It is never too early for mock drafts, especially for a team like the Toronto Raptors, who are in a rebuild.
Currently, Toronto is 8-27 and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. However, the Raptors are not that bad of a team. Injuries have truly derailed their season.
Regardless, this is their first full season embracing a youth movement. So, the expectation is to not focus on winning and to have their young core play together, but that simply has not happened yet.
In Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman has the Raptors selecting Rutgers’ Ace Bailey at No. 3.
This draft class is expected to be a highly talented one with Cooper Flagg as the projected No. 1 pick. Bailey is another name brought up in those conversations as a game-changing young talent.
Currently, the freshman is averaging 19.9 points and 7.7 rebounds on 48.5 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range.
Seeing how Toronto values its wings, Bailey fits that bill. As a 6’10” forward, it is an enticing skill set to possibly bring into the fold around Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett.
Wasserman compares Bailey to Brandon Miller and Michael Porter Jr. Toronto can never have enough shooting, a skill they have been targeting for years now. To have a scoring option who can shoot 45 percent off the dribble is a huge plus. Bailey is a capable scorer with or without the ball.
The Tennessee native is a more effective scorer when creating for himself. However, being able to play off Barnes, Barrett and Immanuel Quickley would be key, if he were to be drafted by the Raptors.
Immanuel Quickley’s return breathes new life into Raptors
This season has not been ideal for the Toronto Raptors given the amount of injuries they have had to deal with.
Fortunately, Immanuel Quickley made his long-awaited return to the lineup on Jan.1. Ultimately, it breathed new life into the Raptors as Quickley put up 21 points and 15 assists.
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