8. Jamario Moon, SF, 2007-09
After wallowing in lesser leagues for over six years, Moon finally got his NBA shot with the Toronto Raptors when they offered him a two-year deal in 2007 off of the strength of his performance at a prior minicamp.
No doubt Moon’s freakish athleticism and otherworldly leaping ability are what literally jumped out at scouts and staff, but there was not much beyond that for the Alabama native. He entertained Air Canada Centre patrons to no end with his nightly aerial assaults, and he even finished third in the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest, but there was a lot more style than substance to Moon’s game.
Jamario Moon struggled with the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors slotted him into the starting five 75 times in his first year with the team, but apart from some impressive defensive displays, Moon didn’t seem to be showing much in the way of progress. He was unable to win on pure athleticism in the pros.
After averaging just 8.0 points in 26.9 minutes a night in 114 starts, the Raptors shipped Moon off with an aging Jermaine O’Neal in exchange for Shawn Marion. At least his high-flying antics brought back some of that Vinsanity nostalgia for a time.