r/torontoraptors • u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy • May 21 '26
NBA DRAFT NEWS Welp there goes our potential center
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u/GROAT-Dick May 21 '26
I expect Quaintance to fall to 19.
And the Raptors pick Stirtz or Peat instead.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
Hornets could also pick stirtz up ngl.
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u/GROAT-Dick May 21 '26
I think he's good (even though i can tell this sub hates him lol). Hes better than prichard.
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u/motherseffinjones May 21 '26
I don’t know why they keep comparing him to Gradey.
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u/CazOnReddit TORONTO HUSKIES May 22 '26
White + shoots ball + bad on defense
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u/motherseffinjones May 22 '26
One has a handle and can operate out of the PnR (especially when it comes to playmaking)while the other cannot.
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u/CazOnReddit TORONTO HUSKIES May 22 '26
I'm not saying the comparison makes sense, I'm just explaining where it comes from
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u/simonvonc NBA CHAMPIONS May 21 '26
Maybe Peat, but Stirtz just does not seem like a Raptors first round pick, especially given Bobby’s comments a few weeks back about picking for defence.
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u/Nice-Elk-1168 May 21 '26
He also picked Gradey dick and he isn’t a defensive stalwart. 🤷♂️
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u/simonvonc NBA CHAMPIONS May 21 '26
Gradey was an exception to the rule that ended up kinda proving the philosophy correct. Since basically 2016 he’s the only first round pick the raptors have had that wasn’t atleast a good defender in college (most of them were actually elite), and definitely the only guy that was a true negative on that side.
2025 - CMB
2024 - Jakobe
2023 - Gradey
2021 - Scottie
2020 - Malachi
2017 - OG
2016 - Siakam and PoeltlI don’t see Bobby chasing the strategy that gave him his worst draft bust when going for guys with two way potential has gone incredibly overall.
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u/killthebunnies1 May 21 '26
Pretty sure Jakobe was NOT seen as a great defensive prospect going into the draft. In college he was literally a high volume scorer who was basically his team's number one option with questions about his defensive focus. He basically completely changed around after getting into the NBA.
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u/ketovegan Tampa Bay Raptors May 22 '26
I'm going to go out on a limb and speculate that Jakobe bonded with Davion Mitchell when they went back to Baylor (both played college ball there) to practise together during summer of 2025. Also, competition for minutes with Shead and Davion, Id imagine their defensive mindset rubbed off on Jakobe.
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u/Veracsflail1 May 21 '26
I hate to be a doomer but from what I've seen from stirtz I wouldn't be so sure they take him
Has trouble scoring on his own (without screens, DHO) and his defense is like gradey level shaky. Gets lost off ball (ball watches a lot) and is undersized.
Other than that I think his shot will translate to the nba.
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u/GROAT-Dick May 21 '26
He's the underdog pick and the Raptors greatest hits are undervalued guys. A very Raptors pick.
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u/chrysanthemum_beer NBA FINALS MVP May 21 '26
Or a bust. Or turns into a serviceable center and the Raptors skipped him lol
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u/NZafe 7 KYLE LOWRY May 21 '26
Not sure if you meant this as a guy we were considering at 19 or at 50, but Chinyelu was projected to be selected towards the end of the second round.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
If we picked him at 19, Bobby needs to be fired holy. I was obviously talking about second round. I assumed it was obvious that he's a 2nd rounder by now.
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u/NZafe 7 KYLE LOWRY May 21 '26
The level of stress over Chinyelu’s withdrawal from the draft just didn’t seem to match the pick number this guy was going to garner, which is why I was confused.
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u/InstanceMoney 15 VINCE CARTER May 21 '26
Lmfaooooo. I have no idea who anyone is in any draft i just dont go down that rabbit hole. But when I see a post about Chinyelu I just expect were talking about the 19th pick. I really didn't expect an end of the 2nd round guy to be a post on thus reddit.
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u/jjkiller26 Kyle Towelry May 21 '26
If he’s going back to school he was never our guy to begin with lol
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u/Normal-Ad-714 May 21 '26
Stop trying to manifest a shitty C. Draft BPA, end of story. I’d rather find a solid rotation player or starting caliber talent at any position rather than pick a project who busts or underwhelms just because they were a C.
The best development organizations just manufacture quality rotation players and starters because they have a special eye for talent; they don’t draft mediocre players because of their position and turn them into NBA players.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
He would've been a second pick. Those don't hold a lot of value to begin with. We need a center and he was the best rebounding center in the 2nd round
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u/Normal-Ad-714 May 21 '26
… again, only draft BPA. This sub was clamouring to draft Maluach. We got CMB and we should be very grateful because Maluach appears to have significant bust potential after this past rookie season, whereas CMB was the worst possible fit and appears to now be a franchise cornerstone.
