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With the NBA draft two weeks away, the Toronto Raptors are roughly halfway through their player evaluations – and not all that closer to pinning down exactly whom they plan to pick with the 17th overall selection.
The good news is that as players have filtered through – the Raptors will be conducting their third of likely six group workouts at the Air Canada Centre tomorrow – the one aspect of the draft that is clearer than ever is that the club is confident this year's crop is deep in NBA prospects.
“We think we're going to get a good player there,” club president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said.
The problem is they're just not sure who will be available. “The picture changes every day as we sort through more information,” Colangelo said.
One player whom the Raptors were hoping to see, but won't be coming to the workout today, as scheduled, is Darrell Arthur. The Kansas power forward pulled out of the workout with a hamstring problem.
Another player who has been closely linked to the Raptors – on the Internet mock draft boards at least – is Syracuse forward Donte Greene, leading to some speculation that his agent received a promise that the Raptors would take him, a condition Raptors sources deny.
Greene, a 6-foot-10 forward with strong shooting and scoring skills, is expected to work out in Toronto next week. One league source described Greene as a player with considerable potential, but one who probably relies too heavily on his perimeter shooting at the expense of other aspects of his game.
According to league sources, it's expected the pool of players likely available, and of interest to the Raptors if they choose to add depth to their frontcourt, would include JaVale McGee, an athletic seven-foot sophomore from the University of Nevada who is considered a bit of sleeper; Robin Lopez, a seven-footer from Stanford noted for his defence; Marreese Speights, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore from Florida; and Alexis Ajinca, a seven-foot, 220-pound forward from France with superior shooting and shot-blocking skills.
If the decision is to go with a wing, the Raptors' list would likely include Nicolas Batum, a 6-foot-8 19-year-old from France, Chris Douglas-Roberts from Memphis and Brandon Rush from Kansas, in addition to Greene.
