Babcock drops another draft shocker Fans up in arms over Villanueva DAVE FESCHUK (这家伙从来不会说好话) BASKETBALL COLUMNIST They were watching the big screen with jumbo expectations last night at the Air Canada Centre, watching as the Raptors shocked the basketball world by selecting Charlie Villanueva with the seventh overall pick. And instead of embracing the newest Raptor, the gathering of season-ticket holders and assorted faithful applauded his critics. As the ESPN analysts vociferously panned the Raptors' choice — "Absolutely shocked!" hollered the usually rah-rah Dick Vitale — the crowd cheered in agreement. When Villanueva took the podium in New York's Madison Square Garden for his first interview as a Raptor, Toronto's fans, saddened via satellite, filled their arena with boos. "There's gotta be a trade," said one distraught fan. "Gotta be," said another. But there was no trade brewing behind the scenes, no secret swap to explain the unexpected. A year after defying expectations and selecting the disastrous Rafael Araujo in the No. 8 slot, Raptors general manager Rob Babcock had dropped another out-of-nowhere name. You've heard of out-of-the-box thinking, but this — going with a frequently maligned 20-year-old few experts figured worthy of the top 10 — was out-on-a-limb thinking. And, if it doesn't pan out the way the Raptors are hoping, it could be, for Babcock, out-of-a-job thinking. Taking Villanueva was unconventional if you're being generous, inexcusable if you're not. Not only does he play the same position as the club's best young player, Chris Bosh, Villanueva has also compiled a checkered record of blase performances during his two-year stint at the University of Connecticut. "The average fan isn't studying the draft and all the players like we do," said Babcock. To be fair, it was a night of surprises. Some of the players mentioned as Toronto's most probable selections — New Mexico's Danny Granger, who was taken by the Indiana Pacers at No. 17, and Houston high schooler Gerald Green, who went to the youth-stacked Celtics at 18 — fell out of the top 10, meaning the Raptors weren't the only ones who, for whatever reason, shied away from those names. Doubtless, Babcock did his best to redeem himself with the 16th overall selection of Joey Graham, the 6-foot-7 Oklahoma State small forward. Graham, who was projected by some to go even higher, is a hard-bodied athlete whose defensive bent and 89 per cent free-throw percentage suggest he doesn't mind hard work. But if the 23-year-old's got a weakness it's his rebounding (he averaged just 6.1 per game last year). The Raptors, of course, were the worst rebounding team in the NBA last year. And Villanueva, some in the organization were whispering yesterday, was the best rebounder available. Maybe, but his average of 8.3 boards per game last season won't exactly get the season-ticket hotline ringing off the hook. But stats don't tell the whole story. He's been criticized by his college coach, Jim Calhoun, for a lacklustre work ethic and a lack self-confidence. Last night the Raptors handed out a packet of Villanueva-related information to the media, included in which was an ESPN scouting report: "The words `potential cancer' get mentioned too frequently when scouts talk about him," was the summation. The phrase that came to mind when Villanueva's big-screen image was being booed at the ACC last night was "potential career killer." Babcock, when his visage appeared on the screen, was jeered by his club's most loyal fans. That's perhaps because it's undeniable more highly regarded big men, not to mention flat-out better players, were available at No. 7. Channing Frye, the Arizona centre, went eighth. Andrew Bynum, the high school phenom, went 10th. Fran Vazquez, the physical Spaniard, went 11th. Sean May, the soft-handed MVP of the Final Four, went No. 13. Even Villanueva said he was "shocked somewhat" to be selected so high. "The future for (Villanueva) is what he eventually believes it is going to be," Calhoun said in December. "But he's got to believe." If Villanueva believes in himself, he'll be one of the few. Getting the fans to believe in Babcock, after yet another draft-night leap of faith, is another matter entirely. --

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