A Toronto Raptors Fan's Approach to the NBA Draft

I hate the NBA Draft.

As a Raptors fan, one might think that Draft Day is a time for optimism for me; a time where a team middling in the lower ranks of the NBA can re-tool with young talent, and ignite a fan base. Instead, Draft Day looms over me like a dentist appointment over a grade schooler.

Anxious would be the best word to describe how I feel about the Draft. Every year, I read mock draft after mock draft, determining who I like and who I think the Raps should take. Every year I am left disappointed. This isn’t an exaggeration, either. Let’s take a look at the Raptors’ first-round picks since 2003:

·      2003: The Raptors select Chris Bosh 4^th overall. Bosh would go on to lead the Raps to the playoffs several times, and would establish himself as one of the franchise’s all-time players. This is the last great pick the Raptors have made.

·      2004: The Raptors select Rafael Araujo 8^th overall. Then General Manager Rob Babcock took a lot of heat for this pick, and it was completely justified. Araujo not only was terrible for the Raptors (in his final season in Toronto he averaged 2.3 points per game, while shooting 37% from the floor, and 54% from the free throw line), he was also a reach, taken before players like Andre Iguodala, Al Jefferson and Josh Smith.

Rafael Araujo: Undoubtedly the worst pick in Raptors History

·      2005: The Raptors take Charlie Villanueva 7^th overall, marking the third straight year the team selects a power forward with their first pick. This marks the point in time when every person who has ever followed the NBA realized Rob Babcock was clueless as a GM: who spends three consecutive first-round picks on one position?

·      2006: The Raptors take Andrea Bargnani 1^st overall. We had already spent 3 straight picks on power forwards; why not make it 4? As a fan, what really kills me is that not only is Bargnani not the best player from the 2006 draft (Rajon Rondo), he isn’t even the best power forward from 2006. That would be LaMarcus Aldridge. Who went one pick after Bargnani. Ouch.

·      2007: Thankfully, the Raptors didn’t have a pick in this draft.

·      2008: The Raptors take Roy Hibbert 17^th overall. Finally, the Raps take an impact player. Hibbert has developed into a true NBA-caliber center, establishing himself as a defensive force, and earning his first trip to the All-Star Game in 2012. The only problem here is that he never played a game for the Raptors. Toronto traded him to Indiana on Draft Day. Yet another horrible disappointment.

·      2009: Toronto takes DeMar DeRozan 9^th overall. Nothing really to hate on with this pick. DeRozan looks like he will develop into a solid—though not great—shooting guard.

·      2010: The Raptors select Ed Davis 13^th overall. At the time, I was ok with this pick. Eventually, though, it dawned on me that was the 5^th time since 2003 (a period in which they only had 6 first-round picks) the Raptors drafted a forward. What does that say about the team?

·      2011: The Raps take Jonas Valanciunas 5^th overall. This pick—again—left me scratching my head. Raptors fans were screaming for an attacking wing player, and management countered with a big man, who still needs to develop his game. They drafted Valanciunas fully knowing that he would miss the entire 2011 season, as he was under contract in Lithuania.

Jonas Valanciunas: Who knows if this kid will be any good?

What this recap really shows is that the Raptors have had no coherent plan since 2003. They have squandered 6 top-10 picks since ’03, ending up with only one true franchise player—who isn’t on the team anymore—and a host of mediocre post players.

The 2012 draft could be a hugely important one for the future of the Raptors. Early reports on Valanciunas suggest that he could indeed be a good center in the NBA. Finding a player to pair with him in this draft could set the franchise up for a bright future.

Unfortunately I have no reason to think they will find an impact player. As June 28 approaches, I am almost certain the Raptors will mishandle the draft. Here I am—again—with no idea what direction my favorite team is headed. Here I am—again—fearing the decision-making process of GM Bryan Colangelo. Here I am—again—spiraling into a NBA-fuelled depression.

Man, I really hate the NBA Draft.