NBA Draft Reactions – Pick No. 39, The Toronto Raptors Select Alijah Martin!

NBA Draft Reactions – Pick No. 39, The Toronto Raptors Select Alijah Martin!

the Toronto Raptors add a national champion to their roster by selecting Elijah Martin this is a player who I love Dion i think he’s well worth a top 40 selection served a lot of different roles throughout his career whether for FAU or Florida this past year at Florida honestly at both his last stops there were times where he functioned as essentially a 6’2 63 power forward plays way bigger than he is super physical getting downhill getting to the rim finishes above the rim nice lob threat as well on the break speed demon in transition and for my money I thought he was the best point of attack defender at Florida this past year a unit that ranked top five nationally that being said he’s old that means that he’s small he’s short i should say he’s he’s very well built but he is short uh combine those factors and there’s a chance that this just doesn’t work out with Elijah but I’m going to roll the dice and say this is my guy and he’s going to have a long and prosperous NBA career where are you at with Elijah what are some of his strengths that that you find most compelling and what can Raptors fans look forward to with him and even how he might earn some playing time
yeah I think he’s fun um I I think when you’re picking in the second round especially in your team like Toronto you’re you’re not just picking for fun for your NBA team i think you’re also picking for fun for your G-League team i think Elijah is going to be a phenomenal like back and forth guy like I think he’s going to play NBA like Bronnie played NBA minutes but he was also like the face of the G-League all at the same time right like I think Elijah I’m not saying he’s be the face of the G-League i also think he might play more NBA minutes than Brownie did but like I think they’re going to sell a lot of tickets to G-League games because Elijah’s playing down there right like there’s going to be like two or three games a month where it’s like come out to I don’t know what their G-League team is well whatever it is like uh whatever the G- League team Saskatchewan something sounds about right like come out
hold on i’m pretty sure that they’re the ones with the number in it
maybe Toronto 905
yeah Raptors 905
raptors 905 come to a Raptors 905 game you get to see Elijah and you’re going to sell a lot of tickets based upon that because I think he is one of the more athletic guys in this draft i think he’s incredibly fun um when he dunks it it it brings the roof off of buildings and I think he’s going to create a lot of fans for himself i think he might play in a dunk contest we have a video up on the channel about Kobe Brea that’s a guy who I don’t think is going to play like an insane amount of time but I do think he’s going to win multiple three-point contests i think Elijah might not play an insane amount um but I do believe he could win a dunk contest and I think he’s just a fun player unfortunately for him I think some of the natural stuff isn’t there to like be like a starter in the league um but I think he’s fun enough to where he could play for a long time assuming his athleticism um ages well um that’s really the question mark like you said he’s old uh and he relies on athleticism and that’s the first thing that goes uh the moment that goes I don’t think he has a t a ton a ton to fall back on unfortunately for him but um as long as he has it I I think he could play enough years to where he could make you know millions of dollars and change the life of him and his family uh I I like that assessment a lot i would even take it a step further and say I would take it a lot further and say that if Martin finds a role with this team where I think he can be on be beyond more than just the G-League guy who’s a lot of fun um and I know you were saying you you see a path for him to earn minutes here you know the Raptors traded away Bruce Brown bruce Brown NBA champion who played such a pivotal role for that Nuggets team they have very similar skill sets the athletic offg guards who are play bigger than what they’re listed at streaky jump shots but it’s a lot of fun when they go in and can just rip the rim off the basket and yeah I I think Elijah the best version of him is something like that and he’s giving you that elite point of attack defense with his I mean he’s got a near 68 wingspan so that does help him in terms of just being on the shorter side um looking at this Raptors roster Dion do you think there’s anyone he can get minutes over right now i mean I’m thinking of guys like O’Shea Agaji who averaged 10 points a game this past year looked a little bit
What’ you say
not him
you don’t think he’ll get minutes overhea
no osha is a shooter that plays defense and is bigger
do you think can he get minutes over like Jameson Battle that’s a different position but I’m thinking of of just those wings who are big he’s not going to get minutes over Grady Dick not going to get minutes over Brandon Ingram probably not going to get minutes over Emanuel quickly maybe it will be tougher like Elijah might have an uphill battle to carve out a role can he get minutes over Jacob
by the way like
I’m not trying to be rude almost everybody picked the last two nights as an uphill battle to carve a roll out as a
That’s fair that’s fair i don’t
It’s not an Elijah Martin thing but a second round like show me somebody who has a role right away i don’t think it exists
yeah i just want there i think it’s because he was just one of my favorite players to watch and I love the story of him making two final fours in his career and working his way up from some unknown to being a bonafide pro getting drafted to where I wanted it to work out sooner rather than later but this might not be a guy who pans out until a couple years down the line like if we’re looking at the rotation now Abbaji was the first guy named with Maybe I should have started with like the guys who are more no-brainers agbaji to me was the only one that I see maybe there’s a world where it happens in the next couple of years but yeah uh anyway good swing here for Toronto love the pick love the player love the person i still buy him as a long-term piece just be patient with him

The Sleepers react to the Toronto Raptors selecting Alijah Martin at number 39!

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