It’s a giant ask, to be sure. But in a dream scenario, it could make real impact.
On Thursday night the Toronto Raptors will lean on the collective wisdom of their scouting staff in the hopes of delivering a hard-to-find basketball gift – that is, a player still available in the second round of the NBA draft with the talent and mentality to make an impact on the franchise’s fortunes as early as next season.
The depth-challenged Raptors could use the help. And history suggests, if the draft breaks right, it can be done. Last year, for instance, there were at least a couple of players picked in the second round who played significant roles on teams that ended up making the playoffs.