Toronto Raptors 2020 NBA Draft Preview: Why Grant Riller is an ideal target

Riller’s defensive scouting report

Defensively, Riller guarding the ball has proven to be effective when he’s engaged (which is not always). He does a great job staying in front of his man and has a knack for beating them to spots to draw charges on the perimeter.

He also is great with his hands, knowing when to show them to avoid picking up fouls and when to use them to get clean strips getting his team out in transition. Riller also showed instances of his ability to navigate screens but “died” on ball screens a few too many times.

If he does get caught on the screen, he does at times fight to get back in the play, and at times was able to affect shots or finishing attempts from behind. He doesn’t look engaged defensively at all times but most certainly won’t be a liability on that end in the Raptors systems which requires defensive buy-in to see playing time.

I also think that much of his defensive effort issues can be attributed to the large load he had to carry on offence, he’s shown the tools to be a good defensive player.