To many peoples surprise, the Raptors drafted Ed Davis with the 13th pick in last nights draft. Davis measures in at 6'10, and played his college basketball at North Carolina for two years. According to mock drafts, Davis was supposed to be drafted in the top 10, hence why he never worked out with the Raptors. He wasn't supposed to go #13, and that's why the Raptors drafted so well at their position. After being drafted, Davis tweeted (@eddavis32):Thanks for all the support Toronto fans. I'm hella excited to be part of a great city and organization.
Going into the night, I expected the Raptors to draft Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry or Patrick Patterson. Aldrich and Henry went 11 and 12 respectively, and the team passed on Patterson because they believed "Davis was the better player".
After last year's draft, Chad Ford believed Ed Davis could be the #1 pick in this year's draft. Unforuntatlely, injuries and underachieving forced him to slide in the draft. Davis averaged 13.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 27.9 minutes last season at UNC. He was forced to sit out the last 13 games of the year with a wrist injury. Both Jay Triano and Bryan Colangelo believe the only reason Ed Davis slid in the draft was because of the injury, but both say the wrist is "fully healthy". Colangelo expects Davis to particapte in the Las Vegas Summer League in a few weeks. Here's his scouting report:
Positives
• Active big man
• Plays even bigger because of excellent length
• Motor runs very high
• Excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor
• Good shot-blocker
• Effective scorer from about 12 feet and in
Negatives
• Needs to add strength
• Needs more experience, playing limited minutes right now
Many believe Ed Davis is Chris Bosh's replacement. With free agency only one week away, it's getting more and more likely that Bosh won't re-sign with Toronto. Both Davis and Bosh play the same position are approximately the same height. When asked if Davis was Bosh's replacement, Colangelo claimed, "I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I'm confident that Chris is coming back, that's why a selection of Ed Davis at this spot is one that looks to be the right piece". By drafting Davis, this means the Raptors won't need a big man in return if the Raptors do a sign and trade with Bosh. I'm guessing they'll address another big concern, the backcourt. One of the biggest reasons why the Raptors underachieved last year was because of their backcourt issues--the team could get a substantial upgrade by signing and trading Bosh.
The Raptors also traded away a future 2nd round pick and cash for the 50th overall pick in last nights draft, Solomon Alabi. Alabi is a 7'1 center who played 2 seasons at Florida State. Alabi, who was supposed to go in the upper teens/lower 20's just hours before the draft, scared away GM's after discovering he had some potential health issues. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks last season.
Overall, I believe the Raptors had a very good draft night. I believe with time, Ed Davis will complement Andrea Bargnani nicely, and will fix the defensive issues in the front court. Solomon Alabi was another steal in the draft, because he wasn't supposed be drafted 50th overall. The Raptors are now prepared for life with or without Bosh, and can address a different position in free agency.
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