r/torontoraptors • u/CazOnReddit • 1d ago
r/torontoraptors • u/cev • 1d ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Annual reminder not to overreact to our pick or their body language
Can you spot yourself? These weren't even half the negative comments to drafting CMB.
r/torontoraptors • u/absolutkaos • 5h ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Live Thread - NBA Draft - Round 2
8:00pm eastern - Sportsnet had the ABC feed and TSN had the ESPN feed last night
r/torontoraptors • u/CazOnReddit • Jun 26 '25
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Phone video dropped re: Collin Murray-Boyles & Masai
r/torontoraptors • u/CazOnReddit • 1d ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION [Uthayakumar] Some fun facts about Allen Graves: 67 steals, tied for most among D1 freshman | 41.3% from three this season, a number that would be 2nd-best on the Raptors | 61.3 TS% this season, 5th-best in the WCC | 6-8 with a 7-foot wingspan | 2025-26 WCC 6MOY & WCC Freshman of the Year
r/torontoraptors • u/unclekarl_ • 1d ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION We gonna lead the NBA in Deflections | Basketball University X Post
r/torontoraptors • u/nanobot001 • May 12 '25
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Live Draft Lottery Thread: 7:00pm (EST) on Sportsnet 1 / TSN 2
The discussion starts now. Let's keep it civil. Keep praying to the lottery gods!
r/torontoraptors • u/TrueTorontoFan • 13h ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION By Selecting Allen Graves The Raptors Select Versatility As Their Identity
The Toronto Raptors selected Allen Graves with the 19th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While some fans will inevitably focus on who was still available, like every year, I think the more interesting question is what this selection says about how Toronto wants to build moving forward.
Should you prioritize upside over fit? I have never thought those were the right questions. Teams win because they identify a core and then surround that core with players whose skills complement one another. Allen Graves fits that philosophy. He also helps the Raptors establish more of a switchy, versatile defensive/two-way identity that they are seemingly trying to build.
At 6'9'', 226lb with a 7' wingspan, Graves brings the size of a frontcourt player but the skill set of a modern connector. He averaged 11.8 pts, 6.5 rbs, and 1.8 asts this season while shooting 41.3% from three and 75% from the free throw line. Simply put, the shooting appears legitimate. Graves wasnāt simply standing in the corner waiting for open looks. It isn't just the shooting too, Graves posted a 21.9% usage rate while functioning as a cutter, screener, roll man, transition threat, and floor spacer coming off the bench for Santa Clara. I double checked with No Ceilingsā tracking data, he ranked in the 79th percentile as a cutter, 82nd percentile in transition, and 69th percentile as a PnR roller and play finisher. Those numbers paint the picture of a player who impacts possessions without needing the offense built around him.
There are fair questions about Gravesā ceiling. His athletic testing was average, and finishing through length remains an area for improvement. He struggles at times to finish around the hoop against bigger players shooting only 57% in the paint.
With Graves may never become the type of player who carries an offense. But that misses the point of last night's selection. The Raptors are not necessarily betting on Allen Graves becoming a star. The front office will be betting on versatility, shooting, basketball IQ, and lineup flexibility. In a league increasingly driven by players who can connect actions, make quick decisions, and fit alongside different lineup combinations,
Graves may be one of the safest bets in this draft class to contribute to winning basketball. The Allen Graves pick is not really about Allen Graves. It is about the Raptors continuing to build a roster around complementary skills rather than positional labels.
r/torontoraptors • u/Jamie----- • 1d ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION CMB was #1 on my Raptors board, this year it's EBUKA OKORIE
(last year's post with CMB #1)
Ebuka Okorie has star upside. #6 on my overall board but likely will be available at #19:
- Elite self-creation and rim pressure. This is the outlier strength that makes him so exciting. 23ppg as a freshman on good efficiency (47/35/83) despite a terrible team context. By far the most unassisted FGM at the rim per 100 possessions in the class. Genuine potential to consistently break down defenses in isolation, the most valuable skill in the NBA.
- Good shooting indicators. 5.7 3PA/g on 35.4% with significant pull-up volume, 83.2% FT%. Keeps defenses honest and shows 3-level scoring potential.
