With less than 10 days until the 2019 NBA Draft, the Raptors have ramped up their draft preparations (reminder: Toronto has the 59th pick) as they held their sixth overall pre-draft workout this morning on back-to-back days that included Canadians Kyle Alexander and Oshae Brissett. As always, Raptors Republic will be referring to the ESPN 100 list below.
Name | Position | Height | Weight | School | Hometown |
Kyle Alexander | Forward | 6-11 | 215 lbs | Tennessee | Milton, ON |
Javon Bess | Forward | 6-6 | 220 lbs | St. Louis | Columbus, OH |
Oshae Brissett | Forward | 6-8 | 210 lbs | Syracuse | Mississauga, ON |
Jalek Felton | Guard | 6-3 | 190 lbs | Union Olimpija | Mullins, SC |
JaKeenan Gant | Forward | 6-8 | 215 lbs | Louisiana-Lafayette | Springfield, GA |
Quinndary Weatherspoon | Guard | 6-4 | 205 lbs | Mississippi State | Canton, MS |
Kyle Alexander
ESPN Rank: N/A
At 7.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in his senior season with Tennessee, Kyle Alexander’s numbers don’t exactly jump out at you at first, but it’s his impact on the game outside of scoring that has become his biggest attribute. The Milton, ON native averaged 1.7 blocks and about 2.6 offensive rebounds per game in his last two season. And while he does only score about three baskets a game, he does it with a well-developed back-to-the-basket game and an ability to finish around the hoop, converting his attempts at an efficient 61.4 percent rate.
Although the six-foot-11 forward doesn’t have a ton of size (he is 215 lbs) and may have trouble guarding traditional centers at the pro level one-on-one, he’s long, fast, and athletic which helps him defend the post and protect the rim. Alexander is not ranked in the ESPN 100 list, and I’m not sure if he has been mentioned often enough on Canadian draft prospect lists, but he may be a player that an NBA team finds to be a great enough fit that they would want to look into further developing.
Javon Bess
ESPN Rank: N/A
Javon Bess began his college career playing for Tom Izzo at Michigan State, then transferred to Saint Louis University in the Atlantic 10 Conference for his junior and senior years where he averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, starting in all 36 games in the 2018-19 season. While the six-foot-six guard only shot 32.5 percent from beyond the arc, it’s still a new element that he’s worked into his game over his four-year NCAA career, going from averaging virtually zero attempts and makes in his freshman and sophomore year to averaging 1.8 of 5.6 3-pointers in his senior year. Bess won the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year award this season, and with his ability to score with his size (220 lbs) at the guard position, what he’s able to do on both ends of the floor can certainly appeal to clubs at the NBA level.
Oshae Brissett
ESPN Rank: 79
After two seasons with Syracuse, Oshae Brissett announced he would stay in the NBA Draft after initially testing the waters as an early entrant. The six-foot-eight Mississauga, ON native participated in the NBA G League Elite Camp in May, and played well enough that he earned an invite to the NBA Combine. Brissett was one of the Orange’s top scoring threats this season and led the team in rebounding, averaging 12.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The 3-point shot is not a big part of his game yet (he averaged about one make a game at a 27 percent rate during the season), but the sophomore was one of Syracuse’s biggest threat down in the block with his driving and finishing abilities. The team made the NCAA tournament in both of Brissett’s years at Syracuse.
Jalek Felton
ESPN Rank: N/A
Jalek Felton most recently played professionally in Slovenia and Finland after spending one season with North Carolina in 2017-18 where he appeared in 22 games and scored a season-best 15 points and five assists in a win over Western Carolina on December 6th, 2017 where he was also a perfect four of four from long distance. The six-foot-three guard was a highly-touted prospect for UNC, but withdrew from the university in March 2018 after being suspended earlier in that year as the school began an investigation into “allegations of misconduct.” Not much information has been in the public since that time, as the investigation is reportedly still ongoing.
Despite the shadow of his time at UNC casting over the 21 year-old during these pre-draft workouts, his year spent playing professionally overseas could represent a time period of growth and maturation, and it’s something NBA teams will certainly take notice as they consider Felton as either a draft, Summer League, or G League option. Notably, Felton is also Raymond Felton’s nephew, and the OKC Thunder point guard has been guiding Jalek throughout the process.
JaKeenan Gant
ESPN Rank: N/A
JaKeenan Gant finished his senior year with Louisiana with an impressive season stat line, averaging 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game, while shooting 0.544 from the field, 0.372 from 3-point territory, and .786 from the free throw line. On January 5, 2019, the six-foot-eight, 215-pound forward scored 45 points in a win over Little Rock, becoming the first player in the last 40 years to score over 4o points in a game for Louisiana.
Gant is a high-energy player on both ends of the floor. The Canton native has the ability to score in the post, midrange, while knocking down the three, and while Louisiana used Gant in the post a lot, his athleticism and versatility could be transferred to the wing position at the next level.
Quinndary Weatherspoon
ESPN Rank: 57
Quindndary Weatherspoon spent four seasons with Mississippi State and finished his senior year averaging 18.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for the Bulldogs. The six-foot-four guard is a crafty finisher with a smooth shooting stroke, and added that he’s an extremely capable playmaker, Weatherspoon has really shown in his senior year that he can worthy second round option to invest in. For what it’s worth, Weatherspoon has been the highest ESPN-ranked player that the Raptors have worked out to-date.
