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The Toronto Raptors select Rondae Hollis-Jefferson from the University of Arizona
Kevin: The Raptors get a guy here in Hollis-Jefferson that isn’t going to set the world on fire with his skills. He’s athletic and he plays defense extremely well, but he struggles to play under control, will turn the ball over, gets overly emotional and gets down on himself which can affect his play.
He’s not going to challenge Terrence Ross for his starting spot at the three, but he should eventually spell him a bit.
Also, this is a guy who is going to have to work on finishing at the rim and for at least two years not be allowed to shoot a single three pointer in the NBA.
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Dontae: I don't love, nor do I hate this pick. It's a "meh" pick for me. They do need help on the perimeter defensively, but it's probably not their greatest need.
Hollis-Jefferson might literally be the second coming of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist without the high draft pick reputation to follow. He will be a lockdown defender on the defensive in the moment he stepped foot on an NBA floor. He will also be a complete offensive liability ( outside of the typical hustle plays).
I'm not sure what this means for Terrence Ross, but honestly the combination of Ross and Hollis-Jefferson could develop into a very strong bench duo. They have got to be an upgrade from Landry Fields.
Taylor: Dontae nailed it. It's a "meh" pick. It's the kind of pick where you hear it and you go, "sure." Which makes it okay at #20. If this was a lottery pick, it would be a bad pick, but here, it's fine. RHJ doesn't really give the Raptors anything they don't have, other than a little bit more depth. I'm not sure how well he will fit in with the Raptors since his game is best suited for a fast break team. I think he's about as NBA-ready as he's going to get so I doubt he spends much time in the D-League. Fans will probably like him because he works his tail off on defense and loves to dunk.
Lucas: Hollis-Jefferson is one of the most perplexing prospects in this draft.He is an NBA caliber athlete without question, has great size and length for the small forward position at 6’7" and 7’2" wingspan. He plays with great energy and with what seems like reckless abandon at times, and can definitely provide his team and home fans with electrifying plays. However, the small forward from Arizona has an awful three point jumper as he bricked his way to a 20.7% percentage from behind the arc last year. He also seems to lack any sort of feel for the game, relying on his sheer athleticism to guide him through most games. Still, Jefferson has the potential harness his energy, effort, length and athleticism into a nice NBA career, most likely as a lockdown defender. But he will take work, and is a bit of a gamble no matter where he is selected, because i’m not sure any NBA team has any real idea of how he will do in the league, good or bad.