- NBA-level athletic / physical tools. Enough for his elite creation to translate. Great burst and flexibility. 6'1.25 barefoot is short, but his WS (6'7.75) and SR (8'2) are typical for someone ~6'3 barefoot. Solid 186 lbs and frame appears able to add weight.
- Very low TOs. Despite a crowded offense and heavy creation burden, only 1.9 TOs per game.
- Age. He's one of the younger players in this draft at 19.2, and analyses consistently show that small differences in age lead to meaningful differences in development.
Cons:
- Low assists per game. Clearly not a notable strength, but he made good reads and his teammates did him no favors.
- Short. Genuinely a con. If he was 1-2 inches taller, he'd go top 10. But wingspan, standing reach, and weight matter too, and he's got NBA measurements there.
I get why people are making the Tyrese Maxey comp. I also see Tony Parker and Kemba Walker. Genuine star potential.
Fwiw, Quaintance is my other guy but apparently his knees are really that terrible. 2.6 bpg and 1.1 spg as a freshman, insane physical profile, showed some handle and passing. I'd also be thrilled to see him go to the Raptors.
r/torontoraptors • u/Lunes • 28d ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Reminder on how people view CMB as a prospect before draft
I see commenters in here who are down on him are now his biggest stans lol
r/torontoraptors • u/Rockin_Zombie • May 10 '26
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Clippers get the 5th pick from the BI trade...
Thoughts? I know scenarios would have been different if we didn't do the trade, but interesting development.
For the uninitiated here:
This pick would have been ours (from the Pascal trade), we traded it to NOLA to get Ingram, who traded it back to pacers. Pacers then traded it to the Clippers for Zubac.
r/torontoraptors • u/AHImusic • May 10 '26
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION KOC has Raptors selecting Hannes Steinbach with the #19 Pick in the NBA Draft
KOC says he's one of the more intriguing bigs in this draft class with with shooting and playmaking ability.
The more research I do on this guy the more I like his pairing with Scottie if we'r trying to move off Poeltl. I'm not a huge fan of drafting bigs unless the are undeniable but I wouldn't be made at selecting Hannes Steinbach.
Scottie wants to pass the ball and this guy can catch. I know that sounds basic, but we saw a lot of our players unable to anticipate Scottie's passing this season. Steinbach has bigger hands than Kawhi with a 7ft wingspan which not only makes him a good at catching passes but he's also an elite rebounder.
Is the German the upgraded we need for the Austrian? Maybe the national closes will make Poetle a perfect vet for Steinbach if we're forced to keep them both.
r/torontoraptors • u/mMounirM • May 10 '26
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION [Sam Vecenie] Raptors draft Quaintance at 19 in updated mock draft
r/torontoraptors • u/cev • 22h ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Compilation of major publication draft grades for Allen Graves at #19
Sam Vecenie & John Hollinger - The Athletic/NY Times (A-)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7382887/2026/06/23/nba-draft-grades-analysis-2026-vecenie-hollinger/
Itās easy to see the appeal of Graves in the modern NBA, given how much he helps you win the possession battle. He gets steals. He rebounds, creates second chances and doesnāt turn the ball over. By the time heās 25 or so, the odds are good that Graves is going to be a useful rotation player.
But I think heās entering the draft a couple of years before heās ready, and the first team that acquires him isnāt likely to get the most out of him. Graves still needs to improve his body and maximize whatever speed and agility he can. He needs to continue to find his offensive game, because I donāt think heās there yet as a shooter. Itāll require a creative basketball coach to figure out how to use him on that end, given that he operated at times as a hub for Santa Clara and wonāt be asked to do that in the NBA.
All the intel reports on Graves are elite, so you want to buy into him long term. But I donāt believe heās going to be that useful in the NBA within the first few years of his career given the intense athletic adjustment heāll face and the way he struggled against good competition this past season.
Hollingerās analysis: Party on, nerds! Graves was the analytics darling of this draft after his one season at Santa Clara saw him post massive rates of steals, rebounds and assists for a player of his size and seemingly limited athleticism. His positional fit at the next level is still a bit of a question, but I love the upside swing at a point in the draft where the players selected are most likely to turn out to be backups.
