NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Wolves trade down, Warriors surprise?

NBA Mock Draft: Toronto Raptors take Keon Johnson at #8

The Toronto Raptors had an unfortunate season. Like, a really, really disappointing year. After being the 2ndseed last year, bringing back Fred VanVleet and re-upping OG Anunoby looked to signal that things were going to be roughly similar this season.

They… well… were not.

The Raptors were rumored to be in talks to trade Kyle Lowry at the trade deadline to come away with some sort of asset for their aging, contract-expiring star. That also didn’t happen.

So, here, they select the best player available: Keon Johnson, a very athletic wing prospect. Johnson, who played at Tennessee this past year, was a very, very good defender. And at the very minimum, he should be able to keep that same prowess at the next level – defense doesn’t just go away.

That said, he’s very, very similar to Isaac Okoro last year. The athleticism and upside as a scorer is there – he just did not show it off very often. Johnson averaged 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists last year. His shooting splits, plain and simple, were not as good as you’d want from a 6-5 guard.

Again, though, if the Raptors want to take a swing here, Johnson is the player it should be. He provides a comfortable floor because of his defense and brings enough offensive potential to where his ceiling is a high-level player. Re-tooling this year will be interesting for the Raptors, and Johnson is a great start.