Mock Draft: Remarkable Growth Spurt Could Have Miami Freshman Land With Raptors

Kyshawn George's remarkable growth spurt over the past five years could land him with the Toronto Raptors as a first-round pick at No. 19

Jan 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami (Fl) Hurricanes guard Kyshawn George (7) reacts to his three-point basket against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports / Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Kyshawn George is a bit of an anomaly.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about his stat line as a freshman. He averaged 7.6 points per game while shooting 42.6% from the field with only a slightly positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Compared to others in this year’s class, those are pretty pedestrian numbers.

But what makes George special is his story and the upside in a player who has grown nine inches in the past five years, radically reshaping his NBA potential.

George has an unusual ability to pair wing size with the guard skills he developed growing up as a point guard. He can shoot threes at a high level and with some more refinement, it’s not hard to see George developing into a high-end prospect.

For a team like the Toronto Raptors who are still a few years away from really contending for an NBA championship, a prospect like George may be too good to pass up on at No. 19.

“The Raptors were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA last year both in terms of 3-point makes and accuracy and will need to continue to surround Scottie Barnes with enough floor spacing to keep opposing defenses honest,” wrote ESPN’s Jonathan Givony in his latest mock draft that has George landing in Toronto. “George is the type of oversized, long-armed wing this front office often covets, making 41% of his attempts at Miami and still having plenty of upside to grow into thanks to his feel for the game, playmaking and the unique developmental trajectory he's on.”

George by no means looks like a Day 1 contributor. He started just 16 games as a freshman on a bad Hurricanes team and is still getting used to his relatively new body. He doesn’t have the strength to be an impactful defender right now and he’s not an efficient finisher at the rim. He lacks burst and didn't test particularly well in the agility or jumping drills at the combine.

But Toronto should be OK with that kind of profile.

The organization watched as Gradey Dick struggled through the first half of his rookie season only to come around as a contributor late and George may follow the same sort of trajectory next season.

What George does offer is a relatively safe floor as a prospect who shot 40.8% from three-point range this past year and measured 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan at the combine. Normally prospects like that go high in the first round, especially freshmen, but George remains a bit of a mystery and the kind of player who may slide down to the second half of the first round.

Toronto may opt to go with a safer prospect than George if the organization is really determined to try to compete next year, but the Raptors have repeatedly said their goal is to take the best player available regardless of immedate outlook and if that's the case, George should certainly be of interest.