The 2010 Draft was a tough one for the Raptors. They finished one game out of the playoffs behind the Bulls, and had the 13th best shot at the first overall pick. It was also pretty clear by that point in the offseason that the Raps were going to have to rebuild after the departure of Chris Bosh - and 13th overall picks don't tend to become franchise players (besides Kobe Bryant).
The Raps' greatest needs going into the draft:
- A defense-first, rebounding big man to back up Amir Johnson and Andrea Bargnani.
- A scoring wingman with the ability to spot-up from deep.
The draft's first several picks unfolded as expected, with John Wall and Evan Turner going 1-2, and Derrick Favors, Wesley Johnson and DeMarcus Cousins right behind them. However, Ed Davis' wrist injury in February of 2010 caused him to fall out of the top-10, and the Dinos gladly grabbed him with their only pick, fulfilling their first need. In his sophomore year at North Carolina Davis averaged 9.6 rebounds and almost 3 blocks to go along with 13 points per game. Davis' game is eerily similar to that of a young Chris Bosh - both long, athletic lefties with tremendous potential. Davis' athleticism and skills are not on par with Bosh's, but his defensive abilities (especially shot-blocking) are superior at this point in his career, and even a poor man's CB4 is a valuable piece to any team. An excellent value pick for the Raptors, who are gambling that Davis' wrist will not impede him from succeeding in the NBA. There is a mantra regarding the NBA Summer League that says, "you don't find out who can play. You only find out who can't." That said, Ed gave us no reason to doubt him by averaging 13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks while shooting an excellent 63% from the field in 25 minutes per game.
With the 50th pick, the Dallas Mavericks selected Florida State sophomore Solomon Alabi, a 7-1 centre with impressive touch for his size. He was traded on draft night to the Raptors for cash. Alabi averaged 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 25 minutes per game with the Seminoles. However, what may be most intriguing about him is his solid shooting ability - he shot 54% from the field and almost 80% from the free throw line in his final year of college. Alabi's athleticism and agility are not at an elite level, but if he can continue to hone his defensive skills and perfect a few post moves, he could be a very solid backup big man. Alabi posted a line of 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block in about 18 minutes per game in Vegas.
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