Ellington when to a big time program, played in big games, won a championship. I would rather have those type of players as 8, 9, 10th man off the bench than what the raps currently have.
Hope BC gets busy

by taylor on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

My impression regarding the recent developments is that BC is

1) trying to disguise the Raptors' real intention, which is to draft DeRozan; and

2) preparing for a scenario where DeRozan is already taken.

Sounds like Flynn may be selected as high as fourth, so my earlier recommendations are up in smoke. I expect the Raps to take DeRozan unless Tyreke Evans somehow falls into their laps.

Howland, hope to see you tomorrow! I've got a company function to attend, but it shouldn't go too late.

by Skywalker on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

The Outlaw rumour is absolutely tantalizing! Franchise you have definately called that one out for a while (Outlaw being a great fit here) and I have been aligned with you on this since day one. Also, you're absolutely right, it makes perfect sense for the Blazers as well as they have a glut at his position. Get Outlaw, Marion in a sign and trade for a shooting guard, and the Raptors are climbing out of their hole. Keeping my fingers crossed...

by MAS on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Wow - trades coming in fast and furious now.

The Shaq rumour had been around for a minute but damn!

by Franchise on Jun 25, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

BC has to have something up his sleeve,too much happening,and we are on the outside looking in...Outlaw !!! now we are talking.
Hours before the curtain falls,I'm still throwing names around,I'm sure just like the rest of us.
I am leaning towards Henderson because he can play both offence and defence right now.
At this point,I have to wonder how much of a smoke screen BC sent out there !!
Hang on to your ass,I'm hoping it will be a great ride that can bring some hope back to the camp.
Have fun at MSG boys !!!

by d279 on Jun 25, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions