Toronto Raptors Could Target Jan Vesely with No. 5 Pick in 2011 NBA Draft
ESPN NBA Draft honcho Chad Ford unveiled his latest mock draft on Tuesday. For the most part, there was nothing out of the ordinary, but Ford did drop a pretty juicy hint about the Toronto Raptors' draft plans.
Ford mocked Jan Vesely, a 6-11 power forward from the Czech Republic, to the Raptors at No. 5, and he said it wasn't entirely random.
Writes Ford:
Now that [general manager] Bryan Colangelo has his extension, he can afford to take more risks. The question is ? who does he gamble on? Last week we had [Jonas] Valanciunas here. He's still in the mix, but I've been told that Vesely is even higher on his list.
It makes sense that Colangelo would be interested in Vesely. He is a very good athlete that can run the floor, play on the perimeter, and finish at the rim. If you're thinking he sounds like a good fit for the hole left by Chris Bosh's departure, you would be right.
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Valanciunas, a 6-10 forward from Lithuania, would also be a good pick, but he doesn't seem to be quite as NBA-ready as Vesely is. Seeing as how the Raptors won just 22 games this season, they need help now.
In addition to Vesely and Valanciunas, Ford mentions UConn point guard Kemba Walker and Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight as options for the Raptors. If the Raptors choose to go that route, they may have to consider moving Jose Calderon. He's a good player, so the Raptors could probably find a buyer.
Of course, that depends on the lockout more than anything else. The longer it lasts, the harder it is for teams to make trades. Because of that, taking Vesely or Valanciunas is probably safer.
We'll find out on June 23.
Shana Hiatt Tara Conner Drea de Matteo Trista Rehn Moon Bloodgood
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