Toronto Raptors: Top 15 No. 4 overall picks in NBA Draft history
By Mike Luciano
13. Antawn Jamison (1998)
Jamison was actually a selection of the Raptors way back when, but he was soon traded to the Golden State Warriors for Vince Carter. He might not have been Vince, but the North Carolina product became a deadly scorer in Oakland before a move to Washington helped him become one of the best players in Bullets/Wizards franchise history.
Jamison averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for his career, making two All-Star teams in the process. Jamison was a player ahead of his time, as a small-ball forward that could rebound and shoot at 6-8 would be rolling in dough in 2021.
Jamison’s early numbers in Golden State came on some awful teams (some coached by another legendary No. 4 pick), and he was usually regarded as second fiddle to Gilbert Arenas in Washington. Despite all of that, Jamison forged a respectable career with numbers that rival some of the best contemporaries of his era.
12. Jerry Sloan (1965)
Before he became the coach of one of the NBA’s more recognizable 90s teams in the John Stockton/Karl Malone Jazz, Sloan was the first great player in Chicago Bulls history and one of the best defensive players of his era. The Evansville product was one of the few players worth watching during some rough Bulls seasons.
Averaging 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a guard in that era is impressive enough, but making two All-Star teams and six All-Defensive teams helped cement his spot here.
Sloan remains an iconic Bull to this day, and he translated his hard-nosed style of play to the bench when he became a coach. Sloan’s Utah tenure might’ve overshadowed his time as a player, but the youngest of NBA fans should be made aware of what a suffocating player he was to play against.