Fansided

NBA Draft 2016: 5 players Toronto Raptors need to target

By David Rouben

Oct 5, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; The Toronto Raptors mascot greats fans before the start of the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Rogers Arena. The Toronto Raptors won 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; The Toronto Raptors mascot greats fans before the start of the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Rogers Arena. The Toronto Raptors won 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Dec 1, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Cheick Diallo (13) dunks the ball against the Loyola-Maryland Greyhounds in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 94-61. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 1, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Cheick Diallo (13) dunks the ball against the Loyola-Maryland Greyhounds in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 94-61. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

There was a lot of hype surrounding Cheick Diallo when he first came to Kansas as a five-star prospect and being named the MVP of the All-American Game. However, he was suspended due to questions surrounding his grades. He spent the majority of his freshman season warming bench and only averaging 3 points per game.

It’s caused his draft stock to dip immensely, but he clearly has the talent to go one-and-done after he impressed at the scouting combine. Diallo is expected to be a frontcourt player, whose primary role is to grab rebounds and block shots. The front court is the position that Toronto needs the most help at, since they shored up their backcourt depth last offseason by drafting Delon Wright and signing Cory Joseph.

Additionally, the power forward position was an area of concern for Toronto in the playoffs, as Dwane Casey alternated between Luis Scola and Patrick Patterson in the starting lineup, and both proved to be a liability at times. Neither of them figures to be a viable option in the short or long run, for the Raptors, which is why they should draft someone at the position.

At 6-foot-7, Diallo is a bit undersized for the role he’s expected to play, but he brings lots of energy to his game. So far, he’s had a lot of comparisons made to Kenneth Faried. One big question that the Raptors will have to face in the offseason is whether they will bring back Bismack Biyombo, but with the money that he’s expected to command on the open market, they would be better suited to let him go.

Diallo brings the same energy and shot-blocking prowess that Biyombo has, so they wouldn’t miss him at all. And he plays regular minutes at the four, meaning he wouldn’t have to lose playing time to Jonas Valanciunas.

Draft Express currently has Diallo ranked as the 23rd overall prospect in this year’s draft, so it might a stretch to think that he’ll be available by the time the Raptors pick 27th. But if he is, he’s worth taking a shot at.

Next: 4. Jakob Poeltl

Home/NBA Draft