Draft season is nearing for the Toronto Raptors with the lottery looming.
The early expectation is Toronto will stay put at No. 7, but there is always a chance to move up in the draft order.
Regardless, there remains an opportunity to add another prospect to solidify the Raptors young core as they look to be competitive next season.
While Toronto’s top talent is strong, rounding out their bench will presumably be top of the list with either rookies or veterans.
The anticipation of knowing the draft order is mounting with the lottery taking place on May 12. In Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft, Kevin O’Connor has the Raptors falling back to No. 8 and selecting Texas forward Tre Johnson.
In 33 games as a freshman, the forward averaged 19.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 42.7 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three-point range.
Johnson possesses a 6’10” wingspan that allows him to get his shot off in tight spaces. In addition to being 6’6″, which is a bit unorthodox due to being a movement shooter with Texas.
However, a potential downside is Johnson’s defense, but he has the tools to be a capable defender. Plus, Toronto already has a fair amount of forwards already on the roster.
But, that did not concern them in previous seasons by overwhelming opponents with their length on the wing.
All in all, Johnson could certainly bring an offensive punch off the bench and maybe even step into a starting spot should injuries present themselves.
Areas of improvement for Tre Johnson
In today’s NBA, one-way players typically do not stick around for long. For Tre Johnson, his shooting ability as a 6’6″ forward is impressive.
That being considered, Johnson needs to expand his game and be more active as a rebounder as a forward and maybe even expand on his playmaking. Should his shooting translate, being able to make plays out of a double team or heavy contest would be vital.
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