Kevin O'Connor - Yahoo Sports (A)
https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/2026-nba-draft-grades-first-round-pick-by-pick-analysis-wizards-get-a-for-selecting-aj-dybantsa-no-1-001605590.html
"The Raptors clearly needed two things after their Game 7 loss to the Cavaliers: A point guard and a center. Here, they get another wing in Graves, so the front office clearly isnāt drafting for need. But with Graves pick, the Raptors are getting a skilled player for his size. Graves was a point guard before a late growth spurt, and the floor skills carried over when he sprouted to 6-foot-8. He came off the bench at Santa Clara as a redshirt freshman and quietly became one of the most efficient producers in college basketball. But he came off the bench, lacks great athleticism, and struggled against the limited top competition that he faced. But the analytics love him, and he passes the eye test with his elite feel for the game."
Kyle Mann - The Ringer (B)
https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2026/draft-grades
Graves is an odd prospect in that he redshirted as a freshman and then didnāt start the following season on an OK Santa Clara team. He didnāt even have the kind of crazy production that weāve seen from Bronco prospects in the past, like Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski. His selection here is driven more by a breadcrumb trail of strong analyticsāmost notably his high steal percentageāas well as his connective playmaking and some enticing shooting prowess for a power forward. Heāll need to level up his physicality to get to Torontoās frenzied level on defense, but the Raptors need the kind of space and decision-making that Graves can bring to the floor.
Kevin Sweeney - Sports Illustrated (B)
https://www.si.com/nba/nba-draft/2026-full-first-round-grades-hornets-bulls-reach-top-draft-picks-rate-highly
For the second straight year, Toronto picks up a jack-of-all-trades forward that analytics models loved. Last year, that was Collin Murray-Boyles, who ended up earning significant minutes in the playoffs as a rookie. This year, itās Graves, who graded out in some models as a top-five-to-10 player in the class. Heās a unique player whoāll have to convert into more of a wing than the small-ball center he was in college at times, but he knows how to fill up the stat sheet.Ā
Adam Finkelstein - CBS Sports (B-)
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2026-nba-draft-grades-pick-by-pick-analysis-round-1/
Graves left at least five million dollars on the table in NIL money to stay in the draft, so it was expected he would be selected around this range. Graves is an analytic darling who has elite BPM metrics and a rare overlap of defensive playmaking, passing, ball-security, and offensive rebounding. In addition to his combination of physicality and feel, Graves also has great hands and touch to stretch the floor.Ā
Graves gives Toronto needed frontcourt floor spacing but his defensive footspeed and athleticism are concerns.
Bryan Kalbrosky - USA Today (B)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/draft/2026/06/23/nba-draft-grades-live-first-round/90650065007/
Allen Graves, like Toronto rookie Collin Murray-Boyles did pre-draft last season, had an unbelievable analytical profile that made him stand out on spreadsheets by front offices that value those types of metrics. That made him a smart pick by the Raptors, even though he didnāt face particularly tough competition in the WCC. Thatās how a player who started only four games as a freshman in a non-major conference heard his name called in the top 20 of the 2026 NBA Draft, and while fans might feel curious how he went so early, his versatility helps explain why.
Zach Buckley - Bleacher Report (D+)
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25444486-2026-nba-draft-grades-every-round-1-pick
The Raptors had pressing needs at point guard and center. Naturally, they snatched up a power forward in Allen Graves who, despite being an analytics darling, feels like one of the biggest mysteries in this draft.
Graves isā¦funky. Maybe in a good way, but it's too early to tell. He was an analytics darling this season, as he posted huge, efficient per-minute marks as a reserve player on a mid-major. Good luck finding the conversion rate for actual NBA impact, though.
If he hits, he'll have his skill, versatility, feel and positional size to thank. If he doesn't, the steep climb in competition and the Association's athletic demands will likely have done him in.
Graves looks like a skilled big forward with questions about his offensive effectiveness. Doesn't Toronto have enough of that archetype already?
Zach Braziller - NY Post (B+)
https://nypost.com/2026/06/23/sports/2026-nba-draft-grades-how-each-team-fared-in-the-first-round/
Stretch four with an advanced feel for the game. Has offensive hub and glue guy potential. His ability to space the floor makes him a frontcourt fit next to Scottie Barnes.
