Every year, there is someone in the NBA Draft who falls when they shouldn’t fall, but that’s just the way things go.
Prospects go into interviews and nail them or have a great workout and boom, a front office is in love with a player not projected to go until 10 picks after theirs. In those situations, fans always like to throw out the idea of trading back, which often comes with major risk, and that's why the approach of simply going and getting your guy is the best route.
Now, what does this have to do with the Raptors, you may ask? When the Raptors are slotted to select at No. 19, they are in a prime spot for a high-level player to fall to them in Alabama guard Labaron Philon.
With a class that has five potential franchise point guards in Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings, and Philon, the Alabama guard appears to be the odd man out. In the most recent addition of both The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie and Yahoo Sports Kevin O’Connor's mock drafts, Philon is projected to land right in Bobby Webster’s lap.
This would be a major steal if it became a reality for Toronto.
Philon falling would be a draft night gift for the Raptors
How would I describe Philon’s style of play?
It’s like anytime Freddie Gibbs : Slithery, crafty, methodical, ruthless, and full of aura.
Philon has an incredibly tight handle that he uses to exploit defenses in the pick-and-roll. He reads the game so well, which is why the majority of Nate Oats offense last season was straight up give Philon the ball in the P&R and either he’ll score or set up his teammate. Pair that with his exceptional footwork, and basically anytime he’s in the arc, it’s a bucket. His ability to manipulate the defense with his pivot is very reminiscent of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Philon pairs an effortless inside game with a beautiful outside scoring profile that saw him shoot 39.9 percent from three on over six attempts per game in his sophomore season. For general stats, he averaged a cool 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 50.1 percent from the floor.
The context in which he was doing all of this last season is also important. He was the engine to Bama’s offense and had a 30.9 percent usage rate and ranked in the 99th percentile in isolation, according to No Ceilings NBA Draft Guide.
The blend of elite shot creation, outside shot, pick-and-roll playmaking, and a money floater gives him all the traits of a scoring guard in the NBA. However, that’s not even what makes him such an interesting fit for the Raptors.
Some may question how Philon, who based on everything I just said, appears to be a very ball-dominant guard, would fit in Toronto alongside BI, Scottie Barnes, and IQ.
The funny thing with that is in his freshman season, Philon was primarily off the ball, as Bama had a lead guard in Mark Sears running the show. Philon was a 3-and-D guard who generated turnovers and then sat mostly in the corner on the other end in his first year. When that context is given, it makes his jump in his second season even more impressive, and it's also why someone like me has him as the No. 5 player on their board.
Philon can be the type of player who starts his career as an elite connective piece and then gradually grows into a lead guard for a championship team. If the Raptors can get him at No. 19, they should, because he’s the type of dude that will make however many GMs pass on him live to regret it.
