Mock Draft: Raptors Could See Kansas Freshman As Another Coveted Shooter

There's no such thing as too much shooting.

Frankly, the Toronto Raptors have found themselves too far on the other side of the spectrum over the past few seasons. The Raptors ranked 28th in three-point shooting two seasons ago and climbed to just 27th this past year. The addition of Gradey Dick helped that some, but Toronto could certainly use a lot more shooting help this summer.

Maybe Kansas freshman Johnny Furphy can help that.

The 6-foot-7.5 wing profiles as a Dick-like player who moves smoothly off the ball and should develop into an impactful shooter when he fills out his body down the road. He hasn't been projected to go quite as high as No. 19 in most mock drafts, but CBS' David Cobb thinks Toronto could be eyeing the Australian-born shooter as a potential late first-round pick.

"Furphy blossomed into a key player for Kansas as his freshman season progressed," Cobb wrote. "He needs a couple years in an NBA strength training program before he's ready to withstand rigors of the league. But he's got a sweet jumper and a chance at developing into an NBA starter."

As easy as it is to draw comparisons to Dick, Furphy isn't quite that level of player right now. He averaged just 9 points per game for the Jayhawks while shooting 35.2% from three-point range as the fifth-option for Kansas this past season.

What Furphy does have is good spacial awareness and an ability to make savvy cuts and find space to nail jumpers. He's a good transition player who works well running off handoffs and navigating off-ball screens.

Defensively, Furphy has work to do.

He's unlikely to ever be a high-impact defender. He lacks the quickness to stay in front of skills perimeter players and doesn't quite have the strength to slow down bigger players. As he matures physically, his height should allow him to be passable defensively, it's unlikely he ever become a real defensive stopper at the next level.

Toronto could certainly use more wing depth and Furphy's size and shooting potential make him an intriguing prospect toward the back half of the first round. It wasn't hard to see how Dick impacted Toronto's offense toward the second half of last season and Furphy could have a similar impact for the Raptors at some point in the not-too-distant future.

That said, Furphy's overlapping skillset with Dick and his questionable defensive upside could make him a little redundant for Toronto. The Raptors could really use a more defense-first wing player and Furphy doesn't project as that.

Toronto's need for more shooting makes Furphy interesting, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Raptors look elsewhere when their first-round pick rolls around later this month.