NBA Draft 2020 Mock Draft 1.0: The New Orleans Pelicans Can Try for Homerun
Toronto Raptors. Joel Ayayi. 28. player. 81. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Guard / Gonzaga
With Kyle Lowry signed for just one more season and Fred VanVleet entering free agency, the Raptors will look to shore up the guard position with Joel Ayayi.
Ayayi’s numbers are not going to jump out at you. He doesn’t shoot the ball particularly well, isn’t a great passer and will not enter the league as a volume scorer.
Buy Ayayi has a couple of things that fit the Raptors mold. He has good size at 6-foot-5 and can defend multiple positions.
He is also a plus rebounder, pulling down 6.2 boards per game. He fits the mold of a young Lowry, as he has size and is a good defender, but he will definitely need to improve his shooting to stick in a NBA rotation.
Most teams feel that shooting is one of skills most players improve, so the Raptors may see enough defensively and on the boards to take Ayayi in the first round.
The Raptors have a lot of decisions to make, as they have several players entering free agency. They are already stocked at the wing with Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, so it makes sense to try and find their combo guard of the future with this pick.
The Raptors have used the developmental G-League better than anyone and it is possible Ayayi would see some time there as he tries to develop a shot.