This season, the Toronto Raptors once again proved that they have one of the best rookie scouting systems by selecting Scottie Barnes as their fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Barnes was able to immediately make an impact on the team by posting averages of 15.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 69 games.
These numbers have positioned the 20-year old newcomer in a tight race for the Rookie of the Year award in the NBA odds. Additionally, the Raptors are currently placed fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and have a good shot at making a deep playoff run, according to the latest basketball betting odds.
But as much as Scottie Barnes is having a solid season, we have seen other great Toronto draft picks who helped the Canada-based franchise collect victories in the league.
With that being said, we listed the seven best Toronto Raptors draft picks of all time.
Damon Stoudamire
The team’s first-ever draft pick was used to select Damon Stoudamire as the seventh overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. The 5-foot-10 guard quickly asserted himself as the team’s number one scorer and playmaker by producing 19.0 points and 9.3 assists during his first year.
Before being traded to Portland, Stoudemire appeared in 200 Toronto games and accumulated 19.6 points, 8.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds. These averages helped Stoudamire bag the Rookie of the Year honor in 1996.
Marcus Camby
In its second season in the league, Toronto was gifted the second overall pick in the 1996 draft, and they used it to select Marcus Camby to pair him with its prized guard Damon Stoudamire.
Camby was a solid pick-up for them as he racked up 14.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and a team-leading 2.1 blocks in his maiden year. But because of injuries, the 6-foot-11 center was dealt to the New York Knicks in exchange for Charles Oakley.
Tracy McGrady
Drafted as Toronto’s ninth overall pick in 1997, Tracy McGrady’s ascent in the team was gradual.
After posting 8.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his first two seasons with the Canada-based squad, McGrady elevated his play in the third season with 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists to help the team reach its first-ever postseason run in the 1999-2000 season.
Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh was Toronto’s lottery pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, where he was selected as the fourth overall pick. Bosh instantly earned a starting role and provided a decent number of 11.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks as a rookie, which is also the reason why he was included in the NBA All-Rookie 1st team in 2004.
The 6-foot-11 big man has helped the franchise reach the playoffs two times and represented them in five NBA All-Star games.
Overall, CB4 appeared in 509 games with Toronto and put up 20.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and is considered one of the greatest Raptors in team history.
🗓 This Day in Stats, 2010: @chrisbosh has 42 points & 13 rebounds against the Warriors, giving him five 40p/10r games in his Toronto career. No other @Raptors player has more than two such games. pic.twitter.com/LF08pvSBrx
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 4, 2018
DeMar DeRozan
In 2009, the Raptors picked DeMar DeRozan as their ninth overall selection in the draft. The former Southern California star played for nine seasons with the team and helped them qualify for the playoffs for five straight seasons from 2014 to 2018.
DeRozan was also part of the all-star festivities four times as a Raptor, where he racked up career numbers of 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 675 games.
DeMar DeRozan leaves the Raptors as the franchise's career leader in:
Games – 675
Wins – 353
Minutes – 22,987
Points – 13,296
FGA – 10,532
FGM – 4,716
FTA – 4,277
FTM – 3,539
Turnovers – 1,323
30-point games – 96 pic.twitter.com/Jdceg4S7iv— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 18, 2018
Pascal Siakam
Despite being a late first-round draftee in the 2016 draft, Pascal Siakam proved to be a significant building block in Toronto’s future by becoming one of the franchise’s stars.
In six seasons so far with the Raptors, Siakam already appeared in his first all-star game in 2020, won the 2019 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year award, and was a big part of the championship run in 2019.
Jonas Valanciunas
Toronto’s fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft was used to select Jonas Valanciunas to pair him with prolific scorer DeMar DeRozan.
The Lithuanian’s partnership with DeRozan was quite successful as they led the franchise to five playoff runs in their tenure. The 6-foot-11 center averaged 11.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in his 470 games in a Raptors jersey.
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