Ed Davis, PF, University of North Carolina

Comparison of his two college years

As expected, his scoring went up. But it’s also interesting to see his FG% rise significantly – you would think he would have received much better looks the year before. He was got to the line much more often. The best stat is his personal foul rate – only 2.6 per 40 min. Outstanding given that he also recorded 4.0 blocks per 40. Besides being out with an injury, did he really have that worse a season?!

Against Aldrich and Patterson

In the draft class
#3 in Def Rebounds (per 40) behind Aldrich and Cousins
#5 in Tot Rebounds (per 40)
#8 in FG%

Against Aldrich and Patterson?

His numbers stack up quite well against the two: Mr. Davis gets to the line more often, rebounds well and has the best block-to-PF ratio (1.54) of the three. We’ll take it.

Source: Most of the Per 40 min data as well as measurements are from draftexpress.com

It has taken me almost two days to start to make sense of what transpired Thursday Night in New York City at the 2010 NBA Draft. Going into the draft, when asked for comment, I had told the crew at DIME Magazine:

“The Raptors are at a defining moment in their franchise’s 15 year history. Do they let Bosh walk, trade guys like Turkoglu and Calderon and rebuild around a core of Bargnani, DeRozan, Amir Johnson, and the #13 pick? Do they draft a “NBA ready player” , trade one of their point guards, take on some salary and try to rework the existing roster to remain competitive with or without Bosh? Or do they go all in and try to retool by moving the #13 pick and one of Calderon, Turkoglu or DeRozan in a play to land another big name player to impress Chris Bosh and convince him to stay- to try and make a run at the East. Whatever their decision is, their selection on Draft Night will be a good indicator of their path moving forward.”

Now, just three days later, its hard to imagine anything being less true. The fact is that we can’t read anything into the Raptors drafting Ed Davis. They had to pick him. When he slipped to #13, the team would have been crazy to have picked Patrick Patterson over him, as many sites are suggesting that a) they should have or b) they were going to. That’s like picking Okafor over Dwight Howard, and well, six years on, we see how that has turned out. The Raptors got lucky, very lucky. Davis dropped (for a number of reasons- none of which are legit) and they were the lucky recipients.

Again, when the boys at DIME asked me to comment on what transpired at the draft, I told them:

“If at No. 13, you can draft a guy who can crack your rotation off the bench, you are doing well. If you can draft a starter, you have done real well. If you can draft an All-Star, you have won the Draft. Ed Davis has All-Star potential….Rebounder, shot-blocker, explosive…this is a home run at No. 13.”

For the Raptors brass, it was a no brainer. Davis was easily the best player on the board and it would have been a huge mistake to have passed on him. If you follow the theory of drafting by tiers –as Chad Ford suggests many teams do: Davis is in a different tier from everybody else available at 13.

I mean, Luke Babbit also dropped and what no one is talking about is how Colangelo didn’t draft Babbit, who by the way is the prototypical Colangelo player. Instead for some bizarre reason Raptors fans are actually bad mouthing him and this pick? I mean, media guys in this city who are bad mouthing this pick should have their press passes and credentials taken away. Now, I understand that some will say that basketball media in Toronto commenting on the NBA draft is like Hockey media in Anaheim commenting on the NHL draft – but here’s the thing that’s different – the fans. Raptors fans are very intelligent fans who know a lot about the team, the players, and the sport. It’s embarrassing at times to read some of the stuff being written about Colangelo and Davis right now.

The Raptors did not draft Davis to replace Bosh and drafting Davis does not mean that Bosh is on his way out. It doesn’t mean that the Bosh to LA for Bynum talks are dead or that Colangelo will now sign and trade Bosh for a point guard. It also doesn’t provide any insight into whether or not Turkoglu is staying and it in no way is any indication that the Raptors are happy with their point guard selection. They drafted Davis because he was the best player on the board. Plain and simple.

So I say, kudos to BC for making the best choice possible for this franchise moving forward. I just wouldn’t read too much into it.

As always, standing in the key, I’m the Doctor. I’ve got my feet planted and I’m planning on taking a charge.

phdsteve

The top four picks were as predicted and then the Warriors took Ekpe Udoh, a guy whose stock shot up during the workouts. As his name was called, the Big Board’s dreams were shattered and it was now all about whether the Raptors would go for the much-bandied about likes of Paul George, Patrick Patterson, and of course, Avery Bradley. That line of thinking didn’t factor in North Carolina’s Ed Davis being available at the edge of the lottery.

The selection of Davis was an easy decision since it was almost remarkable that he was available this late. Why did his stock drop? Three reasons:

1. A poor season at North Carolina which had lost three starters from the year before.
2. A broken wrist that saw him miss the last six weeks of the season for a total of 13 games, an injury he himself described as not being 100% healed.
3. The Clippers, Jazz, Pacers, Hornets and Grizzlies didn’t have too great of a need for a big man, with Griffin, Millsap, Hibbert/Hansbrough, Okafor, and Gasol/Thabeet, already on the respective rosters.

