Toronto Raptors: 5 options for pick No. 23 in 2017 NBA Draft

By Nate Wolf | Jun 14, 2017

Mar 17, 2017; Tulsa, OK, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Semi Ojeleye (33) reacts during the second half against the USC Trojans in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 12, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward D.J. Wilson (5) celebrates after dunking the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half during the Big Ten Conference Tournament championship game at Verizon Center. The Wolverines won 71-56. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Mar 12, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward D.J. Wilson (5) celebrates after dunking the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half during the Big Ten Conference Tournament championship game at Verizon Center. The Wolverines won 71-56. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

3. D.J. Wilson, PF, Michigan

T.J. Leaf has been bandied about in online communities as an option for Toronto at No. 23. And why not? Leaf is a 6’10” forward, with a sophisticated offensive repertoire, who led UCLA in scoring as a freshman. Wilson is a year older and never sniffed the kind of impact Leaf made at the NCAA level.

Sometimes, however, players are simply better pro prospects than they are college players. Wilson is one of those guys. Leaf is not. The Michigan product stands at over 6’10” in shoes with a 7’3” wingspan and superb athletic tools.

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Wilson has also flashed all the skills you want from a modern big man. He shot 37.3 percent from three on 110 total attempts, blocked 2.0 shots per 40 minutes, and finished strong at the rim (72.2 percent shooting from the restricted area).

As The Ringer’s Draft Guide says, Wilson is a prototypical modern big. All of the things he does well — shoot threes, switch onto smaller ball handlers, handle the ball on the perimeter – are very much in vogue.

He may be 21 already, but his athletic tools and skill-set give him unique upside as a stretch-4 who can hold his own on defense. That type of player is a need for Toronto with Serge Ibaka, Patrick Patterson and P.J. Tucker entering free agency.

Wilson will not – cannot – replace any of those three immediately. For all of his modern skills, Wilson lacks the traditional skills still needed at all levels of basketball. According to The Ringer, he’s not a great rebounder, he doesn’t relish contact at the rim and he lacks interior defensive upside. Most damningly, he’s a bit soft.

Can those issues be rectified? It’s possible. Maybe Wilson just doesn’t have the requisite toughness for the NBA and gets pushed around too frequently to even carve out a long career. But his rare combination of tools gives him a very high ceiling, and that’s important for a team full of solid-if-unspectacular players.