With a couple of weeks left to the draft, it’s good time to look back and see Colangelo’s drafting record plus the 5th overall pick since 2000.
2000
5th Overall: Mike Miller. Many people compared the 2000 draft to the 2011 draft. It was a really weak draft. The Magic did quite well by picking up Mike Miller at #5. He had a good year in Florida and won the rookie of the year in Orlando. Not an all-star, but a very good role player who could shoot, pass and rebound. He also won the 6th man of the year award with Memphis. The Raptors wouldn’t complain if they can get similar quality like Miller in a very weak draft.
Colangelo’s pick: Jake Tsakalidis, 25th overall. Not a bad pick in a weak draft; no one after that point in the first round was worth talking about. Tsakalidis is 7’3 and 290 pounds. Not very mobile nor athletic, and seem to prefer to shoot around mid-range. He is out of the league now.
2001
5th Overall: Jason Richardson. Richardson was the first college player picked in the 2001 draft. Many scouts compared him to Vince Carter, but he didn’t have the ball-handling ability of Carter. Richardson never made to an all-star team but is a very effective player throughout his career. Though you always feel like he can do more with his ability.
Colangelo’s pick: The Suns didn’t have a first round pick in 2001
2002
5th Overall: Nikoloz Tskitishvili. Tskitishvili was an 18 year old who barely played in Bennetto. He looked great in workouts, but that’s the problem with just looking at workouts. Tskitishvili was never ready for the NBA, he wasn’t strong nor tough enough. For those of you who want Enes Kanter, take note.
Colangelo’s pick: Amare Stoudamire 9th overall. I don’t think any scouts have questions about Amare’s talent, but they did have questions about his life outside of basketball. Let’s put it this way, Amare came to the draft from high school, he was 21 years old. Give Colangelo credit, he could have gone to the safe route and pick Caron Butler who was supposed to be a top 5 pick but his draft stock dropped for no apparently reason. Colangelo saw the upside of Amare, and got the best player in the 2002 draft; winning the rookie of the year and made the All-Star team 6 times.
2003
5th Overall: Dwayne Wade. 2003 was considered the best draft in the last 20 years. 4 of the first 5 picks made the all-star team multiple times. Lots of scouts wondered where Wade would play in the NBA; he was too turnover prone as a PG and too small to play SG. Also, he wasn’t a good shooter. Wade proved everyone wrong in his rookie year, leading the Miami Heat to the playoffs. He played as a PG as a rookie, then moved to the SG spot in his second year; eventually winning a championship and the Finals MVP. I don’t have to say anymore.
Colangelo’s pick: Zarko Cabarkapa, 17th overall. Cabarkapa is 6’10 and can shoot. Scouts thought he was similar to Rashard Lewis, but injuries have hurt his development.
2004
5th Overall: Devin Harris. Devin Harris was the best college PG in that draft. 6’3, with great speed and ball-handling ability. He eventually started for the Mavericks but wasn’t a huge part of the offense. It was the trade to New Jersey where Harris showed his quickness, he made the all-star team in 2009. You could make some comparison between Brandon Knight and Devin Harris, they have similar size and speed. Harris, though had a better understanding of the game when the Mavs drafted him. Knight is 19 and only had one year of college experience.
Colangelo’s pick: None. He traded the 7th pick to the Bulls. Considering this move was made to maximize cap space and as a result they got Steve Nash, you really can’t argue it too much. The Bulls picked Luol Dang.
2005
5th Overall: Raymond Felton. Felton shouldn’t be the 5th pick overall, he was drafted there because: 1) He led the Tar Heels to win the NCAA championship and 2) Charlotte wants to pick guys who played college at the home state to draw fans. Not saying Felton isn’t a good player. Undersized but with good speed, not a great shooter especially off the dribble. Not an all-star but good enough to start on any NBA team.
Colangelo’s pick: None. The Suns traded Nate Robinson to the Knicks. Colangelo’s last draft as the Sun’s GM.