So as much as his stock dropped because of his injury and play at Chapel Hill, the needs of the teams drafting ahead of the Raptors had an equal say in how things transpired. As Steve noted in his live blog, anytime a player who is slated to be a top ten or a top five pick in any draft (as Davis was last year) falls into your lap, you take the chance to grab him. Of course, for every Ed Davis there’s a Willie Warren (taken 54th by the Clippers after being projected top ten last year), so I suppose we’ll see how things will pan out, but taking the best player available (which Davis arguably was) is a pretty safe move to both, please the fans and prevent second-guessing later on. Jay Triano also expressed his surprise at Davis being available:

“We didn’t think he’d be available at 13, we thought he would be long gone, to have him keep sliding, we kept crossing our fingers that he’d keep sliding one more, one more, and he falls right into our lap, which was great,” Triano said.

Full interviews: Ed Davis :: Jay Triano :: Bryan Colangelo

After his season-ending injury, Draft Express did a complete review of his game which is worth a read. According to Doug Smith, Davis was drafted to replace Chris Bosh; although that’s what common sense would dictate, the feeling one’s getting from the Bosh camp is that he’s at least more likely to return than he was, say, a few weeks ago. In his post-draft interview, Davis was quoted as saying that Chris Bosh is his favorite player which is quite ironic in more than one sense.

“My favourite player Chris Bosh plays there. He’s a lefty, 6-11, he can shoot it, he’s just a good all-around power forward, top three best power forwards in the game right now, just a great player to model my game after,” said Davis.

Speaking of Bosh, Colangelo addressed the drafting of Davis in the context of Bosh’s free-agency:

“The scenario with Ed Being there, obviously a little bit of a surprise….with the uncertainity of the PF and C position, free agency looming for Chris Bosh, Amir Johnson, Rasho Nesterovic, Patrick O’Bryant, this is a nice surprise….a lot needs to play out in the coming weeks. I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’m confident that Chris is coming back. That’s why the selection of Ed Davis at this spot is one that looks to be the right piece.”

After a workout with the Pacers, Davis had choice words about his critics who maintain that he’s not ready to contribute at the NBA level. Some quotes from the linked article:

“When it comes to long and athletic big men, I’m the best in the draft,” Davis said after working out for the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon. “Whatever team drafts me, I’m going to play up to my potential.”

“People think I can’t shoot,” he said. “I have a nice jump shot and nice touch around the basket; so guys have to respect that . . . I’ll continue to get stronger, but I’m not saying I want to put on 20 pounds.”

The scouting report, according to some, is that it may take time for Davis to be a regular contributor. “Those guys, they do their job, they’re not coaches and they do mock drafts for a reason,” Davis said. “If the coaching staff feels I need to wait or I can play right away, that’s what I go by. Their opinion doesn’t mean anything.”

Obviously, confidence isn’t a problem and it’s good to have a player on the team who feels he’s been sold short and wants to prove people wrong. It’s a sharp contrast than drafting DeMar DeRozan last year, a guy who came in highly touted, was handed the starters job, and although played well enough for a rookie, never took full advantage of his minutes or the lack of depth at shooting guard position. As with most big men, his offensive game will take time to come along and miracles shouldn’t be expected. However, all that doesn’t really matter and can wait because it’s his work-ethic and defensive approach that will define his rookie season. We didn’t draft Ed Davis so he could score points for us, we drafted Ed Davis because he’s a big guy with great rebounding ability, good defensive fundamentals and a high basketball IQ.

So what happened to Avery Bradley? Well, Danny Ainge took him which worries me. Earlier in the workout process Ainge was asked about the process of drafting Rajon Rondo. Ainge’s response spoke of the mental and physical toughness that Boston was seeking, words which is like music to my ears except the Boston part. When the picked Bradley, the above linked clip immediately flashed in my mind, and when they showed the defensive highlight pack of Bradley on ESPN, a feeling of regret took over.

Davis is undoubtedly the player with the greater potential , but there is something to be said for drafting a complete defensive hound, and it would’ve been nice to see the Raptors finally put their money where their mouth is and actually but a pick (like we’ve been told a million times) and get two first-rounders. As delighted as one is to have someone of Ed Davis caliber/potential on the team, the feeling is accompanied by that of a missed opportunity in the form of Avery Bradley.

We didn’t get Bradley, but we did get Solomon Alabi, who trained at Coach David Thorpe’s Pro Training Center. In Steve’s recent interview with Thorpe, the coach goes into a detailed analysis of Alabi which is a good listen.

The first thing you notice about Alabi is that he’s 7’1” and has successfully added weight to his frame over the last two seasons. He’s a center who plays like a center (i.e., in the post) but remains very raw with many scouting reports describing him as “mechanical”. As usual, Draft Express’ take should be read:

According to Synergy Sports Technology, Alabi has received roughly 50% of his possessions in the post this season. Though he remains very raw in regards to his ability to score from the block, and is unlikely to ever emerge as a huge scoring presence, he continues to show flashes of potential. Alabi is slowly learning how to use his size to his advantage, but hasn’t been quite as efficient from the block as he was last season, still has lapses, and looks extremely mechanical with certain moves. He needs to continue to improve his footwork, expand the range of his moves, try to develop a softer touch, become quicker and more assertive on the block, and develop a wider base and better lower body strength to establish deeper post position.