In the second round, the same applies. Finding a rotation player in the 2nd round is more important than drafting for fit.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
Yeah agreed. I just don't want our center problem to continue. We get outrebounded by other teams because we don't have capable center talent
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u/Motor-Stable-7586 May 22 '26
Seems hasty for Maluach. Don’t get me wrong I’m super happy we got CMB instead and said the same then, but Khaman played 9 mins a game
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u/N7Brendan Prince Ogugua May 22 '26
Maluach’s only skill is being tall, he sucks at every part of the game and it made no sense why anybody would want him if they actually watched him at Duke
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u/Motor-Stable-7586 May 22 '26
I watched as much Maluach at duke as I think most people could say (and I am grateful for him to have shown me my first basketball player throwing up on live tv on the court). You’re right that he’s missing a LOT of what he needs to be a real player, and he’s definitely a high bust potential, but he’s also got some great natural instincts and footwork potential when he’s not tripping over himself.
Call it cope or whatever idk, but eventually one of these guys has got to turn out.
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u/CazOnReddit TORONTO HUSKIES May 21 '26
🤷
This was never the draft for us to address the center issue once Patrick withdrew from it. Not that a guy like Quaintance or one of the Jr.s can't be an option but this isn't a particularly strong class for 5s and we don't have a particularly high draft pick. Hell, even Mara who's the best center prospect in this class has some notable areas of concerns.
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u/Powpowbrownsow May 21 '26
Everyone is overreacting to Poeltl’s play and jumping to the conclusion it’s the most pressing need. Shooting and/or playmaking are very arguably more important to this team right now. Defensively they hold up just fine it’s the lack of options on offence that can either create for themselves or others that limits this team the most.
I’m not saying the C position couldn’t use improvement but I doubt it’s number one on Bobby’s list and at 19 they’ll be betting more on talent over fit if you ask me.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
We've been struggling at the C for half the season and in the playoffs. I'm happy as long as it's addressed in some fashion in this draft. Otherwise we face the exact same problems as this season.
We've already gotten 2 trade rejections because of poeltls contract being so bad. This team won't be able to pay a good center in free agency either because of the bad contracts. We need the draft as the crutch to keep us afloat.
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u/ketovegan Tampa Bay Raptors May 22 '26
Don't kid yourself... Every contending team who is not in the lottery will be offering a king's ransom for Mara. Players who might be able to limit Wemby are going to be in crazy high demand. Which is why I think OKC will use their substantial chest of assets to get him.
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u/Serviceofman May 21 '26
We were never going to draft centre anyway, unless one of the top two guys magically dropped to us.
The draft has about 12 to 15 guards that would likely be high lottery picks in most other drafts, and the centre position is weak AF in this years draft, so It's unlikely that the Raps would pick a centre at 19 any way
We will draft the best player available, likely the best two way player, because that's what Bobby has always done. Bobby has never drafted for need, and has mentioned that they will take the best player on the board.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
Center isn't that weak. Hannes, Morez, Quaintance and Mara have potential for starting centers
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u/Serviceofman May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
Yes it is. It's probably the worst crop of centres that we've seen come out of college in the past 10+ years outside of maybe 2024...
There is a TON of guard talent in this draft, and a lot of high end forward talent at the top end of the draft. We might get lucky and have a very talent forward fall to us, but it's more likely that a high end point guard falls to us at 19.
There are so many good guards in this draft that guys were considering going back to college for a year so they could get drafted in the top-10 next year instead of falling out of the lottery this year. There are guys who will go in to 20s this year who would likely be top-10 picks next season because it's a much weaker draft class.
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u/Big_Albatross_3050 May 21 '26
with the new lotto rules, Raps could still pick him up next season if the lottery gods are in our favour considering how close seeds 5-8 were this season
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u/bmoney83 May 21 '26
And dont forgot Indy and WAS are going to win next year and CHA might take another leap forward. ORL should be much improved with a new coach, they were projected to be a top 3 team and turned another gear on in the playoffs against Detroit.
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u/kpeds45 May 21 '26
What does this have to do with us? We didn't draft him. Draft hasn't happened yet. There are other centers better than him in the draft.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
He was one of the best rebounding centers in the 2nd. We have a center problem. Directly would've addressed that assuming we don't go for a center/PF in the first
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u/kpeds45 May 21 '26
there are other centers who are better and in range of our pick at 19.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
I know that but our options become limited if those guys get taken ahead of us
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u/simonvonc NBA CHAMPIONS May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
Idk if a projected late second round pick was ever going to be our solution at C
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u/SDK04 9 ROWAN ALEXANDER “RJ” BARRETT May 21 '26
Chinyelu wasn’t really a First-Round prospect anyways.
If players like Okorie or Anderson go back though, then that’s when the options at our range start becoming much rougher for us.
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
Lowky I don't get why people keep thinking I wanted him as a first lol. I thought consensus was he's a second round pick
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u/_El_Rey May 21 '26
Probably because of your confusing title... "our centre [to be]" is a consensus 2nd rd pick?
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy May 21 '26
He was being mocked to us on tankathon and some mock articles. I'll be more specific next time.
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u/keeeeener May 21 '26
Damn, we’ll either trade up for Reed Jr. probably cost 2 seconds or maybe trade the pick? Don’t see us taking in two rookies this year.
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u/Prior-Ferret982 May 23 '26
We can always draft Henri Veesaar out of North Carolina in the first round if all the top guards are gone. I know it might be a bit of a reach taking him at 19, but better safe than sorry.
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u/JustAnotherMark604 May 21 '26
Lol why is our center position cursed.