Toronto Raptors: Re-drafting the disappointing 2014 NBA Draft

The Toronto Raptors have been blessed with the NBA Draft knowledge and scouting expertise of Masai Ujiri in the front office, as his ability to restock the cupboards with premium talent in the draft has helped the Raptors emerge from the gray dough of NBA mediocrity and become a force in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto did hit some home runs late in the draft, with OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam having been picked 23rd and 27th, respectively. However, as the 2014 NBA Draft showed, Ujiri isn’t infallible, as he missed on a few selections despite being handed three picks in this draft.

Ujiri has often taken bold swings on athleticism, versatility, and long-term potential over short-term ability, and while that did produce players like Anunoby and Siakam, several players that Ujiri picked up weren’t able to give the Raptors a ton in terms of immediate or long-term returns.

Let’s say we could snap our fingers and instantly give Ujiri a re-do in that 2014 draft. Perhaps the Raptors’ dynasty would’ve been able to break through that LeBron James wall in the East with a bit more regularity.

Toronto Raptors: Getting a do-over on the 2014 NBA Draft

No. 20: Bruno Caboclo, SF, Brazil

Caboclo was as raw as someone can possibly be while still being picked in the first round, but Ujiri decided to buy a lottery ticket with the anticipation that his athletic ability would eventually be supplemented with some improved basketball feel and some secondary skills on the offensive end.

Needless to say, he flopped, as Caboclo averaged just 1.1 points per game in 25 contests with the Raptors before getting shipped out of town. Considering all of the talent that the Raptors left on the board to make this selection, this goes down as the worst in what is admittedly a very short list of draft failures by Ujiri.

With the 20th pick, the Toronto Raptors select…Nikola Jokic.

Jokic was still on the board at pick No. 41, but he has more than exceeded his status as a player taken his late. Becoming a starter is one thing, but winning an MVP and becoming one of the best passing big men that has ever played the game shows what a steal Denver got here.

It goes without saying that if the Raptors would love to have Jokic around instead of Caboclo. The combination of Jokic in the starting lineup alongside Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan would’ve been much too difficult for most defenses to handle.