Adamo Marinelli
August 10th, 2021
Two weeks ago, the Toronto Raptors welcomed three new names onto their team in the 2021 NBA draft. Coming into the offseason after a lackluster 27-45 season, the Raptors’ biggest needs were a true center, some big men who could play on-ball defense, and some athletic, playmaking guards. In the latest draft, they got just that.
With the fourth overall pick, the Raptors selected Scottie Barnes, a physical power forward from Florida State University. This pick was a bit of a shocker with Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs still on the board, but Barnes has a lot of upside.
With Kyle Lowry extremely likely to leave the Raptors at the time of the draft, selecting Suggs would have made a lot of sense. He can shoot well from three and from the field, defend on the perimeter, and set up his teammates with his crisp, accurate passes.
GM Bobby Webster in his pre-draft press conference said he would rather take a prospect who he thinks could be the better player in the near future rather than the best player available in the present.
So, the Raptors selected Barnes with the fourth pick. Allegedly, part of the reason why was Suggs’ underwhelming workout with the Raptors compared to Barnes’ excellent workout with the team and how well he fit into the scheme.
This does not mean Suggs is not talented. He is very skilled and will help his team win.
Barnes was a little bit of a reach, but he has tremendous talent and upside. At 6’9”, 225 lbs, with a 7’2” wingspan, he possesses an elite playmaking ability, excellent ball-handling skills and is also versatile on defense. He can guard the paint with his length, play on-ball defenders and get off screens to defend the perimeter with his speed and agility.
He is an efficient scorer in the paint. His perimeter and midrange shooting could use a bit of work, but he played extremely well in the Raptors’ first few summer league games.
The Raptors clearly saw something in Barnes that convinced them he’d be one of their franchise cornerstones. He will be a weapon in a league that is transitioning into a more positionless, but big wing league.
Raptors’ GM Bobby Webster said that in a league that is becoming more positionless with guys taking on more and multiple roles, you can never have too many big, two-way wings. It appears the Raptors may be moving away from small ball lineups by putting Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Barnes on the floor all together.
With the 46th overall pick, the Raptors selected Canadian Dalano Banton, a point guard from the University of Nebraska. He was born in Rexdale, a small neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario.
With Lowry now a member of the Miami Heat, Banton will be a huge addition to the Raptors’ backcourt rotation. Goran Dragic, Malachi Flynn, and Banton will likely come off the bench and Fred Van Vleet and Gary Trent Jr. will start at the one and two spots respectively.
Banton is athletic and agile, is a good floor general, can always find an open teammate with his strong, accurate passes, is a great playmaker and rebounder, is physical, a good on-ball defender, and not afraid to force turnovers, get steals, and blocks.
Despite his talents, his shooting from the field and especially from three needs some improvement, he struggles to hit contested shots, he is unselfish to the point where he sometimes passes up open looks and he can sometimes be careless with the ball on offense.
He is not perfect but has a lot of potential. After a few seasons with the Raptors 905 and learning from the veterans on the team and coaching staff, he can blossom into a starter.
With the 47th overall pick, the Raptors selected David Johnson, a PG/SG from Louisville.
Johnson is a versatile option who can play at the number one and the number two spots. He excels near the paint on offense and defense using his length to block and disrupt shots and his 6’4”, 200 lb frame with a 6’10” wingspan allows him to be a scoring threat near the basket, in the low post. He is speedy for his size, has an excellent bounce, and is very creative with the ball in his hands.
However, he lacks the quickness to beat defenders off the dribble and put pressure on defenses consistently or create much separation. He also takes too many highly contested mid-range shots which lowers his efficiency. He is also a bit slow off screens and defenses can beat him with a small, speedy lineup.
Despite this, however, like Banton, with a few years in the Raptors’ development camp, he can be a big asset to this team’s backcourt.
The Raptors addressed most of their needs in the draft, by getting a big man who could play on-ball defense and set up his teammates and some agile, versatile guards who can defend, score and make plays with their creativity and high basketball IQ.
They did not draft a true center, but drafted Barnes, and acquired Precious Achiuwa in the Lowry sign and trade. They also signed Khem Birch and could still pursue a center later in free agency. Overall, the Raptors’ draft earns a B+.
The Raptors' next summer league game is tomorrow against the Golden State Warriors. Will Barnes have another legendary performance worthy of a starting roster spot? Will Banton and Johnson earn roster spots? Only time will tell.
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