Fredrik Ratchuk
Projected: Top 5
Position: PG/SG
Height: 5'10
Weight: 190 lbs
Age: 20
School: Trikala, Greece
Optimistic Comparison: Jameer Nelson
Pessimistic Comparison: Chucky Atkins
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Strengths:Fredrik Ratchuk is your typical player that has generated a ton of buzz overseas with his flashy "Americanized" style of play. Ratchuk is a deadeye shooter whose lightning quick release and elevation can easily dominate those who underestimate his scoring ability. His ability to hurl up three pointers in bunches can easily win games by himself if left unchecked. When players respect his shot, Ratchuk can just as easily use his jaw dropping speed and deadly crossovers to get to the rim. Simply put, Ratchuk is a wizard with the ball in his hands; it wouldn't be surprising to see him become one of the leagues best draw-and-quick players if he's given a few years to hone his point guard skills. Ratchuk knows that he's not the biggest player out on the court, but he makes up for it by showing that he has the biggest heart. Always bringing high-energy hustle and tenacious defense, Ratchuk is one of the more vocal players on the court, giving him great potential to be easily thrown into a leadership role on a young team.
Weaknesses:The obvious knock on Fredik Ratchuk is his body. At 5'10, he's definitely small even for point guard standards. That would not have been a problem if he had more experience playing the bigger, stronger and more athletic guards of the NBA, but he simply hasn't been put up to that type of competition yet. His ability to finish with contact against big men is also questionable. Ratchuk definitely isn't your classic pass-first point guard either. While his passing skills are not underdeveloped, he really struggles to pass the ball in a half court setting because of his inability to see over taller defenders. This can lead to Ratchuk excessively pounding the ball around the perimeter until he either turns the ball over or finds an opening to score.
Jim Kelly's (Raptors' Sr. Director of Player Personnel) Take: "Working this guy out against the other point guards in the draft, you can really see clearly his strengths and weaknesses. On one hand he torched everybody in the shooting, dribbling and speed drills, but on the other hand he had lagged behind a bit in the passing and play-making drills. We (the Raptors) are exploring our options at the point right now, but our main need at the moment is the shooting guard position. If we do somehow acquire another pick, I'd like to see us take him. I love his game and he can develop into a nice change of pace point guard to be put along side Calderon."
Dean Friedman
Projected: Top 10
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6'6
Weight: 214 lbs
Age: 23
School: Rice
Optimistic Comparison: Jerry Stackhouse (in his prime)
Pessimistic Comparison: Felipe Lopez
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Strengths:At 6'6 and 214 lbs, Dean Friedman is your typical raw NBA prospect that oozes with talent. Touting a 40+ inch vertical, Friedman's stock is rising quickly thanks to his explosive athleticism and relentless slashing ability. Friedman is always poised and ready to attack the basket, and you can tell by the rate that he gets to the free throw line. Although he's far from a polished offensive player, he still finds various ways to score; he shows a lot of promise utilizing his footwork and jumping ability in the post to elevate over his defender for a short fade away jumper or floater. Dean plays very unselfish basketball despite being the go-to guy at Rice; he shows a lot of chemistry with the three point shooters on Rice using his draw-and-kick ability. Friedman also shows that he can be a pretty good defensively as well, having a good nose for the ball and playing the passing lanes very well. At the same time he rarely gambles on defense and is able to use his long arms and leaping ability to contest every shot and swoop in for the rebound afterwards. Overall, Dean Friedman shows a lot of promise in many areas and his tireless work ethic makes everyone believe that there is a high likelihood of achieving this potential.
Weaknesses:There's a reason why Dean Friedman struggled to shoot above 40% in all four of his seasons at Rice. While his great work ethic has fine tuned him into a good defender and all-around finisher at the rim, he still has yet to find consistency on his jumpshot which he settles for too often. His form and technique are good from what we can tell, however for some reason he has been unable to garner the respect of his defenders shooting off the dribble or in spot up situations. This means that Friedman will have to be on a very good three point shooting team in order for him to fully show off what he can do, especially considering the fact that Friedman has a very loose handle that will probably need to be sharpened for the NBA level. Despite Friedman's steady growth as a player, people do forget that he's 23 now. You would certainly expect a lot more polish out of a 4 year collegiate player than what Friedman shows. Is this an indicator that Friedman is doomed to become just a defensive role player off the bench?
Jim Kelly's (Raptors' Sr. Director of Player Personnel) Take: "It's going to be a bit of a reach to pick him with the third overall pick, but he's a player that can really help us. His defense and ability to get to the free throw line at a high clip make him very appealing to our team, and the chip on his shoulder that he plays with makes him very entertaining to watch. He's definitely an option to look out for if we are planning on trading down a pick."
.Good luck with the Dynasty.
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