by William Menna

Created on: June 12, 2010

Chris Bosh was a lottery pick in one of the best draft classes in basketball history.  After spending just one season at Georgia Tech, Bosh was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.  Bosh joined a team that was in a state of transition and rebuilding.  After only a couple of seasons, the Raptors became his team as Bosh developed into one of the best players in the NBA.

Chris Bosh is an athletic big man with a soft shooting touch and the ability to score inside, outside, and on the drive.  During his one year of college basketball, Bosh averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks and was named rookie of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The Raptors selected Bosh with the fourth pick in the draft, sandwiched by fellow NBA All-Stars Carmelo Anthony (3rd) and Dwayne Wade (5th).

As a 19-year old rookie, Chris Bosh wasted no time working his way into Toronto’s starting lineup.  He started 63 of 75 games and averaged 11.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.  At season’s end, he was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.  By his second season, he would be the premier player on his team.

Chris Bosh stepped up his game during a tumultuous 2004-05 season.  Less than two months into the season, the Raptors traded star player Vince Carter, opening up an opportunity for Bosh to raise his game.  Bosh took advantage of the opportunity by scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds per game as the team’s fulltime starting power forward.

Chris Bosh made his biggest leap in his third NBA season.  Starting the season as the default star for the rebuilding Raptors, Bosh became the focal point of the team’s offense.  He earned his first spot on an All-Star team, averaging 22.5 points on 50.5 percent shooting.

Chris Bosh’s individual success was growing and by 2007, the Raptors reaped the rewards by reaching the playoffs for only the fourth time in franchise history.  He posted a 20 and 10 season for the first time of his career, a feat he has accomplished three times through the 2009-10 season.  Bosh has become a permanent fixture on the eastern conference All-Star team, earning five straight appearances from 2006 to 2010.

In the 2009-10 season, Bosh posted career highs in scoring (24.0), rebounding (10.8), and field goal percentage (.518).  For the last two seasons, he has ranked among the NBA’s top ten in both scoring and rebounding.  He hasn’t just been a volume scorer, but a highly efficient offensive player.  Throughout his career, he has been one of the best shooting big men in basketball, displaying a smooth lefty shot with range beyond 20 feet.

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