2. Pape Sow, C, 2004-2007
Another of those failed center experiments in 2004 was a Senegalese big man in Sow. He was drafted in the second round of the 2004 draft by the Miami Heat before being promptly shipped north of the border in a swap of draft picks.
Sow played in just 27 games in his rookie year while Loren Woods and Rafael Araujo took their shots at the starting center position. Would it surprise anyone to learn that Sow was not up to the task of being a starting center at the NBA level?
Pape Sow was below average for the Toronto Raptors.
After the Woods project hit the skids and Araujo suffered an injury, it was Sow’s turn to take his shot at the starting five spot for Toronto in the latter half of the 2005-06 campaign. Sow started 25 games but played just 14 minutes a night, allowing him to contribute just 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds a game.
Sow was a big, aggressive body and a decent rim protector, but he was lacking in terms of skill and finesse on the block. He didn’t show many signs pointing toward improvement. He played just seven more games for the Raptors in the 2006-07 season, after which he was out of the league for good.