Toronto Raptors address size at guard position with Jalen Harris
After going with Malachi Flynn in the first round, the Toronto Raptors concluded the 2020 NBA Draft selecting another guard in Jalen Harris.
There seemed to be a theme with the Toronto Raptors approach at the 2020 NBA Draft and that was taking players with flexibility.
Their first round pick Malachi Flynn has the defensive pedigree to get into the lineup right away as we pointed out in our scouting report. Then with their final pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, they took Jalen Harris, a combo guard out of Nevada.
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There is no denying the offensive instincts Harris has averaging 21.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 44.6 per cent shooting from the field and 36.2 per cent from three in 2019-20. He is the type of player that can create offence when called upon.
On top of that, he is a player that also prides on his ability to guard at multiple positions which makes him an ideal player for Nurse who likes to have options in his rotation to throw out different lineups.
This is something Harris prides himself on and was making sure that teams understand his willingness to do whatever it takes to be a contributor.
"“The versatility is a big thing,” Harris told Nevada Sportsnet. “With the different teams I’ve been talking to, I’ve been I trying to emphasize different parts of my game to different teams. If a team needs somebody to be a creator, I can do that. That’s a big part of my game. I can create for myself. I can create for others. I can play with the ball. I can play without the ball. I’m athletic. I can guard multiple positions and have a high IQ. The versatility part is big to my game.”"
At the combine, he measured at a 6-foot-7 wing span and displayed strong vertical skills as he had the tallest vertical jump. According to Nevada Sportsnet, he finished in the top 10 in five of the Athletic testing events.
It will be a challenge for Harris to get consistent reps especially when you look at the Raptors options including Norman Powell. Harris has the length and size that Toronto doesn’t really have at the guard position which makes this pick that much better,
The team must be comfortable in their ability to find some options in the free agent market to fill a potential void at centre.
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What do you think about the Harris pick? Can he be a contributor next season? Let us know in the comments below.