That paragraph could easily be used to describe Nathan Jawai which is scary, but since the pick comes basically free, it’s no harm no foul. By the way, Masai Ujiri’s hands are all over this trade with Dallas which sees us send a future second round pick and some cash.

As the Raptors only had two big men under contract at the end of the season, going big in the draft made sense. Moving up a couple picks to get Ekpe Udoh could’ve been a great option, but as things turned out, Udoh’s stock was out of the Raptors reach. According to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, the Raptors had keen interest in Paul George, but Indiana’s selection caught everybody by surprise, including George’s people. Such is how the draft works.

Is there a log-jam of bigs? No, assuming Bosh and Johnson re-sign, we’d have five bigs on the roster: Chris Bosh, Amir Johnson, Reggie Evans, Ed Davis, and Solomon Alabi. Last year we also had five: Johnson, Evans, Bosh, O’Bryant and Rasho, so the two selections don’t necessarily mean replacement for either Bosh or Johnson, as is being discussed on the forums. Triano also addressed this issue:

“When you look at the free agents that we have with Chris Bosh, Amir Johnson, Patrick O’Bryant, Rasho Nesterovic — that’s four bigs,” he added. “The fact that we got a big was great. Regardless of who signs, and who comes back and who plays, he’s a big body and he’s athletic and he fits the trend that the NBA is starting to move towards.”

Two moves on the night for the Raptors. Are there more to come, let’s just hope this one about the Magic calling Colangelo about Turkoglu is true.

So what’s Chris Bosh’s reaction to all this? He made a couple tweets, none of them regarding the Raptors or the guy they drafted who happens to play his position:

Congrats to Damion James a.k.a. “Big Freshman”! I remember when he first got to high school….

Just woke up. Watching the #NBADraft. I thought there would be more movement. We’ll see….

Thanks to the folks who came out for a night of good fun at Sports Centre Cafe, and to the hordes who visited the live chat. You keep the Republic Rocking.

The TrueHoop Network is doing its annual Mock Draft, thought we’d share what’s going on so far. We here at RR are banking on Steve to call it two years in a row and are picking Avery Bradley with the 13th pick. The reasons have already been given and he’s also made it to our Big Board. Here’s what’s happening so far, you can click on the blog name for some analysis other than the one-liners included here.

1. Washington: John Wall, Truth About It. It’ll be so much fun watching Gilbert ride the pine, I can already imagine the quotables.
2. Philadelphia: Evan Turner, Philadunkia. Raptor fans, you know what this means, right? Yes, Andre Iguodala will be traded.
3. New Jersey: Derrick Favors, Nets Are Scorching. Flirting with the worst record in NBA history. Unbelievably long losing streaks. Fired coaches. Fans wearing garbage bags. All that for Derrick Favors? Doesn’t seem fair.
4. Minnesota: Wesley Johnson, A Wolf Among Wolves. Why would you draft Wesley Johnson when you just got done suffering through years of Rodney Carney?
5. Sacramento: DeMarcus Cousins, Cowbell Kingdom. They’re drafting Taj Gibson 2.0.
6. Golden State: Greg Monroe, WarriorsWorld.net. Draft Express lists one of his weaknesses as “unorthodox style” and one of his strengths as “left handed”. I once knew a left-handed guy with an unorthodox style, his name was Keon Clark.
7. Detroit: Ekpe Udoh, Piston Powered. The Pistons had to come along and screw everything up, they just couldn’t let Udoh drop to the Raptors so we could draft a better defensive player than Amir Johnson at 1/4th of the price.
8. L.A. Clippers: Al-Farouq Aminu, ClipperBlog. Our source inside the league office informs us that David Stern is “seriously considering” sending the Clippers to the D-League and promoting the Idaho Stampede.
9. Utah: Xavier Henry, Salt City Hoops. The X-Man nickname in 3…2…1…
10. Indiana: Paul George, Eight Points, Nine Seconds. I guess this is the end of Brandon Rush.
11. New Orleans: Cole Aldrich, Hornets247. A bit high to draft a garbage man, no?
12. Memphis: Ed Davis, 3 Shades of Blue. They’re drafting a defensive-minded big man when they already have Hasheem Thabeet, that’s like trading for Sasha Vujacic when you already have Marco Belinelli.
13. Toronto: Avery Bradley, Raptors Republic. Has agreed to drive Calderon and Jack to the airport.

