REJECTEDBYCLARK wrote:Raps should draft Topic but considering how many weak defensive players they now possess it would require them to seriously rethink their roster construction.
My worry is that they actually believe in Quickley and Barrett as serious starting pieces of an eventual contending team and will draft a more defensively capable player with that in mind instead of going BPA. Dick is also another issue to project as a starter with Topic manning the point.
If you run a Topic-Dick backcourt you will need a stronger perimeter defender than Scottie Barnes on the court with them. Barrett would be a disaster. It could work but we'd be talking about
PG - Topic
SG - Dick
SF - stud switchable perimeter defender needed w/ at least 36% shooting from deep
PF - Barnes
C - bigger rim protecting threat than Poeltl needed to cover for backcourt, preferably with at least potential to shoot
It's a shame because Donovan Clingan would be an interesting candidate to rotate screening actions for Topic with Barnes.
This would be a lineup I'd be excited about but it's theoretical assuming Dick continues to develop and Topic and Clingan get close enough to their upside peaks and Clingan stays healthy. Lots of BBIQ on the floor, elite P&R capability, an elite movement shooter, a lockdown perimeter defender and lockdown interior defender.
Barnes really needs to keep working on that 3 ball.
Anyway just an idea of the route they would need to go down somewhat if they take Topic and Dick actually develops real nicely. It's complicated any time you have to start masking weaknesses due to high USG player leans strictly towards OFF.
This is next level glazing of Topic, good lord.
I'm lower on Topic than a lot of the more vocal members on this board but it's straight up asinine to take the mystery box when Quickley is a known talent, can shoot and defend (at least he can, his defense has not been very good since coming to Toronto) and his playmaking has taken a notable leap as the team's PG. Frankly, adding a ball-dominant guard like Topic to this team will only serve to hamper the development of Scottie and Quickley, not to mention the spacing around Scottie and Quickley will be all the worse.
There is no guarantee Topic becomes a good shooter; Quickley shot 39.5% on 7 with us.
There is no guarantee Topic becomes a positive defender; Quickley hasn't been great on that end with us but he's shown himself of being a capable defender.
Hell, there's no guarantee Topic's passing translates to the NBA either; Quickley is averaging 6.8 assists on 1.8 turnovers, a career-high.
There's definitely no world where Topic is able to match IQ's first step, i'm not debating that.
If you have to revamp your entire starting lineup just to start Topic, then maybe the problem is that Topic is a terrible fit for this team instead of the roster. You don't revamp your roster to accommodate a non-generational rookie, especially before he's done anything in the NBA.
HumbleRen wrote:I know people are low on Rischarer but I don’t know man. That fluidity at that height is usually a good indicator for translating into the NBA.
I like him at 6.
If he falls to 6, he's at the top of my list - I don't expect Sarr to be there and we really need size on the wings, not to mention positive defenders on/off the bench.
Serious question: Who is our best bench defender after Ochai?
