Raptors The 12th pick pick belongs to the Toronto Raptors.   The Raptors GM for this pick is Patrick Dolman who selects

Alek Radojevic, C, 7'3",Barton County CC

Team Overview

This season was one of resurgence for the Raptors as they flirted with the post-season for the first time in team history. The veteran leadership of Charles Oakley and Kevin Willis, coupled with the youthful exuberance of Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, as well as the coaching of Butch Carter and the management of Glen Grunwald, the Raptors have shown that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future. A team record of 23-27, leaves Raptors fans wanting in earnest for the Raptors to break to .500 barrier next season. To achieve this goal, the team must re-sign Oakley and Wallace, and lock up McGrady for the future, to ensure that the success they have gained does not falter as it did when their third season was not as promising as the second.

Draft History

The Raptors have selected two of the past four ROY recipients, one under the hand of Isiah Thomas and the other under the guidance of Glen Grunwald. Damon Stoudamire, the '96 ROY, has since been traded to Portland and it looks as though his time there may be through as well since he can't quit complaining about either a lack of playing time or scoring. Vince Carter, the '99 ROY, has taken the city of Toronto by storm and looks to be the future of the franchise, along with the teams '97 NBA Draft selection, Tracy McGrady. McGrady has continued to progress and looks to blossom under the tutelage of Butch Carter. The teams selection in the '96 NBA Draft, Marcus Camby, is currently being featured in the NBA finals and has seemed to form a cult following by Bill Walton who seems to never say a bad thing about Camby, or "his" Knicks. The truth is, Camby is still a bench player and weak side shot blocker who would NEVER have been the starting center that the Raptors had hoped for.

Team Analysis (by Player)

STARTING LINEUP

Alvin Williams Pos: PG Stats: 5.0 ppg, 2.6 apg Status: signed to '00

Williams is NOT the long term solution for the Raptors at the point guard position. He was inconsistent at times and was barely utilized in the fourth quarter, even in games that the Raptors had no chance of winning. He needs to improve his confidence, once he begins to slash into the lane on a consistent basis, he will be more effective as a point guard since he will have the option of scoring himself or distributing the ball to his teammates. An improvement on his outside shot would help as well.

Doug Christie Pos: SG Stats: 15.2 ppg, 3.7 apg, 2.27 spg Status: signed to '04

Christie remains as a team stabilizer as the only original Raptor still on this season's roster. He is an excellent defender and understands his role and plays it effectively. One of the knocks on Doug's game is his tendency to take bad shots and this is still an area of his game that he will have to work on to improve as the Raptors shooting guard.

Vince Carter Pos: SF Stats: 18.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.0 apg Status: t-opt '02

Carter surprised everyone on his way to becoming the '99 NBA Rookie of the Year. His highlight reel dunks and enthusiasm will be something that Raptors fans will be able to enjoy for years to come since Vince has openly expressed his love for the team, city, and its fans. His must continue to work on his offensive game and look to improve his defense which seemed to surprise most people. His athleticism and desire to learn will help greatly in both of these areas.

Charles Oakley Pos: PF Stats: 7.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.4 apg Status: Free agent

Charles Oakley has provided the veteran leadership and hard work ethnic example that the the Raptors have needed ever since their inception into the NBA. Without his guidance, the development of at least one player, Vince Carter, would not have been so much, so quickly. Vince himself credited Oakley for his guidance along the way, and he is definitely the first priority of the Raptors.

Kevin Willis Pos: C Stats: 12.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg Status: signed to '00

The Raptors needed rebounding and a low post threat at the conclusion of the '98-'99 season and in a trade with the Rockets for virtually nothing (read: Roy Rogers and draft pick), the received all that and more. The more that they received was a veteran player with post season experience and the respect of his opponents. Even though he is aging, he is still good for 30 minutes a game, and can provide guidance to another low post threat, maybe someone like Rebracka.

KEY BENCH PLAYERS:

Tracy McGrady Pos: G/F Stats: 9.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg Status: signed to '00

The success of the Raptors is perfectly correlated with the development of McGrady. As he goes, so do the Raptors. If the Raptors can sign him long term, they could have another Jordan/Pippen tandem on their hands if Carter improves his shot and is able to move to the 2 spot with T-Mac at the 3. He showed great strides of improvement this season and the presence of cousin Vinny will not doubt help as well.

John Wallace Pos: SF Stats: 8.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg Status: Free Agent

J-Dub did something for the first time in his career this year: played defence. At the beginning of the season he wasn't playing much and he only started to get more playing time as his defence improved. It is this development that hurt his playing time, but if the Raptors re-sign him, they will be guaranteed the instant offence that Wallace provides, along with an improved defensive presence.

Dee Brown Pos: PG Stats: 11.2 ppg, .387 3pt% Status: Free Agent

The best three point shooter on the Raptors and one of the best in the NBA this season provided the veteran stability that the young team needed during the fourth quarter of games. The Raptors should look to re-sign him to help bring along the young nucleus of players that they have when Oakley and Willis retire, which in both cases may be sooner than later.

John Thomas Pos: PF Stats: 4.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg Status: signed to '00

The Minnesota product has provided more than expected and is a definite "banger" in the low post. He can guard low post players who are, at times, six inches taller than him and do so quite effectively.

Team Needs

  1. A quick point guard who can distribute, penetrate, and hit the open jumper.
  2. A low post player who can learn under Willis and Oakley and take the throne once they depart.
  3. A slashing swingman as insurance for the possible departure of Wallace or McGrady.
  4. Height; aside from Oakley, Willis and Stewart, the other frontcourt players, Thomas and Slater, are greatly undersized for their roles.

My selection

With the 12th selection in the 1999 Usenet NBA Mock Draft, the Toronto Raptors select … …. From Barton County Community College, Alek Radojevic.

Why?

Radojevic provides the Raptors with the height they need and a future low post threat. Even though the team also owns the rights to Rebracka, they are unable to pay him the type of money that he will earn in the European leagues and it looks as if his desire to play in the NBA is not paramount. Radojevic has a great upside than the other big men in the draft, mainly Eschmeyer and MacCullough, and this is why I have chosen him with this pick.

Other players considered

Who the team will select

I think that the Raptors may take Radojevic, or go for the swingman insurance and select Artest, Marion or Jones, whomever of the three is still available at the 12th selection. Whoever the selection may be, it is doubtful that they will make the starting lineup and can only hope to provide off of the bench to work their way into the 9 man rotation.

Other moves the team should make

  1. re-sign Oakley and Wallace.
  2. lock up McGrady with a long-term contract.
  3. dip into the free agent market to acquire a big man, perferrably a veteran.
  4. look at trading down from the #5 spot and still select Andre Miller.

Craig Simpson - Usenet Draft Commissioner


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