Everybody who has access to a keyboard and an internet connection seems to be giving their take on what the Raptors should do with that oh so coveted 13th pick. Should we pick a big man, go with a guard, get a replacement for Hedo, trade up, trade down, or just sell the pick so we can cover some of Andrea Bargnani’s new contract which kicks in next year? Just like everything else, the answer is dependent entirely on how the Chris Bosh situation pans out. He is back from vacation, tweeting at a higher rate than ever, and touting some “big meetings” he’s had. I can only speculate that those meetings were about how to promote his autobiography, Chris Bosh – How I got a max-deal by having less than max talent. I hear it’s a cracker of a book with a surprise ending that rivals Sidney Sheldon’s finest. On a side note, if you manage to find Chris Bosh and smash his Blackberry like in 1:17 of this, there’s a hat in it for you.

I don’t know who the Raptors should draft, but I do know the two things the Raptors need to address via the draft:

Replacement for Hedo Turkoglu: There’s been no public denial of his comments on Good Morning Turkey so it’s safe to assume he wants out. Promoting a replacement from within the organization doesn’t seem possible as DeRozan and Weems are more oriented to play at shooting guard. Theoretically, you could pull one of them to small forward and have tremendous athleticism on the floor. Even if we do that, it still leaves the question of depth to be dealt with. Drafting Gordon Hayward at #13 or someone like James Anderson later down the road, are options, but in both cases you have to go in knowing that first year impact for a wing who doesn’t have the ball in his hands is rarely significant. Selecting a wing would definitely fall into the “project” category, but if the franchise is willing to enter an honest rebuild stage, so be it. If not, we could just get one via the MLE.

Interior defense: Improving help and interior defense should be a matter of priority for the worst defensive team in the league, and that is the chief reason why selecting a ready-to-contribute big man makes so much sense (ahem, Ekpe Udoh). For our “young guns” to do their thing on the break we need to create turnovers and get defensive stops, after all it’s hard to run fastbreaks when you’re inbounding the ball every time, much easier when a big fella rejects it and kicks the break. Maybe I’m overvaluing the impact of a rookie, but after suffering through our sieve-like defense last year, defense is like water in the desert. I run for it even though it could be a mirage. Still, if Amir Johnson can find it in himself to play with the same level of aggressiveness he did last year without picking up cheap fouls which limit his playing time, Udoh and Johnson could form a formidable defensive frontline. Not quite sure what Bargnani will bring next year, but throwing him in there at the SF from time to time means the Raptors will have a size advantage that could be exploited. Without falling into the trap of thinking that OKC’s success was as simple as combining young, athletic wings with hard-nosed defenders, I say we follow the OKC model. I like it.

The Avery Bradley and Eric Bledsoe’s of the world are nice-to-haves, but with Jarrett Jack under contract, it shouldn’t be a priority. There’s some talk of Jack following Bosh out of town but I’d hang on to him until he demands a trade or stops playing hard, neither of which you’d peg him for. If it does come to that, drafting and playing a tweener big minutes could be an option, but now we’re talking about losing 55 games as we’ll have first or second year players left and right. Even that doesn’t bother me as long its going in a direction. Drafting a tweener seems to be a good proposition of late, they seem to have less trouble adjusting to the NBA game and Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, and Russell Westbrook, are a few examples of quick transition to the pros.

So there’s my draft article for Raptors Republic – short and sweet. It’s partly because every draft prediction I’ve ever made has been wrong so I like to stay out of things and let Steve do his thing. He’s got a solid interview lined up for this week so stay tuned for that, especially if you’re a draft guy/girl.

A quick look at the last 10 players drafted at #13 says Richard Jefferson was the best amongst them, unless you’re a fan of Marcus Banks.

2009 – Tyler Hansbrough – Indiana
2008 – Brandon Rush – Indiana
2007 – Julian Wright – New Orleans
2006 – Thabo Sefolosha – Philadelphia
2005 – Sean May -Charlotte
2004 – Sebastian Telfair – Portland
2003 – Marcus Banks – Memphis
2002 – Marcus Haislip – Milwaukee
2001 – Richard Jefferson – Houston
2000 – Courtney Alexander – Orlando

While we’re at it, here’s Bryan Colangelo’s draft history:

2009 – DeMar DeRozan – 9th
2008 – Roy Hibbert – 17th (traded to Indiana)
2006 – Andrea Bargnani – 1st
2005 – Nate Robinson – 21st (traded to New York for Kurt Thomas and Dijon Thompson)
2005 – Marcin Gortat – 57th (traded to Orlando for cash considerations)
2004 – Loul Deng – 7th (traded to Chicago for Jackson Vroman, future first round pick and cash considerations)
2003 – Zarko Cabarkapa – 17th
2002 – Amare Stoudemire – 9th
2002 – Casey Jacobsen – 22nd
2001 – Alton Ford – 51st
2000 – Iakovos Tsakalidis – 25th
1999 – Shawn Marion – 9th
1997 – Stephen Jackson – 43rd (waived)
1996 – Steve Nash – 15th
1996 – Russ Millard – 39th
1995 – Michael Finley – 21st
1995 – Mario Bennett – 27th
1995 – Chris Carr – 56th

The best ones have to be Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash and Michael Finley, all were good finds with picks that don’t necessarily get you a solid NBA player back. You could add Robinson, Gortat, Deng, and Jackson to that list had he not traded or waived them soon after. Colangelo has drafted multiple players four times in his career, could this year be the fifth? Also of note is taking Zarko Cabarkapa with the 17th pick, I’d rank this as an equal-sized disaster as Grunwald taking Michael Bradley with the 17th pick of the 2001 draft.

