Bradley Beal (Insider Please)

The Toronto Raptors, believe it or not, had about as perfect a season as they could have hoped for, outside of becoming a serious contender, that is.

First and foremost, first-year coach Dwayne Casey proved to be a keeper, convincing his players to defend with better purpose and passion. Perhaps only the New York Knicks improved as much on defense from last season, and this improvement in Toronto will be a strong foundation moving forward.

Then they watched as their top pick from last June’s draft, Jonas Valanciunas, proved to be the exciting prospect they had hoped for, as he played well last summer and through his current season in Europe. And all this happened while the Raptors kept losing games, assuring them of a very high draft pick in the 2012 draft. Indeed, this team obviously still has a lot of needs. But it looks like the Raptors should be able to fill an important spot no matter where they pick in the lottery come May 30. This is a team that is rapidly acquiring and developing talent. Needs: Athleticism on the front line, perimeter shooters on the wings, guard depth

The obvious pick: Anthony Davis Certainly this will happen if the Raptors somehow get the No. 1 pick. And yes, even though Davis would battle both Andrea Bargnani and Valanciunas for playing time, he would make a huge impact in Toronto, which fields a number of below-the-rim players inside. Coming off the bench, Davis would still get as much playing time as he’d need, and he fits well next to either of those two guys. Kind of fits: Andre Drummond The Raptors wisely chose Valanciunas last year knowing they would let him develop for a season overseas first. They could do the same thing with Drummond, perhaps using the D-League properly and letting Drummond build his skill set, confidence and overall basketball IQ there. It’s possible he could develop into a good partner with Valanciunas, perhaps letting the Raps move off Bargnani. But developing two bigs at the same time is challenging. If not Drummond, Kansas’ Thomas Robinson would add immediate help to their biggest need, with his great quickness for a guy that strong.

Bad fit: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Kidd-Gilchrist would give them much-needed athleticism and energy, but his poor perimeter shooting will not likely allow him to stretch defenses for some time, if ever. However, let’s be clear: Kidd-Gilchrist would not be a disastrous pick. It’s just that picking so high, the Raptors will have better choices available.

Perfect fit: Bradley Beal, Thomas Robinson DeMar DeRozan is a good NBA scorer, but his lack of perimeter shooting and suspect defense warrants looking into a replacement, if it makes sense. It makes sense with Beal, who projects as an outstanding shooter and a very good scorer. He should become a better player than DeRozan in almost every other facet of the game. In fact, adding Beal would allow the Raptors to bring DeRozan off the bench, where he could end up being an excellent sixth man while still being a primary scorer. Both guys could even finish games together since Beal will be able to defend many small forwards thanks to his length and strength. Toronto can’t go wrong with Robinson, either, as he would fill a huge need for athleticism on the front line with the perfect game for Casey — tough and energetic and willing to fight and defend. Robinson would play major minutes as a rookie and improve the Raptors in his first season.

Washington Wizards

There really is no other way to describe the Wizards without using the phrase "downward spiral." That is, until they acquired Nene, a potential All-Star post man for the next several seasons. And even if he never becomes an All-Star, he rarely will be anything worse than the second-best big man on the court every time he plays. No matter who coaches this team next season, it will be an upgrade from Flip Saunders (an ill fit since the Wizards began to retool). Nene’s presence immediately changed the team culture, and the more serious feel also began to produce better production from the core of young players. With the right pick, and continued development from the many recent first-rounders already in Washington, the Wizards can make huge strides forward.

The obvious choice: Davis Like the Raptors, if the Wizards somehow earn the No. 1 pick, they must select Davis. With Nene and the rapidly improving Kevin Seraphin, the Wizards have two large and powerful pivot players. Trevor Booker and Jan Vesely are athletic energizers who both might end up being solid if not good players, but Davis has a much higher ceiling than both of them. That group of five could end up being one of the top five-man front lines in basketball — if they all reach their potential. One of the best things about Davis is how he fits with almost any current NBA starting big. Pairing with Nene is no exception.

Kind of fits: Robinson, Kidd-Gilchrist Both Robinson and Kidd-Gilchrist would add depth and considerable upside to spots that already feature former first-rounders. Gilchrist has a motor that runs much hotter than that of Chris Singleton. But he’d be another non-shooter on a roster full of them. Robinson can be a solid long-term partner toNene, and should play with Seraphin. But his presence likely pushes Vesely to second team status permanently, a situation they hope to deal with only if it’s Davis doing the pushing.

Bad fit: Drummond With Nene today and quite possibly Seraphin tomorrow, Drummond can be no better than third team for the foreseeable future. Which is fine, if the Wizards are happy to get no production from a top-four pick next season. That seems unlikely.

Perfect fit: Beal Let’s forget for a moment about players’ "value" and where they are selected. Simply, Beal, as a basketball player, is the antithesis of Nick Young, and Beal can shoot and score. Beal has a complete game, and maturity that is much-needed in Washington. Beal gives John Wall a permanent backcourt partner, one who should be a great shooter and a defensive demon — both outstanding complements to Wall’s talents and his weaknesses as a shooter.

Beal also can play some small forward, allowing the Wizards to play Jordan Crawford alongside Wall for a potentially high-scoring guard trio late in games. Now, does Beal deserve to be drafted second over players like Kidd-Gilchrist or Robinson? Perhaps not. If all these prospects reach their potential, Beal likely finishes behind them. But that is not a guarantee. What is a guarantee is Beal’s very low risk and his very high likelihood of being an excellent guard, and maybe a future All-Star, who impacts the game in all three areas.

nbafanguy is a theif, people should pay to see that story you thief

and he has many accounts to give himself points

 lol 

 gay fish your name fits you perfectly

After the first pick, teams should draft for need. Didn’t think about the Wizards needing Bras Beal but I guess they do.
The Wizards might not get a top 2 pick so Beal would be solid at 3-6.

If the Raptors also need him then Beal might go higher than I thought.

What this article sounds like is that there is no real consensus number 2 pick if the Wizards don’t automatically
go with MKG or T Rob. Charlotte and New Orleans could use MKG or T Rob in the top 3 but I can see the Cavs also going
with Beal which would give them a good backcourt of Beal and Irving with size and toughness inside (TT, Varejao, Harangody).

 All this article says is that Beal would be an ideal pick for just about any team. lol Lets name the teams he WOULDN’T be a perfect fit for.

if brad beal measures in at 6’5” with shoes, theres a chance he goes top 3

 what if he measures at 6’3" in shoes?

 gay fish check your email

I love Beal’s game but to say he can play some SF is a little bit of a stretch..

http://www.mysportslegion.com/forums/showthread.php?11962-Washington-Wizards-Draft-Needs

Just go to link.

Lame, nuff said