TORONTO - For only the third time in the franchises 20-year-history, and first since 2002, the Raptors are slated to select outside of the top 19 in the first round of Thursdays NBA Draft. A year ago, as newly appointed general manager Masai Ujiri bided his time and sat out of a lacklustre 2013 draft, this scenario seemed highly improbable. The Raptors, like every other team in the association, had at least one eye on this years rookie crop, one of the most highly touted and eagerly anticipated ever to enter the league. The rest is history. Ujiris team overachieved in his first year on the job and as a result, they will miss out on this drafts biggest prizes: hometown phenom Andrew Wiggins, NBA ready star Jabari Parker, the intriguing Australian Dante Exum and, depending on your aversion to risk, Joel Embiid. Even so, their reality doesnt sound half bad. Instead, they find themselves nearing the end of an extensive pre-draft process, intending to add a complimentary piece to their winning program. This is not a bad year to be in such an advantageous position. Although Ujiri has called this draft "a little overrated", its one with solid depth specifically at the wing positions, one of Torontos most glaring needs heading into next season. Provided the Raptors hang onto the 20th overall pick, as expected, they will hope to hit a home run although they wont necessarily be swinging for one. Their philosophy throughout this process, one that has seen them audition roughly 60 prospects over the last four weeks, has been consistent with Ujiris management style. As always, hes ambitious albeit realistic and well prepared while knowing full well hell have to roll with the punches. And on draft day, specifically what figures to be one of the most eventful and unpredictable in recent memory, there will be more than a few punches to roll with. "Its a huge process for us," Ujiri acknowledged just ahead of the teams final pre-draft workout Monday afternoon. "It just builds and builds and builds. Hopefully by [Tuesday], Wednesday morning, well have gathered all the information that we have." "And theyll mess it up with a trade or something," he joked. Indeed, the Raptors are at the mercy of the 14 teams that occupy the 19 slots ahead of them. So much of this is a poker game, only the guys youre playing with, 29 other executives, are not sitting across from you at the table. The "homework" that Ujiri references is far more involved than just player scouting but also anticipating the motives of every other team, which will ultimately determine who is available to them at 20. Thats the biggest challenge. Its feasible to look at the Bulls, slated to draft 19th overall, and their roster to determine who or what they might be targeting with their pick. Accounting for a possible trade, an unknown team with unknown interests moving up, is not so simple. So Ujiri and his staff have put together their wish list. On Monday, it was 10 players long, as the draft approaches it figures to be cut in half. Theyll weigh the pros and cons, ranking each prospect while keeping a keen eye on the ones that could fall to them unexpectedly. "Our mindset is we get the best guy, best talent available and we try to do our homework as much as we can," Ujiri said. "Weve done our homework on the top guys because you never know what can come up in the next couple days. Our job is to do our homework. We really have to be prepared for this draft." Among the 60 or so prospects the Raptors have brought in over 11 workout sessions this month, theyve seen about a dozen that figure to be selected somewhere between the middle of the first round to the beginning of the second. Here are a few names that may interest them should they be available at No. 20. Tyler Ennis - PG, Syracuse, freshmanLast years stats: 12.9 points, 5.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals When the Brampton-native auditioned in Toronto as part of the Raptors first workout crop this spring, it seemed like a pipe dream to think he could fall to his hometown team at 20. At worst, Ennis was believed to be a lock to go in the top half of the opening round. Since then, his stock seems to have dropped, a likely result of fellow prospect point guards Elfrid Payton and Shabazz Napier rising up draft boards. The correlation is understandable, though its hardly an indictment on the NBA player Ennis could become. The qualities that make the 19-year-old such an intriguing prospect wont necessarily jump out at you in a workout. While Payton and Napier are probably quicker, flashier and more athletic players, Ennis is still considered to be the best pure point guard in the draft. Hes a natural leader with a nose for the game, something that is evident on the court in live action more so than in drills or smaller scrimmages. He has a fan in the Raptors, who have been tracking his progress for a long time. "From what Ive seen, hes very poised, he plays very calm and thats the first thing I noticed," Ujiri said ahead of his workout in Toronto. "[He] can get his teammates involved and then when he needs to score, he takes care of business which I think is a good trait to have as an NBA player." The Raptors top priority is re-signing Kyle Lowry, they also have to make a decision regarding Greivis Vasquez, a restricted free agent, but Ujiri has made it clear he intends to select the best player available, regardless of position. If Ennis name is on the board, Canadian angle aside, they would have a hard time passing up on him as Lowrys back-up or possible insurance should the incumbent go elsewhere. K.J. McDaniels - SF, Clemson, juniorLast years stats: 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 1.1 steals Given his elite athleticism and upside as a lockdown defender at one of the NBAs most crucial positions, its hard to fathom why McDaniels is routinely overlooked in this draft. With each year at Clemson, accompanied by increased playing time, McDaniels has expanded his game and appears to be well on his way to becoming an impact rotation player in NBA. Questions surround his offensive versatility, efficiency and whether or not hell be able to knock down the NBA three with consistency. Still, with his athletic gifts, size and commitment to defence, he would be a welcomed addition to Dwane Caseys roster. "I think hes a dynamic player," Dan Tolzman, the Raptors director of scouting, said earlier this month. "Its hard to see how good he is in this [workout] setting because in five-on-five, with help-side defense, thats where he flourishes. I think with the way the spacing in the NBA is, rotations and defensive principles are so important. A guy like him, he can fly in from the wing and get blocks off the board like nothing. I think plays like that, thats what gets guys time in the NBA." Kyle Anderson - G/SF, UCLA, sophomoreLast years stats: 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists Not only is Anderson the most unique player in