As some of you might know, we’re having having some technical issues with our iTunes feed. I’ve contacted Apple and Steve Jobs himself is working the case.

Steve will be talking to projected lottery pick Ekpe Udoh this afternoon, he’ll be posting the interview in this week’s The Doctor Is In Rapcast later today. Until then, RR’s draft guru has been busy compiling the new Big Board which sees a new entry in the form of Fresno St. forward, Paul George. There’s also the new Five Up, Five Down segment.

Once again, stay tuned for the doctor later on today.

Rank	Name	Position	Essentials	From
#1	Ekpe Udoh	PF	6-10, 240lbs, Age: 22	Baylor (Junior)
Site Rank ESPN.com #14 DraftExpress.com #16 NBADraft.net #8 TheHoopDoctors.com #10 Udoh really is the best player available, the best fit for the Raps without Bosh, and the most ready of the potential picks to come in and play/help/start now. If available at #13, easily the best choice. He could crack the rotation right away, might not have the greatest upside but has what the Raptors need right now – ability to crash the boards and play defence. A safe pick.
#2	Avery Bradley	SG	6-3, 180lbs, Age: 19	Texas (Freshman)
Site Rank ESPN.com #10 DraftExpress.com #14 NBADraft.net #18 TheHoopDoctors.com #26 We know the Raps sent a scout last month to Vegas to watch him work out. We also know that following that meeting, not only the Raptors, but several teams (including Indiana who needs a pg) moved Bradley up in their rankings from the mid 20s to the mid-lottery. Not sure, like Udoh if he drops to 13, especially with teams like Detroit, Indy, and Memphis all drafting 5 up from the raps and all of whom would benefit immediately from adding a guard like Bradley. And just in case you needed a reminder: He was the best perimeter defender in the NCAA last year. He was rated higher than John Wall coming out of high school, and he was the top rated player in the country before going to Texas. He has a 6’7? wingspan, and he is an excellent scorer and a good mid-range shooter.
#3	Gordon Hayward	SF	6-8, 200lbs, Age: 20	Butler (Sophomore)
Site Rank ESPN.com #18 DraftExpress.com #19 NBADraft.net #19 TheHoopDoctors.com #19 If the Turkoglu rumours are true, and the Raps cannot address the SF position from either of the upcoming trades (ie/ Bosh, Turk, or Calderon) then look for the raps to aggressively pursue a guy like Hayward. Again, much like Udoh and Bradley, Hayward has been linked to several teams ranging from top 10 to mid 20s- but in the #13 range, he is the best available at his position. And don’t let his image fool you. He can score, defend, and is an excellent rebounder for his position. Hayward is the mini-Turk. He could be the guy that we hoped Turkoglu would be when we signed him. A crafty offensive player with improving vision.
#4	Patrick Patterson	PF	6-8, 223lbs, Age: 21	Kentucky (Junior)
Site Rank ESPN.com #22 DraftExpress.com #6 NBADraft.net #11 TheHoopDoctors.com #10 If Udoh, Bradley, and Hayward are all off the board look for the raps to draft a guy like Patterson, who, Chris Denker called, the best fit for this team almost a month ago. A strong defensive game and an inch or two are what’s keeping Patterson from shooting up the charts. The hard work and grit he’s shown scouts has gone some ways in repairing his reputation as a mediocre defender. He’s shown a real ability to knock down the mid-range jumper which will complement his back-to-the-basket game very well. The only real issue is where you play him? At 6’8? he is probably too small to play the 4, but too slow to play the 3. However, knowing Patterson’s personality, he won’t be afraid to work hard to find an answer to this dilemma.
#5	Paul George	SF	6-9, 214lbs, Age: 20	Fresno St. (Sophomore)
Site Rank ESPN.com #16 DraftExpress.com #12 NBADraft.net #15 TheHoopDoctors.com #20 George is the latest addition of players to the big board that address the Raptors lack of toughness and athleticism on the defensive end (especially at the wing positions). The knock on George is that he played at a small school and therefore didn’t put up his numbers against top notch competition. However, here is what we know for certain. He is long, athletic, can rebound, attack the rim, shoot the NBA 3, and defend both the 2 guard and small forward positions. If Turkoglu is on his way out, Hayward is already gone, and the Raps don’t have confidence in Patterson’s ability to play the 3, George is the next best SF available in the draft.

Five Up!

If by some chance, Colangelo manages to move up into the top 10 of the draft… then watch for the Raptors to aggressively pursue and try to land an impact type of replacement for Bosh. More specifically, their main target/focus should/could be on picks #4 Minnesota, #7 Detroit, or #9 Utah, all of which could be in play.

