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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
Toronto Raptors – Bruno Caboclo. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Bruno Caboclo – 20th overall (2014)

With Gary Harris coming off of the board one pick prior to Bruno Caboclo, Masai Ujiri swung for the fences on a player that was dubbed ‘the Brazilian Kevin Durant’. A raw project player, perhaps Masai was trying to make amends for not being aggressive in his pursuit of Nigerian descendant of Greek passport in Giannis Antetokounmpo in the prior years draft. Masai famously proclaimed that the developmental player was two years away from being two years away.

Caboclo spent the majority of his time as a Toronto Raptors in the NBA G-League. He averaged over 14 points per game with six-plus rebounds in two of his seasons with the Raptors 905. Unfortunately, he was extremely inefficient and still not ready.

Bruno Caboclo played just 25 games with the Toronto Raptors main roster. He averaged 1.1 points in 4.5 minutes per game. Bruno Caboclo was traded for Malachi Richardson during the 2017-18 season.

Perhaps a change of scenery was all he needed because he was able to up his shooting percentage to just under 47-percent from the sub-40-percent level he had shot with the Raptors 905. His play made a marked jump in his fifth season. So perhaps he really was four years away and the Raptors just gave up too soon.

In his fifth season in the G-League, he averaged 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 1.3 steals and 2.4 threes per game. However, it is the percentages that really standout. He was able to spike his field goal percentage to just under 52-percent and his three-point percentage to 43-percent. All numbers worthy of an extended look in the NBA.

Caboclo came to life as a member of the Grizzlies organization. His career highs are enough to make any Raptors fan cringe. He (and remember these are NBA totals) was able to drain four threes and rack up 24 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 25, 2019. He amassed an eye-popping 17 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks on April 7th, 2019.

Dallas looks like one of his favourite opponents to play against as he handed out six dimes against them on March 2nd, 2019. Also in 2019, he swatted four shots against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Grizzlies signed Caboclo to a partially guaranteed two-year deal during the 2018-19 season, and due to keeping him on the roster past the July 10th waiver date, he will make a cool $1.88 million dollars during the 2019-20 season.

Caboclo was a reach when he was drafted, but as alluded to above, his selection was a reaction to the names the Raptors were targeting no longer being on the board. It also very likely had something to do with Masai Ujiri’s regret over not adding Giannis to our roster. The regret has likely become compounded as the Raptors gave up on Caboclo before he started to reach his potential.

The names still on the board could make even the most casual fan shudder. Clint Capela, Bogan Bogdonavic were both around in the twenties. The second round still housed Spencer Dinwiddie and 2018-19 all-star, and one of the top bigs in the league in Nikola Jokic who was taken 41st overall (the Raptors passed on him twice, as they selected Deandre Daniels at 37th overall).