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Second round draft picks: Raptors have never taken advantage

By Brian Boake

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The Toronto Raptors celebrated their 20th anniversary season in 2014-2015. During that time, they have selected 11 second-rounders in the NBA Draft. Those choices have been terrible, and I’m baffled as to why. Almost every team in the league has lucked out with a second-rounder or two, so why haven’t the Raps?

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Our choices have been such luminaries as DeeAndre Hulett (2000), Remon Van De Hare (2003), Roko Ukic (2005 – at least he made the team, briefly), and more recently P.J. Tucker (2006) and Quincy Acy (2012). These last two are still in the NBA; Tucker is the starting small forward in Phoenix after years overseas. I don’t think P.J. scores enough to retain the job, but I’d love him on our team as a rotation defender/glue guy. Quincy had a chance as a starter on the New York Knicks train wreck last season, but couldn’t seize the opportunity.

Apr 1, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Quincy Acy (4) reacts in front of Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarrett Jack (0) after a dunk during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Can you strike gold in the second round? Draymond Green (#35, 2012) starts for the Golden State Warriors, presently in a tussle with the Cleveland

LeBrons

Cavaliers for the league championship. Manu Ginobli (#57, 1999) has 4 NBA title rings, a trophy case of personal awards, a EuroLeague championship and an Olympic gold medal. Isaiah Thomas (#60, 2011) has been showered with money as a free agent guard. And who was selected #56 in 2005 by the Detroit Pistons? Amir Johnson. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year, our own Lou Williams, was chosen #45 in 2005 by Philadelphia.

And after twenty years, our team hasn’t had a single second-rounder player who lasted much longer than half a season as a backup Raptor. This is pitiful, and it won’t improve on June 25. Our only pick is #20 in the first round.

If I were Masai Ujiri, I would take this dismal record as a personal challenge. He may have already. The Raptors have decided to sponsor a D-League team, which all of us think is long overdue. To fill the roster, he’ll need to sign a bunch of free agents, but in future, we’d like to see the team brimming with second-rounders. After all, they will have been selected by the Raptors for good reasons. Admittedly they are long shots, but gather enough of them, and one may emerge as a diamond in the rough. Surely that’s superior to the scatterass in-gathering of free agents.

Here’s hoping DeAndre Daniels can crack the roster this fall. Our #37 in 2014, Daniels might break the mold. It’s not crazy to suggest he could make the team, while Bruno Caboclo, famously drafted earlier, could play in the minors.

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