At #9 the Raptors would be able to draft their player of choice off the big board, and at #7 they might be able to claim one of the 6 best players in the draft (Wall, Turner, Cousins, Favours, Johnson, Monroe) who may slip on draft night (see either Kevin Mchale’s drafting history or the Atlanta Hawks- for examples of why top prospects don’t actually get drafted where they should). But if the Raptors can get as high as #4, then I believe it is a two man race and it depends on who’s position you think is harder to fill/replace: Turk or Bosh:

If you believe that Turkoglu and the small forward position should be the top priority for the Raptors then you will need to get into the top 5 to land Wesley Johnson. But if you are not sold on the Amir Johnson/Andrea Bargnani combo and feel that the PF will be the greatest weakness for this team post Bosh, then look for them to add Greg Monroe who may still be available at 7 and possibly but highly unlikely, as low as 9.

Rank	Name	Position	Essentials	From
	Wesley Johnson	SF	6-8, 206lbs, Age: 22	Syracuse (Junior)
Site Rank ESPN.com #4 DraftExpress.com #4 NBADraft.net #6 TheHoopDoctors.com #4 What more needs to be said about Johnson than this: In leading Syracuse to a #1 seed in the tourney, Johnson averaged 16.5 PTS, 8.5 REB, and 2.2 AST per game while shooting over 50% from the floor and 40% from the 3. On the defensive end he also was a dominant player averaging both 1.7 STL and 1.8 BLK a night. In short, Johnson has all the physical tools to be an NBA all star: height, length, super hops, can stroke the J, loves to take opposing defenders off the dribble, can score from almost anywhere on the court, in addition to being an excellent defender and an above average rebounder, shot blocker, and steal machine. And while some scouts point to his age as an issue, he’s 22 years old with only 2 years of college ball underneath his belt, after redshirting last year at Syracuse (because he transferred from Iowa St.), I see his “senior”-type age and experience in a major program as assets for a type looking to add an all-star talent in the draft without blowing it up for a rebuild. I- heart- Johnson and at the 5th overall, he’s a steal.
	Greg Monroe	PF	6-11, 247lbs, Age: 19	Georgetown (Sophomore)
Site Rank ESPN.com #9 DraftExpress.com #5 NBADraft.net #5 TheHoopDoctors.com #7 I disagree with Chad Ford who claims that Monroe is: “not super athletic, but he’s the most skilled big guy in the draft.” First off, Cousins is the most ready big man out there in the draft, already boasting a polished back to the basket game. But Monroe is seriously skilled. He can offer his new team the ability to post up and play a back to the basket game, or he can also step out at hit a 12- 15 foot jumper with consistency. Add to that his extremely high basketball IQ, his ability to pass out of the post (he averaged almost 4 assists a game last season) and that he measured 6-11 with a &-2 wingspan at the combine and you have the making of a legit NBA centre, ready to START next fall in the right system. And while scouts tend to be down on his rebounding and toughness (which should immediately make Raps fans wonder if this is a good idea for Toronto) the fact is that he still appears so skilled in such a tight system (Georgetown prospects almost always look worse in college than at the pros) and he is a very safe pick to be a starting NBA centre for the next decade in Toronto.

Five Down!

If the Raptors do move Turkoglu before or at the draft, I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of two things happen:

1. They include swapping first round picks as part of the deal. And since most teams to show an interest in Turkoglu will be the types of teams that see themselves as being close to a title and view Turkoglu as that “missing piece”- it also means that potential trading partner will likely draft lower in the 1st round
2. After dealing Turkoglu, they then address the wing as their top priority (once again!) and look to the draft to fill that hole. Since at the SF position, after Wesley Johnson (projected top 5), Luke Babbit (projected top 10), and Gordon Hayward (who is already on our board), there is no consensus on the talent of the draft eligible small forwards, most scouts and analysts place the remainder of the SF group in the late first round /bubble category.

So, were the Raptors to move down into the early 20s, look for them to grab anybody off the big board top 5 who may slip the night of the draft, or more specifically, and of these SF players who fit what the Raps need and who can help out right away in a supporting or bench role. Again, it’s apparent that my preference for this team is to whenever possible, draft older players, from larger programs.

Rank	Name	Position	Essentials	From
	Damion James	SF	6-8, 227lbs, Age: 22	Texas (Senior)
Site Rank ESPN.com #20 DraftExpress.com #29 NBADraft.net #17 TheHoopDoctors.com #21 If the Raptors drafted James, he would within 1 week become the most popular Raptor ever. And here is why, because he is the most intense, all out, in your face (defensively), aggressive, hustling player this city would have ever seen. For James, his stock is up and down with the big knock against him over the last two seasons that he couldn’t play either the 3 or the 4 at the NBA, after playing the PF mostly in college. But James has taken to the challenge after withdrawing from last year’s draft, and despite being part of a Texas team with enormous talent that heavily underachieved, his game has only improved in each of his 4 years at Texas, and his numbers support this. Chad Ford compares him to James Posey, and well, this team could certainly use a James Posey type player.
	Stanley Robinson	SF	6-8, 213lbs, Age: 21	Connecticut (Senior)
Site Rank ESPN.com #35 DraftExpress.com #34 NBADraft.net #24 TheHoopDoctors.com #23 What Damion James brings to the table in terms of hustle and heart, Robinson brings in freakish athleticism and supersonic hops. Seriously, youtube Stanley Robinson + Texas dunk and see for your own self. Robinson if focused can be a lock down defender who is fast, long, athletic, who not only can rebound but is a dangerous shot blocker from the 3 spot. The knock against him has been his focus and consistency, but reports from the combine suggested that he has been a bit mis-read, and like any Jim Calhoun-coached player, he understands the game, the importance of team play, and the importance of effort. Anyone who questions this guy’s heart only needs to take a peek at why he quit basketball last year- and the type of job he took to help support his family.