this draft but hes poised to become one of the most unique in the association. The 20-year-old wont blow you away with speed or athleticism but he has a tremendous command of and vision for the game, a point guard in a 6-foot-8 body with a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan. The question is, where will he play in the league and what position will he guard? Although, in todays position-less NBA, it doesnt seem to matter all that much. "I think he can definitely play the point, I think its the defending the point thats the thing," Tolzman said of Anderson. "So many point guards are scoring guys now. So that means you have six-foot, 6-1, 6-2 guys on the floor who are just there to score and then youd have a guy like Kyle who is on the floor to do the actual running the team at the point. And on offence that sets up fine but then on defence you can just switch men." Outside of their point guards, the Raptors dont have anyone that can handle the ball and initiate the offence in a pinch. Although it may be more of a challenge to fit Anderson into your system than, say an athlete like McDaniels, there is undeniable value in having a player that combines size, versatility and court vision, something that made Boris Diaw such an integral part of the Spurs championship run. "Hes the definition of versatility, really," Tolzman added. "I mean that guy, he can play just about every position on the floor. Just the pace that he plays at and the level of IQ that he plays with and the composure that he shows when handling the ball its at NBA level, no question. Hes like a throw-back player to the fullest. Hes an old school-type guy." Others to keep an eye on: Wichita State forward Cleanthony Early, Swiss forward/centre Clint Capela, Michigan State power forward Adreian Payne, Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes, Missouri guard Jordan Clarkson. Cheap Jerseys . Off the ice, theyve provided us with these hilarious moments.Kane & Toews chirping each other while playing NHL 11.These hilarious All-Star Game ads.Kane helping Toews pick up a girl. Cheap Jerseys China . Playing in her third final this year, the 32nd-ranked Zakopalova won 11 straight games to win the match in 2 hours, 12 minutes, securing her first trophy since 2005. She had lost 12 straight finals, including to Kurumi Nara of Japan at the Rio Open last weekend. http://www.cheapnfljerseyschinaauthentic.us.com/ . The Bulls brought back James on Wednesday with Kirk Hinrich sidelined by a hamstring injury. Cheap NFL Jerseys . The only other womens team to win more consecutive Olympic gold is the U.S. in womens basketball with five in a row from 1996 to 2012. Marie-Philip Poulin scored the winner on a power play at 8:10 of overtime for her second of the game. Wholesale Jerseys . Conversely, the Rangers find themselves in the Cup final for the first time since the team last won the Stanley Cup in 1994, when Mark Messier captained the team. The Rangers understand the Kings enter this series as the favourite, but plan to approach this series the same way the team approached their previous three. "Throughout these playoffs, and its not going to change now, weve been the underdog," Rangers coach Alan Vigneault said on Monday."This is a lot harder than Beijing, I can tell you that right from the get-go." Coming from Mike Brown, those words are almost unthinkable. Four years ago in China, the breaststroke swimmer missed out on his first Olympic medal by 0.09 seconds. He still cant remember his post-race interviews, and he doesnt remember getting out of the Beijing pool. All he remembers is lying down on a massage table, pulling a towel over his head and feeling the tears stream down his face. He had missed out on an Olympic medal by less than the blink of an eye, and nothing had ever felt worse. Until Thursday night, at the Canadian Olympic swimming trials in Montreal. "When I touched the wall I knew exactly where I finished," Brown said, speaking through tears, of the mens 200-metre breaststroke final. The event is his specialty, and he had begun the race as its second-seeded entry. "I could see Scotty (***ens) on the left side of me, I could see Jason (Block) on the right side of me and I knew I was third at the very best." Brown was, in fact, fourth. He had finished his race in two minutes, 14.95 seconds -- more than three seconds outside of the Olympic qualifying standard. That Brown will not race at the London 2012 Olympic Games is heartbreaking, but for the two-time Olympian it is even more excruciating that he cannot explain why. "To be six seconds off my Canadian record, that is inexcusable for me, unexplainable for me. "I am just so baffled on how it went down. I wasnt more nervous than I was before. I was nervous, of course, but I am always nervous before races and that is a good thing for me. I swim my best when I am nervous. I was excited to race, I was ready to go. I had a bunch of friends and family there." Brown, of Perth, Ont., retired after his 2008 disappointment in Beijing. It took the sppark of home Olympics -- the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver -- to lure the Olympian-turned-realtor back to the pool.dddddddddddd Although other swimmers also fallen short in their recent comeback attempts, including Australias -- Australias Ian Thorpe among them -- Brown felt he had the tools to succeed in his return bid. For starters, unlike Thorpe, Brown had only taken 15 months off from swimming. Australias five-time Olympic champion sat out for four years. Brown also returned to the pool with two years ahead of him to return to swimming shape."It was definitely long enough, I was ready," Brown said. "The Olympic drive came back . . . September through December were the best four months I have ever trained or raced in my career. "I was on track and I still think I am on track." Brown turned heads with surprisingly quick times at Novembers Canada Cup in Toronto, when he finished first in the 200m breaststroke in 2:13.83. This week in Montreal, following a full training cycle with taper, Brown says he should have been even faster. "I have never been more confused in my career," Brown said. "I have been on the national team for a decade now and there is no other way to explain it (except) that I am confused. "How I went faster (at the Canada Cup) and slower now is something I have never done in my career, ever. I have always been able to excel and really perform when it matters, perform when it counts in the highest pressure situations. I never caved before and I dont really want to say Ive caved tonight." Brown is also not prepared to say whether this weeks races have been his last. It is too early, he says, even to say whether he will watch his teammates compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games. "(This scenario) never, ever crossed my mind." cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
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