NBA Draft 2016: Predicting rookie busts

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jaylen Brown (California) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jakob Poeltl (Utah) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Jakob Poeltl

If there’s a player that went higher than he probably should have in the 2016 NBA Draft, it’s Jakob Poeltl. With the ninth pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors reached for need with their pick.

While center might not seem like a need at the moment, there is a very real chance that Bismack Biyombo gets a larger deal from somewhere else in free agency and the Raptors have to be smart about where they spend their dollars.

Still, it feels like there were plenty of better options at this pick than Poeltl. He has a great game for college, but his skill set for the pros doesn’t seem translatable. He doesn’t have the ability to move around and do a variety of things, which big men have to do these days.

His offensive game needs plenty of work and he isn’t long enough to fight on the boards. In many cases, this is the classic case of a good college player going above where he should. He’s going to need a lot of work, but the Raptors will have plenty of time to develop him, which is an upside to the pick.

Considering where the Raptors are as a team right now, they should have went with someone that could provide a more immediate impact.

Next: 3. Thon Maker

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