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NBA Draft: 6 players Raptors could target with 13th pick
The Raptors own the 13th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Here are some of the players they could target in that range.
Barring a surprise trade beforehand, the Toronto Raptors enter Thursday’s 2023 NBA Draft with only the No. 13 pick available to them.
As things currently stand with the team, Toronto looks an awful lot like the same squad that finished last season with just a 41-41 record.
In other words, there are improvements to be made.
Those upgrades could possibly come in the form of a big trade – such as the rumours swirling around Portland and the No. 3 pick in the draft. But, particularly now with word that guard Gary Trent Jr. has opted into the final year of his contract, it’s looking increasingly likely the Raptors will be looking for this boost with the No. 13 pick.
It’s not much of a secret what the Raptors need. Toronto finished 28th in effective field-goal percentage and 29th in opponents’ effective field-goal percentage, essentially meaning they couldn’t really shoot and they couldn’t stop opponents’ shooting.
Defensively, you could argue this was chalked up to the high-risk, high-reward style of defence Nick Nurse liked to employ and may improve should new Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic look to play a more conservative, traditional defensive scheme.
Offensively, however, there’s no question the Raptors need to find more efficient ways to get the ball in the basket, especially in the half court. Even with Trent returning, and assuming the whole band gets back together – i.e. the Raptors manage to re-sign both Fred VanVleet and Jakob Poelt in free agency, plus neither Pascal Siakam nor O.G. Anunoby is traded – this is a club that still looks to have a lot of work to do offensively.
Thus, enter the draft.
It’s unlikely the Raptors will find a transformative player at No. 13, but there are plenty of solid options in the range they’re picking at that could help them in areas of shooting and/or playmaking and shot creation — aspects of the game Toronto needs if it’s going to become a better half-court team.
Here are six names the Raptors could be looking at:
Kobe Bufkin: Michigan, G
Bufkin is a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard with scoring, playmaking skills and natural competitiveness on the defensive end.
He averaged 14 points and 2.9 assists per game in 34 minutes a night for the Wolverines, starting all 33 games he played. He illustrated a number of desirable NBA skills on the offensive end, including consistent catch-and-shoot mechanics, the ability to make reads as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations, and a knack for finishing with both hands at the rim.
He shot 35.5% from 3-point range last season, but was a solid 84.9% free-throw shooter, suggesting he has good shot mechanics and his 3-ball can improve.
The one glaring weakness Bufkin will need to shore up is that he’s coming in at just about 185 pounds. So, even though he has solid defensive fundamentals and moves his feet well, he will be overpowered and taken for a ride by stronger NBA guards until he fills out a little more.
Bilal Coulibaly: Metropolitans 92 (France), F
It’s a foregone conclusion that Victor Wembanyama is going No. 1 overall to the San Antonio Spurs. The Raptors have no chance at him.
They do, however, have a shot at drafting one of his Metropolitans 92 teammates.
Coulibaly is still only 18 years old but already looks to have an NBA body with a 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame with a 7-foot-3 wingspan.
You can’t teach those kinds of measurables, and when you couple them with a young man who is also naturally super athletic with quick feet and a high motor, you have a recipe for a player who is already beginning to draw comparisons to the likes of the Raptors’ Anunoby.
As far as Toronto’s needs for a more offensively polished player go, Coulibaly doesn’t really meet that criteria, but having a second Anunoby type on your team isn’t a bad thing, particularly when you consider how young and mouldable he is.
*Watch Bilal Coulibaly highlights
Gradey Dick: Kansas, G
If the Raptors want shooting then there’s probably no better option in this entire draft than what Dick could bring to the team.
A 40.3% 3-point shooter for what was a No. 1 seed Jayhawks squad, Dick has near flawless shooting mechanics in just about any situation (catch-and-shoot, pull-up, dribble hand-off, etc.) and pairs that with good height at 6-foot-6.
Additionally, he’s a good cutter and makes smart dives to the basket, and though not an explosive athlete, he still boasts good athleticism, able to finish at the rim with either hand and get rebounds.
Perhaps what would make Dick possibly the most ideal fit for where the Raptors are now is the fact he boasts strong vision as a passer and playmaker, in addition to everything he brings as a shooter. Toronto needs players who understand how to recognize the right pass just as much it needs a guy who can knock down a triple ,and Dick could potentially fill both needs.
He won’t wow anyone with his defensive prowess, but he tries hard on that end, and sometimes that’s all you need to become a solid defender.
Keyonte George: Baylor, G
A weakness of the Raptors is their dearth of players who can create shots for themselves. Outside of Trent and Siakam, the team doesn’t really have guys it can give the ball to when the shot clock is running down.
George could potentially solve this issue.
Though undersized for the natural two-guard spot he plays at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, George features the full package of moves needed to get his shot off.
He likes to take 3-point shots (even though he only hit 33.8% of his attempts during his freshman season at Baylor) and especially likes making his way into the paint, where he’s a good finisher at the rim.
George supports this solid shot profile foundation with his ability to create space with pull-ups, stepbacks, side steps and an advanced knowledge of how to make use of the snake dribble coming off the pick-and-roll, where he’s proven he knows how to find open shooters in the corner or cutters from the dunker spot.
Because of his size, defence is likely something he’ll never truly excel at even though he competes on that side of the ball. However, if scoring is what a team is look for, then George looks like a strong prospect to consider.
*Watch Keyonte George highlights
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Indiana, G
At 6-foot-4, 217 pounds, Hood-Schifino is a strong, physical guard who could be a potential fit for the Raptors because of his heady play.
Hood-Schifino brings advanced understanding of how to run a pick-and-roll for someone his age (20) and has both the vision and the chops to make nearly any pass to a rolling big man, a cutting wing or a shooter in the corner. He combines this with an old school mid-range game that helps keep defences honest and passing lanes open for him.
Unfortunately, while his playmaking and decision-making look to be NBA quality already, his 3-point shot still looks to have a ways to go. That's something that does hold him back from being an ideal prospect for a team like the Raptors – or just about any other team in the league, for that matter.
Still, jumpshots can be developed, and given his natural feel for the game, vision and body – which helps a lot on the defensive end – Hood-Schifino could end up having a long, productive NBA career.
*Watch Jalen Hood-Schifino highlights
Cason Wallace: Kentucky, G
Wallace is a defensive specialist guard with upside as a potential perimeter threat down the line.
At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, he’s among the smaller players mentioned on this list, but he more than makes up for it with his lightning-quick lateral movement, his strength and his dogged determination to remain in stance in front of his man.
And even if on the off-chance he gets beat, he’ll continue to make an effort and hound the ball and recover.
That motor and tenacity Wallace brings on the defensive end will make him a fan favourite just about anywhere he goes and certainly a coaching darling, as the best way for a young player to see floor time is to D up.
Offensively, his game is still developing, but he is a decent enough catch-and-shoot 3-point threat to keep opposing defences honest, and to keep him on the floor as a defensive stopper.
The Raptors need offensive ability more than anything, but that isn’t to say they can’t or shouldn’t look at players who bring a little more on the other side of the ball as well.
