Raptors Take Trio of Exciting Wings in Latest NBA Mock Draft
The Toronto Raptors are tabbed to take Stephon Castle, Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylon Tyson in the latest NBA mock draft for 2024
The Toronto Raptors have never been afraid to develop shooting.
For better or for worse, it’s sort of been Toronto’s approach to drafting for the better part of the last decade. The organization has generally opted to take the most physically gifted and multi-skilled players, even if it means figuring out shooting at the next level.
It’s how Toronto ended up taking Scottie Barnes at No. 4 three years ago, overlooking the fact that he was almost a non-shooter in college.
Maybe it’s time to try that again.
Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft has Toronto taking Stephon Castle at No. 6, UConn’s uber-talented and imposing 6-foot-6 point guard who can essentially do everything except shoot.
Castle is a defensive star and the kind of point-of-attack defender the Raptors could really use. His defensive box score stats won’t wow you, but his size and 6-foot-8 wingspan allow him to defend across positions with impressive effectiveness.
Offense is the bigger question for Castle who was a bit of a combo guard for the Huskies. He’s an effective finisher with burst to score around the hoop and a talented playmaker for a non-point guard. His 75.5% stroke from the free-throw line this year suggests there’s some shooting talent to tap into, but he made just 26.7% of his three-point attempts as a freshman this past season.
“His shooting will remain a hot topic and a likely weakness early in his career,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman wrote. “But aside from it being improvable, he has shown he can impact games in a variety of other ways, and he has the mentality and unselfishness to thrive to prioritize winning plays over scoring stats.”
Castle would be a bit of an awkward fit alongside Barnes and Jakob Poeltl and could leave Toronto without enough shooting to keep up offensively, but it might not be such a bad idea to take a chance on a high-upside pick at this stage in Toronto’s rebuild.
No. 17: Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)
If Toronto is looking for more of a ready-made prospect, Terrence Shannon Jr. fits the bill. A fifth-year senior out of Illinois, Shannon has proven to be an impactful two-way player who can defend across positions and carry an offense at the collegiate level.
He averaged 23 points per game for the Illini, shooting 36.2% from three-point range, and showed his prowess finishing around the hoop. His in-between game needs development, but Shannon would fit well in Toronto’s half-court offense as a smart cutter who can finish line drives at an impressive rate.
At 6-foot-6, Shannon is a tad undersized as a traditional wing defender, but he’s impactful on and off the ball and showed early in his career that he’s willing to make the hustle plays and take on tough assignments.
Toronto will have to do its due diligence on Shannon who was suspended earlier this year following allegations of rape. Illinois dropped its investigation into Shannon citing insufficient evidence, but a criminal case in Kansas remains open with a hearing scheduled for May 10.
No. 31: Jaylon Tyson (California)
The 6-foot-7 Jaylon Tyson is another do-it-all wing who flashed some impressive on-ball abilities for a player of his size. He led the Golden Bears in scoring, averaging 19.6 points per game while shooting 46.5% from the floor, but Tyson did deal with turnover troubles in a role that seemed at times to be a little too big for him.
There’s certainly a lot to like with Tyson who should thrive in a smaller role at the next level. He’s been a 37.8% three-point shooter over the past two years and is an above-average rebounder. It’ll just take some adjusting to the NBA for Tyson who was asked to do too much for a mediocre California team last season.
