The Raptors are bringing in four players for workouts at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday.
Here’s Raptorshq.com’s breakdown of the four prospects:
NATE DOORNEKAMP
Who is he? 7-footer who spent the last four years at Boston College.
Last Year: Averaged 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 30 games with BC
What Can He Do? Solid defender who can knock down the open jump shot. BC coaches raved about his passing ability. Will never be a big scorer.
The Bottom Line: Doornekamp is not an NBA prospect. It is highly doubtful that he will be drafted, let alone by the Raptors. He’ll probably play in Europe. This seems like a good PR move by the Raptors, considering that Doornekamp is a Canadian.
EDDY FOBBS
Who is he? 7-foot centre who spent the last five years at Sam Houston State. He redshirted in 2003-04 after undergoing knee surgery in August 2003.
Last Year: Averaged 9.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in 30 games. Chipped in with 68 blocks, which led the Southland Conference.
What Can He Do? Fobbs is a shot-blocker extraordinaire, holding all Sam Houston State records (game, season and career) in the category. That’s the skill that attracts NBA scouts. He is a decent rebounder, but is no Ben Wallace by any stretch of the imagination. His shooting range doesn’t extend much past the lane and he can’t be counted on in crunch time as his foul shooting is suspect (54% last year). He also has a tendency to get into foul trouble.
The Bottom Line: Fobbs might attract some attention late in the second round or as a free agent due to his shot-blocking skills. However, it is highly unlikely that he will be on an NBA roster next season. There are just too many holes in his game.
ROBERT ROTHBART
Who is he? 7-1, 225 pound center who turns 19 on June 16. He signed a letter-of-intent to play last season with Indiana University, but decided to bypass college and play professionally in Europe.
Last Year: Played for Paris Racing in the French Pro A League. Well, “played†is probably not the term to use. Saw one minute of action.
What Can He Do? From all reports, Rothbart has a full set of tools. He’s a decent shooter with range that might extend to the 3-point line in the future. He has good ballhandling skills and is a good passer for a man his size. With his length, he is a good help defender and can rebound well.
The problem with Rothbart is twofold: One, he hasn’t played against professionals yet. The skill set he showed was against mid-level high school competition. Remember, Ousmane Cisse looked like a baller in high school.
Who’s Ousmane Cisse, you ask? Well, he’s definitely not in the NBA and he’s definitely not the dude with the funky hair who many of you were introduced to in this week’s Champions League final (That would be Djibril Cisse).
More importantly, he needs to add strength and lots of it. His body type is very similar to Jonathan Bender when he came out of high school and it took him a few years to develop the strength to contribute. Moreover, Bender was much more polished at this stage of his career.
The Bottom Line: There’s no getting around the fact that Rothbart is a project. He needs to spend time working on his game and building up his body. However, he could pay dividends if his skill set is as advertised and he builds his body up to an NBA level. An intriguing potential choice for the Raptors at 58.
LUKE SCHENSCHER
Who is he? 7-foot Australian who spent the last four years at Georgia Tech.
Last Year: Averaged 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, along with 1.8 blocks in 32 games with the Yellow Jackets. Had a 7 point, 15 rebound, 5 block game against Virginia in January.
What Can He Do? Schenscher is a “long†player and that helps him as a shot blocker. He can score the ball around the basket, displaying a fine touch. He is also a solid rebounder.
On the other hand, Schenscher probably still needs to add some bulk. He put on 35 pounds while at Georgia Tech, but as an NBA centre, he’ll need to be bigger. He also has trouble putting the ball on the floor and doesn’t have a reliable jump shot as of yet.
The Bottom Line: There is a chance that Schenscher would be available for the Raptors in the second round. With the amount of talent in this draft, he would probably be a reach with their first second round pick, but might be worth a look at 58 or as a free agent.
- Jeff Chapman