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Toronto Raptors: 15 best draft picks of all-time

By Mike Bossetti

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 17: Vince Carter
TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 17: Vince Carter /
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Damon Stoudamire, Toronto Raptors
PHILADELPHIA – JANUARY 29: Damon Stoudamire #20 of the Toronto Raptors shoots during a game played on January 29, 1997 at the First Union Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1997 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

6. player. 81. . Point Guard. University of Arizona. Damon Stoudamire

The franchise’s first-ever selection with the seventh overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, Damon Stoudamire made a huge impact in his two-and-a-half seasons with Toronto.

The player nicknamed “Mighty Mouse” averaged 19.6 points and 8.8 assists his first season, winning NBA Rookie of the Year over an impressive draft class that included Jerry Stackhouse and Kevin Garnett. For an expansion franchise that experienced little to no success early-on, Stoudamire was the lone bright spot.

He continued to produce while in Toronto and eventually was moved in a trade deadline deal that sent him to the Portland Trail Blazers, along with Walt Williams, for Kenny Anderson, Alvin Williams and two future first-round picks.

Stoudamire’s numbers dipped slightly while playing for the Trail Blazers, a trade-off he was happy to make while playing for one of the best teams in the Western Conference at the time.

At the end of his career, Stoudamire played 13 seasons in the league, averaging more than 13 points and six assists over that span.