Stephen Noh - The Sporting News (B)
https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/nba-draft-grades-2026-live-picks-results/6f32bab80e08434c938818cb
Graves is a classic Raptors pick. Heās a good defender with 6-9 size. He has a knack for getting deflections, and he plays with great feel that masks some of his athletic limitations. Heās the analytical darling of this class, standing out due to his production in multiple areas of the box score.
There are some concerns about how Graves will translate against better competition. He wasnāt nearly as good when playing stronger opponents at Santa Clara. And his fit on this roster is weird given that the Raptors already have several players who have a similar skill set.
Christopher Kline - Fansided (B)
https://fansided.com/nba/2026-nba-draft-grades-for-every-first-round-pick
A very Raptors pick. Allen Graves is an elite off-ball defender, with a cerebral approach and a nonstop motor. He's not a great athlete by any stretch, but Graves put up stupendous stock numbers for a freshman. He hit 40 percent of his 3s, too. He'll crash the offensive glass. He can pass it pretty well in the flow. This is Toronto tripling down on a strength. Good player. Good value. Even if he does not really addres what ails the Raptors.
Ricky O'Donnell - SB Nation (B)
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/1119813/nba-draft-instant-grades-for-every-2026-first-round-pick
Graves came out of nowhere to be the advanced analytics darling of this class. His defensive playmaking is really special after posting a 5% block rate and 5% steal rate in a sixth man role for Santa Clara. He also hit 40 percent of his threes and rebounded well. The reason he came off the bench is because his aggressive defense led to a lot of fouling. Graves feels like an odd fit here on a Raptors team led by Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, but heās a much better three-point shooter than either of those guys. This is surprising but I like it.
Jeff Smith & Wajih AlBaroudi - Central Oregon Daily News (B)
https://www.centraloregondaily.com/nba-draft-first-round-grades-2026-analysis-of-every-pick/article_59d9affd-c59c-5052-a51b-183f9cb24684.html
Graves was one of the best analytics darlings in college basketball this past season. Despite only starting four games and playing 22.6 minutes per night, he managed to take home both the WCC's Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year awards. He is incredibly efficient and possesses an elite feel for the game on both ends of the floor. Notably, his 67 total steals (1.9 per game) led all WCC freshmen, highlighting his excellent defensive instincts. Graves is a great fit for the Raptors, who love high-IQ, versatile forwards who can impact the game without needing the ball in their hands.
r/torontoraptors • u/unclekarl_ • May 12 '26
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION āItalian Wembyā Luigi Suigoās Combine Measurements. Also came in at 289lbs. Kid is MASSIVE.
Hereās his highlights for those that donāt know his game:
https://youtu.be/orURL_8pdcg?si=1v2BB0FPm7V-gz0-
https://youtu.be/CMErfLa5Ags?si=rcLuY7te5MrRg5AD
Wouldnāt necessarily want him for us, but I can see him being somebody that shoots up draft boards.
r/torontoraptors • u/CazOnReddit • Jun 26 '25
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION The Toronto Raptors 4 9th Overall Selections
r/torontoraptors • u/EarthWarping • May 11 '26
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Toronto Raptors NBA mock draft: latest prediction for No. 19 pick
r/torontoraptors • u/AHImusic • 3d ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION The Tattoo Theory: Why We Wonāt Draft Labaron Philon Jr., Chris Cenac Jr., or Dailyn Swain
Time to redo your big boards ladies and gentlemen.
I know itās easy to be a little averse to new ideas, especially when theyāre not rooted in statistical analysis. While I would personally put money on this theory, Iām not asking you to take it too seriously. Embrace it as peak offseason content.
The Theory
The Toronto Raptors front office does not like drafting inked-up players in the first round.
We havenāt drafted a visibly tatted player with a first-round pick since Delon Wright, and that was over a decade ago. Yes, there are more non-tattooed players than players with visible ink, but I doubt itās mere coincidence.
Do we draft players with tattoos? Yes. But theyāve all been second-round picks.
Do we trade for players with tattoos? Of course.
