Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani Proving Doubters Wrong so Far

“With the first overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors select Andrea Bargnani from Italy”. Those words were the start of something new for the Toronto Raptors franchise. They were lucky to win the draft lottery and get the first pick, instead of what normally would have been the sixth pick.

Many consider the 2006 draft class one of the biggest fails in all of draft classes with the likes of Adam Morrison (third overall, Charlotte Bobcats), Shelden Williams (fifth overall, Atlanta Hawks) and Randy Foye (seventh overall, Boston Celtics).

But then again, there were many notables who were drafted as well. These included Andrea Bargnani, Lamarcus Aldridge (second overall, Chicago Bulls), Brandon Roy (sixth overall, Minnesota Timberwolves), Rudy Gay (eighth overall, Memphis Grizzliees), and Rajon Rondo (twenty-second overall, Phoenix Suns).

Many consider Bargnani a stupid pick because fans and sports analysts see the production of Brandon Roy and Rajon Rondo.

First of all, Bargnani was first overall in MANY mock drafts for that year, except for one, and that is probably the main reason why he was picked first.

Secondly, Brandon Roy was bumped down to fourth because of recurring knee problems, and we see the results of that just 5 seasons into his career. Roy does not have any muscle in his knee, which allows his bones to grind against each other when he walks/runs. This will possibly force Roy into early retirement

Finally, Rajon Rondo was not expected to do as well as he has done thus far in his career. Rondo was a nobody until Celtics GM brought Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett into the picture. With the big three in Boston, Rondo had much more options to play with, so he improved drastically and is now regarded one of the top PGs in the league.

Then, there is Andrea Bargnani. Luckily for the Raptors faithful, Bargnani is a scoring machine! He’s currently averaging close to 22 PPG and everyone knows that number is going to go up slowly. He is the best offensive center in the league right now, and 22 PPG is a vast improvement from the 17.8 PPG in the 2009-2010 campaign.

Some centers consider him a threat when he is left open around the 3-point line. Most centers are not used to guarding other big men who can shoot the three. Bargnani has been taking less jump shots, has begun to drive in from the outside, and he's added a fade away shot to his post moves.

He has yet to improve his post game, but, when he does, we can easily see his PPG go up to 24 or 25. This will also give him a chance to grab some offensive rebounds, allowing for second chance opportunities.

Let us get this straight. Bargnani and rebounding don’t really go well together into a sentence. He averages a measly 5.1 rebounds per game in his career.

When Chris Bosh was in Toronto, he averaged almost 12 RPG. When Bosh left, many expected Bargnani’s rebounding numbers to skyrocket to about 9 or 10 RPG, but no one expected Reggie Evans to average about 13 RPG.

Sure, Bargnani may not be a Brandon Roy or a Rajon Rondo, but he has a lot of potential. If his rebounding improves, Bargnani could be inserted into the list of top centers in NBA history. Definitely not near players such as Kareem or Shaq, but could be in the top 40 if he continues to produce the way he is.

Toronto has locked up Il Mageo (The Magician in Italian) until the end of the 2014-2015 season, so expect Barg to play his best in Toronto, to prove analysts wrong and lead the Raptors to the playoffs.