Big Board 1.0 covered the tiers. Today Tim Chisholm from TSN.ca joins me to help slot players into those tiers as we discuss some of the guys mentioned in his latest column. Come the fifth pick and a point guard on the board, the debate will surely come down to Kemba Walker versus Brandon Knight. We cover the strengths and weaknesses of both players, and ask the question that regardless of their NBA projection, which one is a better fit for the Raptors, and which suits DeMar DeRozan as a sidekick. As we find out, the player with the higher upside may not be the best pick for the Raptors given their circumstance and the short nature of Colangelo’s contract.
The length of Colangelo’s contract comes up again when discussing drafting prospects (with buyout clauses!) such as Jonas Valanciunas. Tim goes over the situation with Valanciunas and why the Raptors might want to avoid a player who, despite having a desirable work-ethic and inside presence, hasn’t wowed in his domestic league. The alternative of Kawhi Leonard is analyzed but caution to the wind is thrown as we draw parallels with players such as Sonny Weems and Joey Graham. The selection is looked at in the context of the Raptors’ severe need for three-point shooting.
The curious case of Bismack Biyombo is covered with a comparison drawn to Serge Ibaka, and the question is asked: If Biyombo turned out to be as good as Serge Ibaka, would he be worth the fifth pick? The consensus appears to be that the ROI on a pick this high needs to be something better, weak draft or not.
Grab the iTunes feed or the plain old feed. You can also download the file (18:42, 19MB). Or just listen below:
