Raptors Draft Week

Let’s take a look at the Raptors off season, and so far only one real move. That was the trade acquiring Reggie Evans for Jason Kapono. There are two things I like about this trade. First off, Bryan Colangelo does not fall in love with his moves to the point that he won’t change direction. Kapono was a big free agent signing for the Raptors, but it simply has not worked out unless you’re big on getting a Raptor into the skills competition.

The Raptors are not a drive to the basket, bang inside kind of team, so the openings for Kapono outside do not exist. Without his shot fitting naturally into the offense, there really isn’t a big role for him here since his defense is a liability and he can not create his own shot. Bryan knows this and was very fortunate to be able to move Kapono for a piece that the Raptors can really use.

In picking up Reggie Evans, they get a bit of a Charles Oakley light. A number that doesn’t look impressive is the 4.6 rebounds per game, but when you realize that Evans only played 14.4 minutes a game last year that’s not a bad number at all. Numbers aside, the best thing about Evans is that he’s not liked by the other players in the NBA and that is a good thing. What Evans brings is a grit that will make the Raptors a lot less easy to play against. He is also respected for his work ethic so he will not be afraid to speak up in the locker room if one of the boys are dogging it. Make no mistake about it, Evans is not going to be a star player on the Raptors, but he is a real step in the right direction. It also helps that he gives the Raps a bit more salary flexibility.

One thing we will be able to learn on draft night is what the Raps think of Calderon and Ukic. Calderon is a good point guard who takes care of the ball and can be trusted to run the offense. He is adequate as a starter, but is not really an all star. The only concern I have is his tendency to pick up nagging injuries. That brings us to Ukic and whether the Raps brain trust believes that he can handle the back up roll and be a fill in starter. If they are high on Ukic they do not need to address the point guard spot with their first pick in the draft. If they have concerns, then a player like Brandon Jennings or Jonny Flynn might be in their sites. Picking one of these two players won’t help the Raps much next year, but either could be their point guard of the future if that’s there long term plan.

If the Raps are willing to roll the dice with Calderon and Ukic, I see them looking at trying to fill their need to get more out of the 2/3 positions. At their draft spot, DeMar DeRozan would be a great pick if he’s still available. Since DeRozan may be gone when the Raps pick, another possibility with more immediate help but less upside is Gerald Henderson. He will be available when the Raps pick and they might even be able to slide down a few spots if he’s their choice.

One name that I’ve been seeing slip down some draft boards is Jordan Hill. If he’s available when the Raps pick they’d have to toss all the other plans to the side and snap him up. Being able to snare Hill would also help the Raps in position for the post CB4 era which I think is where that issue will play out.

The other piece to watch is what happens with Marion. Will the Raps be able to sign him to a reasonable contract and go with a Bosh/Bargnani/Marion front court, or what can they engineer with a trade? The key for this season is to get all the questions answered early and let Triano know what he’s dealing with from day one of training camp. If the team starts well the Bosh questions can be put to the side, but if the team falters out of the gate the Bosh questions will start immediately and the season could get ugly real quickly.

For draft night, my sense is that the Raps would love to get DeMar DeRozan and that they are more likely to slide back in this draft if their target player(s) are not available then they are to move up.