2006
5th Overall: Sheldon Williams. The ‘Landlord’ wasn’t the 5th best player in the draft, even in a weak draft year. But Billy Knight loved his game, and throw cautions to the wind. Williams is a role player who can defend but can’t score. Some compared Williams to Antonio Davis, but at least Davis can catch a pass and score a little.
Colangelo’s pick: Andrea Bargnani, 1st overall. I criticized both Colangelo and Bargnani for the past few years, but I will defend this pick. 2006 wasn’t a good draft year, no one stood out as the #1 overall player. Colangelo was very intrigued with Bargnani’s potential, a 7 footer who can score from anywhere was very difficult to find. Bargnani’s weaknesses (rebounding and defense) were fixable. Looking at this draft now, Brandon Roy is a better player, but now injured and may retire. Rudy Gay is better, LaMarcus Aldridge is better but it’s hard for the Raptors to draft a Chris Bosh clone at that time. Tyrus Thomas is still a headcase. Adam Morrison is out of the league. Randy Foye and Sheldon Williams are backup role players. In short, the Raptors didn’t do too badly in this draft.
2007
5th pick overall: Jeff Green. Not a big fan of Green when he played for Georgetown. Not a scorer, but a good complementary player. That’s probably the reason why Presti drafted Green to play with Durant, even though they played the same position. Looking back, they would have done better with Noah. Green is a tweener SF/PF, probably will make his living as a SF.
Colangelo’s pick: No one. Raptors have no first round pick in 2007
2008
5th pick overall: Kevin Love. I loved Love’s game in UCLA; he couldn’t jump but he could do everything else. Memphis actually had the 5th spot but wanted OJ Mayo, so traded up and Minnesota ending up with Kevin Love. One of the very few things Kevin McHale did right. Love is now an all-star, and a monster rebounder.
Colangelo’s pick. None. The Raptors traded their first round pick in the disaterous Jermaine O’Neal trade.
2009
5th pick overall: Ricky Rubio. The Wolves had the 5th pick once again and picked Rubio. Rubio still hasn’t played a game in the NBA, but you can argue his stock has slipped considerably in the past 2 years. Mainly because his performance in Europe was disappointing. Rubio will play for the Wolves this year.
Colangelo’s pick: DeMar DeRozan. Excellent pick by Colangelo. DeRozan struggled early in his freshman year in USC, but came on strong around the second half and in the NCAA tourney. Look at the 10-20 pick in the 2009 draft, would you pick anyone of them over DeRozan. You can make an argument for Ty Lawson, but he’s 2 years older than DeRozan. Jrue Holiday could be pretty darn good too, but I don’t think Colangelo would trade DeRozan for him.
2010
5th pick overall: DeMarcus Cousins. Huge talent, but a serious headcase. He did show flashes of his abilities in Sacramento. I wish I could say the same thing about his attitude. Still very young. If he matures (a big if), he will be an all-star.
Colangelo’s pick: Ed Davis. Davis was projected as a mid-lottery pick, so Colangelo got a gift here at 13. I wasn’t a big fan of Davis in North Carolina, but he was impressive as a rookie. Perhaps it’s due to him not having to be the #1 option on offense like he was in NC. I see Davis as a Dale Davis/PJ Brown type, not an all-star but a starter for any NBA teams. Here is question: Who would rather have now, Cousins or Davis? Davis will have a very long career but doesn’t have the upside of Cousins. Meanwhile, Cousins could be the next Derrick Coleman or a multiple all-star.
Summary: The 5th pick usually get you a decent player even in a weak draft. 4 of the past 11 picks made the all-star team, most of them turned out to be pretty solid players. Colangelo though seem to love to pick guys with good upside especially when he has a pick in the lottery; we know he is not afraid to go pick a player in Europe. He gambled on Bargnani, Amare and DeRozan, and they weren’t busts. He does have a good eye for talent.
Tags: NBA draft, Toronto Raptors
