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2016 NBA Draft: 3 Players Raptors Should Target at No. 9

By Brandon Carney

March 8, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Domantas Sabonis (11) celebrates against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the first half in the finals of the women's West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 8, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Domantas Sabonis (11) celebrates against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the first half in the finals of the women's West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 17, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Skal Labissiere (1) drives to the basket against Stony Brook Seawolves forward Jameel Warney (20) during the first half in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Skal Labissiere (1) drives to the basket against Stony Brook Seawolves forward Jameel Warney (20) during the first half in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Skal Labissiere was projected to be a top-three pick in the draft pretty much since high school, but after a lackluster season and the decision to leave Kentucky after just one year, Labissiere is now barely a lottery pick.

But hey, it says a lot about a guy that after a horribly disappointing and brief Kentucky career he’s still in the conversation to be a top-10 pick. In other words, Labissiere still has the potential to be quite good.

As another potential solution to the Raptors’ problem at power forward, Labissiere is a much different player than Sabonis, the main difference being that Labissiere is going to be more of a project than an immediate contributor like Sabonis could be.

He has all the potential in the world, which is why he was so highly touted heading into his Kentucky career, but he simply didn’t make anything of it.

Still, he has a lot of skills that would help the Raptors if he can develop them properly. He’s a great athlete, he can stretch the floor with his shooting ability even though he didn’t showcase it at Kentucky, and he’s a solid defender both in and out of the paint.

Overall, Labissiere still has the potential that once made him a projected top three pick. Although he may not be the short-term fix, he could be the long-term fix if developed the right way. That’s a pretty solid player to snag with the ninth overall pick.

Next: Jaylen Brown

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