An interesting piece from Sports Illustrated yesterday examining the bulk of this year's draft crop.
But not from a statistical perspective necessarily.
It's worth the read but if you're as swamped with draft content currently as I am, here are some of the more relevant pieces for Raptors' fans:
Jeremy Lamb, 6-5 guard, UConn: "That kid can really play. His facial appearance and body language makes it appear that he doesn't care, but he does. His body is no worse than Rip Hamilton's was. When he played for the under-19 team in Lithuania, it was a tough final game, and he was the best player on the floor. It wasn't even close. He had a tough year at UConn, but it's not his fault."
More after the jump...
Damian Lillard, 6-3 guard, Weber State: "He's the most unselfish scoring point guard I have ever seen. He's a great kid -- a great kid. He played more like a two in college, but he played on a team where if he didn't score 24 points, they wouldn't have won a game. Who was he supposed to pass to? He has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, like he's out to prove people wrong."
Kendall Marshall, 6-4 guard, North Carolina: "I don't think he's going to make a poor team a lot better, but if you put him on a team like Oklahoma City or Philadelphia, where he's surrounded by a bunch of athletes, then he can really make them better. He's not a bad shooter. If someone leaves him open, he can knock down a few jumpers. My concern about him is the other side of the ball. Will he be capable of defending quick point guards? He doesn't have great speed, but he knows how to play fast."
Austin Rivers, 6-3 guard, Duke: "My biggest concern with him is size. He's never going to be a pure point because it's not in his personality. He's a capable passer, but he hasn't been a willing passer. He's hard to play with, frankly, because he dominates the ball. It depends on who the coach is. I did not like what I saw at Duke. I thought he was spoiled and selfish. He's a streaky outside shooter, not a great one."
Dion Waiters, 6-4 guard, Syracuse: "I'm a big fan. He's Dwyane Wade-ish. I don't know if he's pure enough to be a two, but he's just a baller. And he definitely has a little toughness in him. The only drawback is he's a little small, but he's thick, and he's a surly guy. He'll be an East Coast version of Rodney Stuckey. I would take him over Jeremy Lamb five times a day."