NBA Draft 2017: Raptors hold first pre-draft workout today

It’s that time of year again: pre-draft workout season! The Raptors have the 23rd pick in this year’s NBA Draft and are already bringing in players for tryouts. If you happen to be walking by the BioSteel Centre today (like, right now!), you’ll hear the squeak of sneakers of this first group of hopefuls.

The names include:

Dylan Ennis, Guard, 6-2, Oregon

T.J. Williams, Guard, 6-3, Northeastern

Rawle Alkins, Guard, 6-5, Arizona

Jeremy Hollowell, Forward, 6-8, Georgia State

Rashawn Thomas, Forward, 6-8, Texas A&M C.C.

Tyler Lydon, Forward, 6-9, Syracuse

From Draft Express’ Top 100 prospect rankings, the prize of the group is Tyler Lydon from Syracuse, currently ranked at number 24 on the big list.

Lydon is listed at 6’10’’ on DX’s website (go figure), and at 21 years old averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 34 games last season. The number that jumps out, of course: 39 percent on three-pointers with 3.7 attempts per game. A big man who can shoot? Ring him up.

The rest of the prospects are slightly less promising. Rawle Alkins (great name) is in at no. 70, and the remainder are... not ranked. Shout out to Dylan Ennis though, a 25-year-old from Toronto, who is also a sixth-year senior. Get those shots up, my man.

Again: the NBA Draft is June 22nd — and it incredibly likely none of these players will be selected by Toronto.