Raptors Pre-Draft Preview – Why Kemba Walker is not a good fit!

I have gone back and forth in my head, regarding the upcoming 2011 NBA draft. Particularly regarding the possible draft pick for the Toronto Raptors. A little over two weeks ago, I've stated before that the Raptors should stay away from European Big-Men and focus their attention on improving the point guard position; either Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker.

I am not one to put my foot down on an issue, without having the humility to change my stance or completely shift my position. In the time, since my last piece, I have watched a lot of footage and read a lot of articles covering a number of draft prospects that might be available when the Raptors pick fifth overall. For clarity's sake, I am not changing my stance that the Raptors should take Brandon Knight, but several mock-draft boards have him going to the Utah Jazz with the 3rd pick. Since my initial opinion was that the Raptors need a point guard more than they need a big; if this scenario plays out, the only topnotch point guard available after Knight is Kemba Walker. My opinion on Walker was not very high to begin with and it has dropped some more in the past few weeks. Unlike most other critiques of Walker, pointing to his 6'1 height as huge disadvantage, I point to his defensive limitations and his shot volume.

In forty-one games with UConn - including the tournament run to winning the national championship - Walker averaged eighteen shot attempts per game. He connected at a clip of .428 per cent. From beyond the arc, he launched six attempts per game and connected at a clip of .330 percent. These stats are neither great nor entirely bad - they are okay numbers for a college point guard who was the primary focus on offense for his team. I took into consideration the fact that Walker had the ball in his hand almost all the time. In addition, I also factored in that Jim Calhoun - head coach at UConn - runs a pro-style offense, which puts the ball in the best scorer's hands. My personal opinion is that Walker will go through an adjustment period as a pro. Anywhere from a full season, to a couple of years, before he learns to give up the ball to better athletes and scorers on his team at the next level. The Raptors have specific needs that require a point guard, with a pass first mentality and defensive acumen.

It is evident from last year, that the Raptors are statistically the worst defensive team in the league. A lot of their defensive woes came as a result of a lack of interior defense, team perimeter-help defense and bad shot selection that led to easy buckets for the opposing teams. Drafting Walker would not help this team at all. Matter of fact, I believe it would set them back a few steps defensively. I have never been a fan of point guards that are scorers first and passers second. Only a handful of dynamic guards in NBA history have been offensively gifted enough at the NBA level to score in bunches and effectively get their teammates involved. Allen Iverson is a perfect example here, but he was unique because his ability to score at will created a plethora of opportunities for his teammates.

Kemba Walker is no A.I! Heck, he is not even Nick Van Exel.

What would I do if I was Brian Colangelo? Since I have just stated my reason for not drafting Kemba Walker - on the premise that Brandon Knight has already been drafted? I would address another need. I would select the best defensive Big-Man left on the board. Bismark Biyombo!

Biyombo is an eighteen year old, 6'9 power forward from the Republic of Congo. He is offensively very raw, but not completely inept. He makes up for the limited offense with his defensive capabilities. I will go out on a limb right now and say Biyombo will win defensive player of the year honors at least twice in his NBA career.

2011 Draft Preview: The Toronto Raptors

Pick me! Will the Toronto Raptors pick Brandon Knight in the 2011 NBA Draft?

Brian Colangelo, GM of the Toronto Raptors has some serious decisions to make before the 2011 NBA draft on June 23. One decision, I think he should be weary of making is one that involves European players. Can the Raptors really afford to draft another player from Europe? According to a number of mock draft/basketball websites - ESPN, Hoopshype and nbadraft.net – the Raptors are being slotted to select either Jan Vesely or Jonas Valanciunas. The few websites that predict the Raptors will pick a non-European player, mostly suggested Kemba Walker or Brandon Knight. I am more inclined to agree with draft projections involving these two point guards.

Selecting Valanciunas or Vesely is not the way to address the needs of the team. From a public relations standpoint, the addition of another European player might not sit well with the loyal fan base. Fans are weary of experiments like Rafael Araujo, who is often used as the poster child of the failed Euro-experiments of the team. Although the team is obviously going through a rebuilding phase, selecting a player that might have to stay overseas for a couple of years does not really improve the team.

The Raptors have two major needs. The first is a true-big that loves to bang in the paint and can play post defense. In the 2010-2011 season, the team was ranked 21st in the league in rebounds per game. The team average of 40.32 RPG was better than that of the Boston Celtics’ 38.79 RPG. While the Raptors can stand to improve in the rebounding department, the fact that the Celtics made it to the second round of the playoffs with a lower rebounding average shows that the Raptors have other pressing needs.

I believe that the team’s second and more pressing need lies in the backcourt. Even though it is important to have a low post player, improving the backcourt is more crucial for the future success of the franchise. Starting point guard Jose Calderon’s inability to stay in front of his man has been, what I would describe as the gateway to the defensive liabilities that plague the team. I am not knocking Calderon’s ability to command the offense and distribute effectively to his teammates. His 2010/2011 averages of 10 PPG and 9 APG proves this point. I think Colangelo should revisit the options available to him if they traded Calderon for a veteran post player or maybe for another draft pick in this draft.

This brings me back to the two players I think Colangelo should look to draft, if they are still available on the board. Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker are two point guards with different skill sets, but both have the potential to have solid NBA careers. Knight is a one-and-done player that played for the Kentucky Wildcats, where he posted averages of 17 PPG, 4 APG and 4 RPG. Even though he started the season slowly, Knight managed to show the promising game that was expected of him. He is 6’3, very athletic and is probably the best defensive point guard in the draft. His strengths are his athleticism, size – an NBA ready body – quickness and jump shot. My knock on his game is that he sometimes disappears for stretches. This is a weakness that can be addressed through more experience playing the game at the next level.

Kemba Walker's scoring ability will make it hard for the Raptors to pass up if he is still on the board.

Walker had a remarkable season and led the Connecticut Huskies to a victory in the NCAA championship game. He averaged 23 PPG, 4 APG and 5 RPG. Walker is considered more of a heady point guard that makes his teammates better. I beg to differ on this notion. From the several games that I have watched, I consider him to be a guard that looks to score almost every time he has the ball and only passes when he has to. His height, 6’1, might be a considered a weakness but I don’t see it as such.

If the Raptors were lucky enough to find both of these players available on the draft board, which one do I feel they should pick?, I think the sure bet here is Brandon Knight. His size, shooting ability, defensive willingness and ability along with his strong NBA-ready physique, make him a better prospect than Walker and put him right behind Kyrie Irving as the second-ranked point guard in this draft.