Toronto Raptors: Top 15 No. 4 overall picks in NBA Draft history
By Mike Luciano
5. Dolph Schayes (1948)
Technically, NYU product Schayes was taken by the Knicks in the 1948 BAA draft before ending up on the Syracuse Nationals, but the NBA absorbed them just two years later, so he counts for this list. Film on Schayes is hard to come by, but his numbers in the era in which he played make him every bit deserving of his Hall of Fame induction.
Schayes was named to 12 All-Star teams and a mind-blowing 12 All-NBA teams, more than any other No. 4 pick in history. During those 12 seasons, Schayes averaged 19.7 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.
Schayes film is incredibly rare, and the level of competition may not be up to par when compared to some modern contemporaries, but Schayes was as dominant as you could be during that time, and being the best big man in the game for a decade warrants inclusion high on this list.
4. Chris Bosh (2003)
The last time the Raptors earned the No. 4 selection in the draft, they were able to convert that pick into Bosh, a toolsy forward out of Georgia Tech picked after LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, yet just before Dwyane Wade. Considering how his name is plastered all over the Raptors’ record books, it’s safe to say the Bosh pick worked out.
Bosh made 11 consecutive All-Star teams, all while averaging 19.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. He won his championships with Miami, but he made his name as an elite forward during his time with Toronto.
Bosh would certainly be higher on this list if some adverse health effects didn’t force him out of the game at just 31 years old. Even with the early exit, he leaves with him a career full of long-lasting memories in both Miami and Toronto.