Last year, while at UCLA, I had a chance to see DeMar DeRozan first hand and realized very early he met all the needs of the Raptors. After speaking with several of my sources and contacts, I was able to pin-point him as the Raptors top choice for the #9 slot. In much the same way, I’ve had Ekpe Udoh at the top of my draft board since its induction, and I’m still of the belief that he is the best pick for the Raptors, but the more people I speak with, the more I keep hearing that he projects to go as high as #8 and will not drop past Memphis at #12. After that, the big board really gets sticky, with most scouts telling me that the talent between 12 and 40 is pretty close to each other and not necessarily very distinguishable. So, while originally we had some upside guys, like Whiteside and Orton on our board, after speaking with some people close to the team, I’ve been led to believe that guys like Udoh, Patterson, Hayward, and other guys with hustle, and some chutzpah are appearing more desirable to everybody. Even Patterson is on the rise and could very well be gone by the time the Raptors pick at #13.

So, assuming that the ping pong balls on Tuesday night keep everything the same, and that the Raptors pick at #13, here is what I foresee happening: Look for the Raptors to draft 19 year old Avery Bradley, the 6’3″ Texas guard. Here’s why:

1. He was the best perimeter defender in the NCAA last year.
2. He was rated higher than John Wall coming out of high school, and he was the top rated player in the country before going to Texas.
3. He has a 6’7″ wingspan.
4. He is an excellent scorer and a good mid-range shooter.

The knock against him is that he is more of a “combo” guard and not a true point, but with the Raptors locked into 5 years of Turkoglu at the SF, a back court of DeRozan and Bradley – two young, athletic, long, defensive minded guards (in a rotation that includes Jack and Weems) allows the Raptors to run their offense through Turkoglu as the point-forward. At the same time they make up for some of the defensive deficiencies of Turkoglu and Bargnani. In fact, if they can draft Bradley at #13, keep Amir Johnson, and find a way to get a legitimate big man back in any deal that sends out Bosh and Calderon, this team would could realistically focus on the 5 seed in the East and 45 wins. Lastly, with the increased emphasis on guard play in the league and the number of lightning fast guards out there, a guy like Bradley who can guard both the 1 and the 2 would be invaluable.

So The Big Board now looks like this:

Udoh stays at #1, since if available and if Bosh goes, it would be hard to argue against all that he could add to this team immediately. Patterson moves up to #2, for many of the same reasons as Udoh and for all that he can do (visit the podcast from 2 weeks ago with Chris Denker for more on Patterson). Bradley moves up to #3 and becomes the only guard on the Raptors. Hayward drops to #4 and becomes important if the team feels that it can move Turkoglu and look to keep its guards intact, since Hayward brings a similar game as Turkoglu but for a fraction of the cost. Whiteside drops to #5, although he still has upside and can bring a lot to the defensive end, Colangelo wants to compete now and must address the issues of toughness and energy, two areas where Whiteside still needs to improve, especially when compared to the 4 names above. John Wall’s backup, Eric Bledsoe, falls off the Big Board.

As for Avery Bradley, after watching the tape and talking to some sources, I think I have the pick tabbed.