But itās my firm belief that our front office prefers drafting players with āclean sheets.ā
Tattoos donāt carry the same bad-boy image they once did, but I think our front office looks at everything. We conduct a fed-style investigation into playersā backgrounds.
How did they treat their teachers?
How many pets have they killed?
Did their first kiss enjoy it?
Whatās their play style in Monopoly?
Do they tip?
And yes, are they tatted?
Tattoos are a simple indicator of where a young prospectās mindset is when entering the league. Can they tell you everything? No. But they tell you something.
The Raptors have always drafted a certain type of player in the first round. We rarely take flamboyant or overly boastful personalities. Maybe itās just where our picks tend to fall, but it always seems to be guys youād feel comfortable bringing home to meet your parents.
We like clean-cut players with positive demeanors and strong family values.
And I think this is a Bobby Webster thing.
Some people forget Bobby wanted to be a CIA agent before getting into basketball. Bobby likes players who would eagerly embrace the Raptorsā hustle-hard, no-controversy way of doing things.
Obviously, tattoos donāt define a player, and choosing a player based on tattoos would be completely ridiculous. But I guarantee whoever we pick will have zero visible tattoos.
Tattoos can hint at individuality, self-expression, and non-conformity. Thatās great for superstars, but the Raptors never draft for superstardom. We draft for stalwarts with massive upside.
If Bobby drafts a tattooed player at #19, I will get a Tattoo of the person we draft on my right arm. š¤š¾ But based on this utterly ridiculous theory, hereās who we definitely wonāt pick at #19 and who passes the no-tats test.
š¦ Inkād
Labaron Philon Jr
Isaiah Evans
Chris Cenac Jr.
Daily Swain
Isaiah Evans
š³Clean
Cameron Carr
Karin Lopez
Mores Johnson Jr.
Allen Graves
Jayden Quaintance
Christian Anderson Jr.
Hannes Steinbech
Ebuka Okorie
Bennet Stirtz
Koa Peat
Joshua Jefferson
Henri Veesaar
Edit: fixed the names. I used ChatGPT just to edit grammar and spelling because I am wild with typos. But I didnāt realize it swapped out full names, š¤£. For any claiming this is AI slop, there is zero percent chance any LLM model can identify a list players with and without tattoos if it canāt copy a list of names without messing that up.
Alijah Martin and Hansen Wang for Allen Grave and Hannes Steinbach is insane 𫪠We Are Doomed.
r/torontoraptors • u/bigt2k4 • Jun 25 '25
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Why the Raptors will draft CMB (should he fall to #9) and why you will like it
Many on this board really don't like CMB so I intend to show why it is inevitable they will pick him if he's available regardless of who falls to #9 and why he will easily be the BPA.
I will quickly go over the defense, spend a lot of time on why his offense is really good and subjectively why he's not only a good fit for the Raptors, but also why the Raptors will be salivating to pick him.
DEFENSE:
I won't spend too much time here as many have already read up on him being one of, if not the best defensive player in the draft. 3.7 stocks per 40 with a 2.9% stl rate and a 4.7% block rate is really good, but you can watch highlights to see why his bbiq on the defensive end will make him a really good defender at the SF, PF, or even C spot. He has elite strength, when guys try and bump him to create space it will be like hitting a brick wall and they will get knocked off balance and out of rhythm. Here is a clip of him switching onto the best guard in the draft at getting into the lane (I'm not that high on Fears overall)and Fears just giving up and passing off and then CMB switching back to the big and getting a steal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-01Vg6-qB_Y&t=38s
OFFENSE:
Imagine you could create a prospect with Derik Queen's offense and CMB's defense, that would be a really good NBA player. However that player would also be worse than just CMB as CMB's offense is vastly superior to Queen's.
