Toronto Raptors draft: 3 best No. 33 overall picks in NBA history

1. Kevin Duckworth, 1986

Duckworth was taken from us tragically early at just 44 years old, but that didn’t overshadow his fantastic career that stretched multiple decades. A two-time All-Star and Most Improved winner, the nearly 300-pound Duckworth was a major problem for defenders throughout his career.

Duckworth averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in his career, but he amassed per-game splits of 16.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in a four-year stint between 1987 and 1990. Duckworth and Clyde Drexler helped the Blazers make it to the Finals before Michael Jordan’s Bulls came around.

The Toronto Raptors would be thrilled to get a guy like Kevin Duckworth.

Duckworth’s career fell off quickly, as his post-Blazers career is not super impressive. However, Duckworth was a starter on some quality Portland teams who earned respect from some of the biggest names in the game, including Shaquille O’Neal.

While the Raptors were trying and failing to get their feet under them in the NBA, Duckworth was wrapping up an excellent career that started out in a very humble way. Trail Blazers fans still rock Duckworth’s No. 00 at games, as he is one of the best players in franchise history.