Rank	Name	Position	Essentials	From
#1	Ekpe Udoh	PF	6-10, 240lbs, Age: 22	Baylor (Junior)
Site Rank ESPN.com #11 DraftExpress.com #10 NBADraft.net #16 TheHoopDoctors.com #10 The word about Udoh is getting out as he sees himself rise in almost every board. His NBA-readiness is proving to be attractive and his future as a defensive anchor is being talked about. There’s a good reason why he’s held the #1 spot on this board since Day One, and now others are seeing the light. He’s no longer a sleeper and should now be considered unlikely to be available at #13.
#2	Patrick Patterson	PF	6-8, 223lbs, Age: 21	Kentucky (Junior)
Site Rank ESPN.com #20 DraftExpress.com #11 NBADraft.net #9 TheHoopDoctors.com #14 A strong defensive game and an inch or two are what’s keeping Patterson from shooting up the charts. The hard work and grit he’s shown scouts has gone some ways in repairing his reputation as a mediocre defender. He’s shown a real ability to knock down the mid-range jumper which will complement his back-to-the-basket game very well. The only real issue is where you play him? At 6’8″ he is probably too small to play the 4, but too slow to play the 3. However, knowing Patterson’s personality, he won’t be afraid to work hard to find an answer to this dilemma.
#3	Avery Bradley	SF	6-3, 180lbs, Age: 19	Texas (Freshman)
Site Rank ESPN.com #13 DraftExpress.com #28 NBADraft.net #22 TheHoopDoctors.com #18 John Hollinger is the only one that sees him as a lottery pick. Well, him and me. The fit with the Raptors is natural, we don’t necessarily need a true PG with Turkoglu around, and he isn’t one. The danger of course is that we might pick him too high, but that’s where a shrewd GM makes his money by trading down and getting a bonus in the process.
#4	Gordon Hayward	SF	6-8, 200lbs, Age: 20	Butler (Sophomore)
Site Rank ESPN.com #12 DraftExpress.com #19 NBADraft.net #15 TheHoopDoctors.com #19 Efficient NCAA player and good shooter, both should translate to the NBA level. However, his athleticism isn’t considered to be prototypical and some teams could see him as a defensive vulnerability despite his size. The fact is that he could do a lot of what Turkoglu is supposed to be doing at 1/10th the cost. He’s a crafty offensive player and that alone should make him a rotation player in the NBA.
#5	Hassan Whiteside	C	6-11, 225lbs, Age: 20	Marshall (Freshman)
Site Rank ESPN.com #14 DraftExpress.com #14 NBADraft.net #14 TheHoopDoctors.com #13 His stock his holding stead as a borderline lottery pick, the 7’6″ wingspan is impressive and there’s no doubt about his weak-side defense; whether his thin frame can hold up in the NBA remains to be seen. He is one of the best defenders, shot-blockers and lock-down defenders in the NCAA. Chad Ford compares him to Marcus Camby. If he went back for another year, he could be a top 5 pick in 2010. Not the greatest offensive player right now, but is a better offensive prospect than Thabeet. Very young, if the plan is to rebuild, take him. If he’s off the board at #13, it means someone like Greg Monroe is available.

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This week on the The Doctor Is In, we are talking draft. We reveal the first installment of the internet’s first Raptors big board and break down each of the top five selections for the boys on Bay St., while wondering aloud what really are the most glaring holes of this Raptors roster.

[audio:http://raptorsrepublic.com/audio/2010-04-28-phdsteve.mp3]

Download the podcast here.

The first version of the board is below, but you can check out and bookmark the dynamic Raptors 2010 NBA Draft Board which is updated frequently, follow us on Twitter to get updates.

Rank	Name	Position	Essentials	From
#1	Ekpe Udoh	PF	6-10, 240lbs, Age: 22	Baylor (Junior)
Site Rank ESPN.com #11 DraftExpress.com #10 NBADraft.net #18 TheHoopDoctors.com #22 If this team’s serious about improving their image while bringing in talent AND hustle, this is the way to go. He could crack the rotation right away, might not have the greatest upside but has what the Raptors need right now – ability to crash the boards and play defense. A safe pick.
#2	Hassan Whiteside	C	6-11, 225lbs, Age: 20	Marshall (Freshman)
Site Rank ESPN.com #12 DraftExpress.com #14 NBADraft.net #12 TheHoopDoctors.com #8 Great upside and the reason he could be gone by #13, especially since big men rise. One of the best defenders, shot-blockers and lock-down defenders in the NCAA. Chad Ford compares him to Marcus Camby. If he went back for another year, he could be a top 5 pick in 2010. Not the greatest offensive player right now, but is a better offensive prospect than Thabeet. Very young, if the plan is to rebuild, take him. If he’s off the board at #13, it means someone like Greg Monroe is available.
#3	Eric Bledsoe	PG	6-1, 190lbs, Age: 20	Kentucky (Freshman)
Site Rank ESPN.com #16 DraftExpress.com #23 NBADraft.net #28 TheHoopDoctors.com #16 The other PG from Kentucky; got sparse minutes backing up Wall but there is definitely talent here. Could come in as our #3 guard and if we trade one of Jose or Jack, could easily backup and grow as our #2. This is what we should’ve done last year by drafting Ty Lawson.
#4	Xavier Henry	SG	6-7, 220lbs, Age: 19	Kansas (Freshman)
Site Rank ESPN.com #15 DraftExpress.com #15 NBADraft.net #10 TheHoopDoctors.com #12 Incredible shooter, not a driver/slasher/create off the dribble guy, but can score. Could be a very good NBA defender, one of the reason we don’t know how good he is, is because Kansas ran its offense through its senior players later in the season. The Raptors don’t need a SG, but if he’s available at #13, it’s hard to pass because of his age and potential.
#5	Gordon Hayward	SF	6-8, 200lbs, Age: 20	Butler (Sophomore)
Site Rank ESPN.com #17 DraftExpress.com #19 NBADraft.net #15 TheHoopDoctors.com #23 Efficient NCAA player and good shooter, both should translate to the NBA level. Unless the real Turk shows up, SF is the Raptors greatest need. Hayward is the mini-Turk. He could be the guy that we hoped Turkoglu would be when we signed him. A crafty offensive player with improving vision.