NBA: Raptors Should be Aggressive in Tonight’s Draft

The Toronto Raptors have been stuck in a rut over the past few seasons but Al Dannity says there is value to be had in the 2012 NBA Draft. Here’s his breakdown of what the Raps need to do.

GMs aren’t always sensible
There have been countless mock drafts, many of which are researched with exceptional attention paid to every prospect. The problem with these mocks is that they all tend to presume NBA GMs are rational actors. We have seen enough bizarre picks in recent years to know that some big prospects could fall the way of the Raptors tonight. The #8 pick has been treated as a tradable asset but in truth it’s an opportunity for Toronto to bring some energy to the franchise.

Three picks, three chances
The Raps have the #8, #37, and #55 picks in the draft tonight. The excellent DraftExpress site currently has Toronto taking Austin Rivers with their first selection. That would be an easy choice for Toronto to make. While ostensibly a point guard, Rivers can also play at shooting guard, ensuring he can contribute significant minutes right away. Dion Waiters of Syracuse might also be available but Rivers is the gutsier pick here. The son of Doc Rivers possesses top five talent and would bring energy to the moribund Raptors offense.

What to do with the latter two picks is a mystery. To me the brave but unlikely move is to try and package both picks to move into a position to draft Jared Sullinger. Despite his health concerns, Sullinger is the second best talent in this draft and could be available towards the bottom of the first round. Staying put is far from an awful idea, the highly talented Darius Miller could be a bargain in the high end of the second round. With an already cosmopolitan roster, I’d like to see Toronto step in for a Euro-standout with their last pick. Leon Radosevic looks a stretch for me but I think Furkan Aldemir could still be on the board this late.

About that other guy
The biggest rookie impact for Toronto next season likely won’t come from this year’s draft. Jonas Valanciunas has done nothing but excel in Europe since being drafted fifth overall by the Raptors last year. The Lithuanian big man is a little light for a NBA center which is why I’d like to see a move to get Sullinger to pair with him. Valanciunas averaged 10.8 points and 7.6 rebounds en route to being named to the All-EuroCup team this past season. Couple that with his staggering success with the Lithuanian national team, who he led to the FIBA World Under 19 title last year, and you have a born winner arriving at a franchise that needs one.

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