With the six-game “Legend of John Henry’s Hammer” that was the 2015 Finals done and dusted, basketball fans can turn their attention to the next big date on the calendar: the NBA Draft.
For the 29 teams that don’t suit up in the Barclays Center (the site of the draft in a cruel twist of fate), next Thursday will provide an opportunity to forget the failures of the past and focus on the future. And that’s an especially good thing for the Toronto Raptors.
Not only are the memories of the Raps latest playoff run ones most fans can’t wait to forget, the teams has also landed the 20th pick for the second straight year. A look back at the past 20 drafts shows that first round picks outside of the lottery aren’t exactly the franchise’s strong suit.
No. 21 in 2000 – Morris Peterson
Mo Pete had just won an NCAA championship when the Raptors took him in the first round of the 2000 draft. A durable player who averaged 77 games a season in Toronto and played a full 82 four times, he gave the team seven solid years and his fair share of memorable moments. He also benefited from playing alongside some of the best players in Raptors’ history. That we’ve already hit the highpoint in this review may be a sign to stop reading.
Per game avgs. w/ Raptors: 29.6 min, 12.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 1.8 ast, 1.0 stl, 0.2 blk, 42.1 fg%, 37.1 3p%, 78.2 ft%
No. 17 in 2001 – Michael Bradley
A power forward Toronto thought would pan out as a serviceable rotation piece, Bradley was taken two picks ahead of Zach Randolph in 2001. After two less-than-memorable years in purple, he was traded to the Hawks in his third season. Atlanta took a pass on him in free agency at the end of the year, allowing him to sign with the Magic for 2004-05. He also managed to suit up for the Kings and Sixers before washing out of the league in 2006.
Per game avgs. w/ Raptors: 14.0 min, 3.5 pts, 4.2 reb, 0.7 ast, 0.2 stl, 0.3 blk, 48.3 fg%, 51.9 ft%
No. 20 in 2002 – Kareem Rush
Older brother to Brandon, Rush never played a game in Toronto. He was traded on draft night along with Tracy Murray and a 2003 second-rounder for Lindsay Hunter, Chris Jeffries and the pick that became Ramon Van de Hare (who also never played in Toronto). Raptors fans can however enjoy his latest single “March On”.
Per game avgs. w/ Raptors: N/A
No. 16 in 2005 – Joey Graham
The Raptors went into the 2005 looking for a small forward and settled on Graham as the man for the job. The Pacers, also looking for an SF, took Danny Granger one pick later. In four seasons in Toronto, Graham posted a value over replacement of -1.8 and a PER of 11.5. Granger was an all star and the NBA’s most improved player in 2009.
Per game avgs. w/ Raptors: 17.4 min, 6.4 pts, 3.1 reb, 0.6 ast, 0.4 stl, 0.1 blk, 48.0 fg%, 31.4 3p%, 82.7 ft%
No. 17 in 2008 – Roy Hibbert
Another draft night trade (dealt to the Pacers for Jermaine O’Neal), Hibbert is an interesting case. From relative nobody to Defensive Player of the Year candidate, he looked like the steal of the 2008 draft until the 2014 playoffs, when he suddenly looked like a liability on offence and a potential waste of $60 million. For the record, Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum, DeAndre Jordan and Goran Dragic were all still available when Big Roy was selected.
Per game avgs. w/ Raptors: N/A
No. 20 in 2014 – Bruno Caboclo
Still a year away from being two years away, there’s not much point in passing judgment on Bruno. Sure, Toronto could’ve snagged Clint Capela instead, who the Rockets took at No. 25. And sure Capela played meaningful minutes in the Western Conference Finals and averaged 16.2 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per 36 minutes in the playoffs while shooting 67.7 percent from the floor. But Bruno could turn out to be the steal of 2014. Right?
Per game avgs. w/ Raptors: 2.9 min, 1.3 pts, 0.3 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 0.1 blk, 33.3 fg%, 66.7 3p%