Former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said he is mad at Darko Rajakovic over the latest…
The Toronto Raptors may be interested in adding Yves Missi of Baylor and Oso Ighodaro of Marquette as two promising big men in the 2024 draft.
Is it premature to begin anticipating the NBA Draft?
The Toronto Raptors will probably say that the answer is no. With 27 games remaining after the All-Star break, the Raptors, who are currently 19-36, are having that kind of season. Even worse, given its issues this year, the organization could not even have a lottery pick.
Even so, Toronto will still have two picks in the 2024 Draft: a first-round selection from Indiana, currently projected to be selected at No. 17, and Detroit’s second-round selection, projected to be selected at No. 31, should the season end today.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic speculates what Toronto might do with those selections as follows:
Yves Missi (Baylor), No. 17
Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk are anticipated to return to the Raptors, giving them two more experienced centers on the roster for the upcoming campaign. However, Toronto will be missing a developing big man in Christian Koloko due to his departure this season.
Baylor’s 7-foot Yves Missi can help cover that gap.
This season, the 19-year-old rookie has played a supporting role for the Bears, averaging 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. As an intriguing prospect who still needs to reach the maximum degree of skill development, he would be an upside pick. In a defensive pinch, he can move his feet effectively enough to switch out to the perimeter and be effective as a pick-and-roll lob threat.
He isn’t much of a shooter, though, and he hasn’t tried a single three-point shot at Baylor this season, much like Poeltl. His 57.9% free-throw shooting percentage raises doubts about how much shooting potential he still has left unrealized.
Bleacher Report and ESPN have ridiculed Missi as a mid-first-round choice as high as No. 12 to the Oklahoma City Thunder and as low as No. 22.
Oso Ighodaro (Marquette), No. 31
Oso Ighodaro, 21, is a big man who might be more NBA-ready than Missi if that’s what the Raptors are looking for.
Ighodaro, a 6-foot-11 forward from Marquette, is an intriguing big man who is versatile and has the kind of playmaking ability Toronto’s new offensive strategy should be searching for. He is a vital member of the No. 7-ranked Golden Eagles, averaging 14.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Ighodaro, who has only tried two three-pointers this season, is another non-shooter. His 63.7% free-throw shooting percentage begs the question of how much more shooting development he has left in him. Despite this, he is a cunning playmaker who excels at passing and floaters out of the pick-and-roll. Though he lacks Missi’s rim-protecting presence, he would provide greater defensive versatility in the appropriate system as someone who is more suited to switch onto the perimeter.
