The ping pong balls weren’t kind to the Toronto Raptors as they fell to No. 9 in the draft lottery order.
The Raptors will now have to focus on the middle of the draft lottery and hope to hit on a solid pick.
Even though the Raptors weren’t able to get into the top-5 in what’s considered a top-heavy draft, there are still some intriguing prospects that they can take.
In ESPN’s first post-lottery mock draft Jonthan Givony and Jeremy Woo have the Raptors taking Collin Murray-Boyles of South Carolina at the 9th spot.
Murray-Boyles is a power forward/center who averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 58.6 percent shooting as a sophomore this past season.
Woo gave his scouting report on Murray-Boyles:
“Murray-Boyles has been of interest to NBA teams for the past couple of seasons, with his statistical profile holding strong appeal in analytics models and the eye test backing much of that performance. Though undersized for his position, his toughness, play finishing, passing and defensive chops are attractive.
Teams will be particularly eager to see how Murray-Boyles shoots in workout settings, with the 3-point shot not yet a regular part of his arsenal but a key swing skill in his development. There is plug-and-play appeal in the things he already does well.”
Woo also speculated his fit with the Raptors:
“Toronto has begun to shift out of its multiyear rebuild, as signaled by the acquisition of Brandon Ingram at the February trade deadline. Scottie Barnes remains the team’s primary cornerstone, and this pick gives the Raptors one more opportunity to swing on a top-10 talent before potentially upping the ante and pushing for a playoff berth moving forward.
Murray-Boyles would give them a true power forward who would enhance lineups defensively on a roster otherwise full of scorers.”
Murray-Boyles would fit in well with the Raptors’ second unit. His offense seems a little limited, but it’s the other parts of his game like his passing and defense that are worth taking a further look at.
The Raptors will have an important decision to make here as they look to add another good young prospect to their team that will be expected to compete next season.
Raptors fall to No. 9 in NBA Draft Lottery
The ping pong balls did not fall the Toronto Raptors way.
The Raptors fell to No. 9 despite entering the lottery with a 19.7 percent chance to stay at No. 7. This is a disappointing result for the Raptors who had their eyes on moving up in a draft that is top-heavy.
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