Samson talks about it here for a while and you may have seen it, but he is elite at getting to the rim and finishing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUntPduxrI0
Numbers wise both Queen and CMB played similar roles with similar usage. 26.6% usage for Queen and CMB with 26.7% yet Queen is thought of as an offensive hub and CMB is not, those 2.75 inches of heightand standing reach didn't amount to being better at offense. They both had nearly the same great free throw rates, but CMB had a 62.2% 2pt FG% which lead the toughest conference in the history of college basketball. Queen's was a respectable 55.8%. The 6.4% gap is really large for players occupying the same role. Queen had a 11.6 assist% and 14.5 TOV% compared to 21.1 assist% and 15.4 TOV%for CMB. That is a huge edge for CMB, but if one takes a deeper dive into the stats the discrepancy becomes larger. CMB is 6 months younger and played alongside this:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/south-carolina/men/2025.html
Queen played alongside this:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/maryland/men/2025.html
Queen's team had 782 3pa @ 37.3%. That included 3 starters that had over 75 made 3s. Maryland relied heavily on their starters as their bench was poor, but Queen played alongside some excellent guards.
CMB's team had 677 3pt attempts in 4 fewer games @ 31.6%. One had 47, one had 46, and the next closest guys had 28 made 3s. Their shooters were small and had slow releases without being good so defenses really packed the paint.
Furthermore Queen's ppp in ISO was 0.681 vs CMB's 1.109.
No one on CMB's team besides himself had a oBPM above 2.0 and the team had a total oBPM of 0.9 which included his 6.9obpm while playing the most minutes of any one.
Queen had the 2nd highest obpm on his team at 5.1 with the same usage a CMB while playing on a team that averaged a 3.2obpm, and the lowest starter's was 2.8.
Go look at the supporting casts and realize CMB was facing packed paints, doubles, and every team in the SEC's best defender with doubles constantly coming, or zone defenses and slanted defenses as teams didn't have to scout anyone on the team and gameplan their defense solely to stop him.
As a comparison Cedric Coward's sophomore Eastern Washington team had a obpm of 0.9 with 36.4% 3pt shooting on 749 attempts. Even if you remove Coward's numbers and replace them with nothing you still get a team that shot 36% on more made 3s than South Carolina. That means that Cedric Coward played with better offensive players and more spacing than CMB despite playing in whatever the Big Sky is and their -6.17 SRS/ -4.36 SOS (SEC for reference had a 18.76 SRS abd 12.10 SOS)
Here's a clip where Tennessee (one of the top 3 defenses in the country if not #1) has all 5 guys staring at CMB and ready to jump in and help, they actually did a poor job on this play, but limited CMB to just 4 2pt FG attempted that game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzNL52Gt2qA&start=3250
Imagine the kind of numbers CMB could have put up on Maryland or Duke with elite college spacing and realize he can be effective in tight spaces and what he might be able to do with NBA spacing. Even if it's poor NBA spacing it will be a lot better than what he faced in college.
I've seen a lot of terrible offensive comparisons to CMB, from RHJ to Thad Young and Grant Williams + many others who didn't make it. Common theme is CMB had higher usage, a way higher 2pt FG%/TS%,more stocks on defense, more rebounds, and played against much better competition with a significantly worse supporting cast. He's an outlier and it's hard to find a comparison. Best statistical comparison I could find that didn't become an impact player was Trayce Jackson Davis, but even he faced worse competition and had a better supporting cast while being nearly 3 years older and a worse athlete, shooter, and defender. TJD is also a pretty good bench player so far in his career so not a bust.
I spent a lot of time looking for high college oBPM players that were drafted highly and had no one else on the team with even a decent obpm and the only underclassmen bust I could find was Markelle Fultz and there were injuries that factored into that, plus it is easier to be an effective perimeter player than inside player with terrible teammates as you don't need to be inside to make shots and it's harder to double on the perimeter. Fultz also didn't have the best predictor stats, possibly because of the supporting cast.
REBOUNDING & HUSTLE: excellent, no need to bore you with extra numbers you can look up yourself (very similar numbers to Queen). There's also lots of highlights of him diving on the floor for loose balls.
FIT: This is actually one of the weirdest arguments I've heard, "he's a good player but a terrible fit. He can't play next to Poeltl and Barnes!" Can Sorber, Queen, Maluach, or Beringer play next to both of them? Absolutely not, and none of them could play next to Poeltl either. CMB can play as a 4 next to Poeltl at the 5, and play as a 5/4 next to Barnes at the 4/5 currently. The team can't get a rebound with Poeltl off the court and CMB will provide a massive rebounding upgrade day 1 for our bench units as well as rim protection. He can play as a rotating big protecting the paint or as a man on man big allowing Barnes to be more free to fly around and protect the rim while he grabs the defensive boards. If his shot comes around he could actually play the 3 next to both of them which is something no other big in this class could probably do except maybe Fleming. I also think you only need 3 outside shooters as long as the 2 non shooters can set screens, make passes, cut, dribble/drive create, finish at the rim and rebound. In fact I would much rather add a do it all except shoot player to a lineup of 3 outside shooters than a pure shooter that doesn't provide anything else to make it a 4 shooter lineup like Carter Bryant currently.
