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Ranking every first-round pick in Toronto Raptors history

By Raju Byfield

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 17: Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors sits in his seat during the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 17: Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors sits in his seat during the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
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Aleksandar Radojevic – 12th overall (1999)

Arguably the worst first-round pick in Toronto Raptors history, Radojevic played in only 15 NBA games and shot 30-percent from the field. He played only 24 minutes over three games for the Toronto Raptors. He shot 29-percent from the field. I am not 100 percent certain how he got drafted out of Barton County Community College, but here we are 20 years later talking about it.

The 1999 draft was not the strongest. In fact, the most notable name Toronto passed on was drafted 57th overall and was from Argentina. Manu should find himself in the Hall of Fame one day after winning four NBA championships, making two all-star appearances and two All-NBA teams.

Other names the Raptors passed on for Radojevic include the player most think the Raptors should have picked in Corey Maggette at 13, Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) at 16, and Andrei Kirilenko at 24.

This was the Shaquille O’Neal era where every team in the NBA was scrambling for a big man, but adding a player who played at a junior college made little sense then, and makes even less sense now. Perhaps the Toronto Raptors, or more specifically the overmatched Glen Grunwald thought he could swing for a home run in the 7-foot-3 Radojevic since the Raptors had two lottery picks (our fifth overall pick was eventually shipped in a trade for Antonio Davis).

Aleksandar was not even that impressive in college as he averaged only 13 points and 7.6 rebounds in his two years at JUCO. His four blocks per game in his final season looked good, but the level of competition or lack of it has to be factored into any scouting report. The only JUCO players a team should look at are the ones who transferred to a different school prior to the draft or top high school stars who had to go the JUCO route due to grades or other off the court issues.