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6 greatest NBA Draft steals in Toronto Raptors franchise history

By Avishai Sol

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 24: OG Anunoby #3 of the Toronto Raptors takes part in warm ups before playing the Detroit Pistons in their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on March 24, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 24: OG Anunoby #3 of the Toronto Raptors takes part in warm ups before playing the Detroit Pistons in their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on March 24, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /
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Tracy McGrady Mandatory Credit: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport /

5. Tracy McGrady

It might seem odd to categorize any No. 9 pick as a draft steal, but to understand why this selection was as savvy as it was, one must consider the context of its day.

McGrady was taken directly out of high school to join a Raptors squad that had their two prior lottery picks screaming for release from the team. Incoming third-year Damon Stoudamire was a statistical juggernaut his first two years in the league, and all-rookie big man Marcus Camby was proving himself a defensive force. This would make the selection of an athletic scoring wing like T-Mac obvious, right? Wrong.

Both Stoudamire and Camby weren’t too keen on playing north of the border, a non-Canadian sentiment shared by fellow star draft picks like Steve Francis and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. An unproven project like McGrady wasn’t exactly steadying the ship off the bat.

Tracy McGrady played well for the Toronto Raptors.

It’s worth considering that there was barely any history of high school draft picks coming in and succeeding at the NBA level. Even then, most prep to pro names were big men. Still, McGrady managed to average 11.1 points per game in Toronto, culminating in 15.4 per game at age 20 in the 1999-2000 season.

The Raptors still decided to swing on McGrady. We know the rest of the story with T-Mac’s rise and Toronto and further ascension in Orlando, but the judgment call to draft McGrady was much more difficult than his selection would seem at first glance.

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