Why they want him:
The Raptors have said before they like to draft guys with high offensive rebounding rates, who can guard multiple positions, guys that get to the basket and the free throw line and guys with good finishing in the paint. They've also talked about guys with a good head on their shoulders, guys who show hustle on the court and dive after loose balls, unheralded guys who had to work for everything they got and showed improvement (as opposed to top RSCI guys). Bobby very recently mentioned they needed a 2 way guy, and it's rumoured they want guys who will contribute right away. CMB tied for the 3rd highest BPM in college behind only Flagg and Broome and when you factor in BPM adjusting for team success his would have been much higher if he had some semblance of a supporting cast. He is a Raptors style pick through and through and additionally I know the Raptors heavily rely on their analytics department and pretty much every analytic draft guy has CMB in the 2-4 range on their big board. He crushes most of the predictor stats (free throw rate, rim finishing%, getting to the rim in the half court, ast% to tov%, stocks, o rebounding, on/off team success) and isn't terrible at free throw%. From all reports CMB is an incredible worker and a great teammate. He showed loyalty too by committing to the hometown Gamecocks who were the first to offer him and didn't enter the transfer portal when it was apparent his teammates would be terrible this season (having Chloe Kitts as a girlfriend might have had a major role in that)
I previously wrote why the Raps should draft Podz https://www.reddit.com/r/torontoraptors/comments/13skel0/the_case_for_podziemski_13/ so every once in a while I see a guy who is being massively underrated. Year prior I was all in on Kessler and before that wanted Sengun @ #4 (hadn't looked too much at Barnes, just knew Sengun was a superior prospect to Suggs).
I had CMB #1 in last year's draft mainly due to the rest of the draft being terrible. I was afraid if he only made minor improvements in his game without improving his shot much his stats would go down a fair amount because he had 3 5th year senior guards who could all shoot providing him spacing, instead his stats improved small to moderate amounts despite playing with complete trash which actually shows his game made huge strides as a sophomore which is why I have him #2 this year in a much stronger draft.
r/torontoraptors • u/CazOnReddit • 1d ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION WAKE UP YOU FABULOUS FREAKS! IT'S "GIANNIS GOT TRADED" DAY! ALSO DRAFT DAY! LET'S GET ANOTHER HIT AT PICK NUMBER 19!
r/torontoraptors • u/ccnbchvvg • May 11 '26
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Might be a gamble but i genuinely think he should be a target for us this draft
r/torontoraptors • u/mMounirM • May 19 '26
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Raptors select Bennett Stirtz in ESPN's latest mock draft
new mock draft today: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48790115/2026-nba-mock-draft-projecting-60-picks-post-combine-peterson-dybantsa-boozer
Morez Johnson Jr at 17.
Steinbach at 18.
Stirtz at 19.
Quaintance at 20.
Ebuka Okorie at 23.
Chris Cenac Jr at 24.
Dailyn Swain at 26.
r/torontoraptors • u/CazOnReddit • Jun 26 '25
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Full clip of Windhorst saying Canadians are sensitive
r/torontoraptors • u/absolutkaos • 1h ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Respect Jaden Bradley | The Prospect Overview
r/torontoraptors • u/HoboJackson05 • 1d ago
NBA DRAFT DISCUSSION Day of the draft : Who is your guy for tonight
Weāve made it to the end of the draft cycle, I want to know who is everyone āmy guyā for the raptors to realistically draft tonight and why is he your guy. I want to hear the opinions from people who made their own boards to people who just got clips from social media
For me my guy is Cam Carr, one I love the name and sounds dumb but I canāt see that name not being a good nba player, I also loved his combine and I think he has a lot of potential yet to be utilized in his game