A look back at the 2021 Raptors’ Draft

This is a continuation of Raptors Republic’s draft look back series.

The Toronto Raptors’ 2021 Draft was where the foundation was laid for what today’s team is built on, but it came at a cost.

The 2020-2021 season for the Raptors was spent in Tampa Bay, Florida, due to travel restrictions related to COVID-19. And although it was a shortened season, it felt like forever for those who endured it.

The Raptors dealt with numerous injuries, as Toronto finished with a 27-45 record, the fourth-worst in the Eastern Conference. The dreadful season marked the Dinos’ worst record in nearly a decade, as the team missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. It also became the first season since 1995 to not have any NBA regular-season games played in Canada, and the first time since 2007 an NBA team was temporarily displaced from their home city (New Orleans Hornets).

So yeah, it was pretty bad.

The season’s success would ultimately come down to some ping pong balls rattling around in a cage, and luckily for the Raptors, the cookie crumbled their way. Canada’s team jumped up to the fourth overall selection after having the seventh-best odds, salvaging something from a seemingly lost season.

Toronto’s fourth overall selection would be the highest selection since 2006, and the third highest ever, and it would not disappoint. The team selected Scottie Barnes, and even though it was met with heavy criticism, time has proven that the Raptors’ brass made the right choice.

The West Palm Beach, Fla. native would go on to have a stellar debut season, claiming the Rookie of the Year award at the end of it. Two seasons later, the Florida State alum would snag his first all-star nomination, cementing himself as one of the best Raptors’ draft picks ever.

With four years and 276 games under his belt, Barnes has career averages of 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 46.6 per cent from the field, 30.0 per cent from deep and 76.1 per cent from the free throw line. The 24-year-old is the face of the franchise with presumably his best ball ahead of him, and it all started back with his selection at the top of the 2021 draft.

Barnes wasn’t the only selection, however, as the Raptors added a pair of second-round picks in Dalano Banton and David Johnson.

The former would be the most successful of the second-round duo, playing in 95 games across two seasons before departing in free agency. With the Raptors, the Rexdale, Ont. native averaged 3.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 41.6 per cent from the field, 27.5 per cent from distance, and 63.2 per cent from the charity stripe.

Johnson would not be as successful as Banton, as he has only taken one shot in the two total minutes he has had in the NBA. Instead, the Louisville alum spent the first two years of his career in the G League with the Raptors 905, playing in 51 games for the club before not being brought back ahead of the 2023 season. With the 905, Johnson averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 stocks.

To round out the class, Toronto also added an undrafted free agent in Justin Champagnie. The Pittsburgh alum played in 36 games in his rookie season before being waived after appearing in three games the next season. Champagnie averaged 2.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in his 7.5 minutes per game with Toronto.

Overall, this was a very successful draft for the Raptors that laid the groundwork for the team’s current status. They nabbed a really, really good player in Barnes, and got some minutes out of their second-round picks and undrafted free agent, there’s not much more you can ask for.

Make sure to check back on Raptors Republic as we continue to take a look back at previous Raptors’ drafts.

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