Toronto Raptors: Ranking the Best Players by Position in Team History
By Phil Watson
The Toronto Raptors are one of the newest franchises in the NBA, joining the league in 1995 along with the then-Vancouver Grizzlies. The only newer franchise is the Charlotte Bobcats, who began play in 2004.
A group led by John Bitove, a Toronto businessman, paid a then-record expansion fee of $125 million in September 1993 to be part of the league’s first expansion into Canada and professional basketball’s first foray north of the border since the Toronto Huskies were an original member of the NBA’s predecessor, the Basketball Association of America, in 1946.
There was great early sentiment to name the new entry the Huskies, but management soon realized that it would be impossible to come up with a logo for a new Toronto Huskies franchise that wouldn’t be far too similar to the branding of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Instead, a nationwide contest was held and 10 finalists—Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas and Terriers—were among those put into play. The Raptors name was introduced on May 15, 1994, a choice no doubt heavily influenced by the popularity of the film “Jurassic Park,” which had been released the previous summer.
Former Detroit Pistons great Isiah Thomas was the team’s first general manager and he chose longtime Pistons assistant Brendan Malone to be the team’s first coach. The Raptors chose first in the expansion draft and selected Chicago Bulls guard B.J. Armstrong, who never played for the team. Other notables among the Raptors’ initial group of players were former Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerome Kersey, former Milwaukee Bucks forward Ed Pinckney and former Miami Heat big man John Salley. Only Pinckney and Salley ever suited up for Toronto.
The Raptors had the No. 7 overall pick in the 1995 draft and the franchise’s first selection was Arizona point guard Damon Stoudamire.
Toronto was predictably awful early on, going 21-61 in their expansion season and firing Malone at season’s end.
The Raptors’ first playoff appearance came in 1999-2000, when they won 45 games under coach Butch Carter. In 2000-01, the franchise won its only playoff series under a new coach, Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, after winning 47 regular-season games.
In 18 seasons, Toronto has made the playoffs just five times, the last in 2007-08. The best seasons in franchise history were 2000-01 and 2006-07, when the Raptors won 47 games each season, including their only division title in 2006-07. The low-water mark was 1997-98, when Toronto was just 16-66.
So who are the best players by position in the history of the Toronto Raptors?
NOTE: Players must have appeared in 250 regular-season games with the franchise to be considered for this list.
Small Forward: Vince Carter (1998-2004)
Vince Carter became known as “Air Canada” after being taken fifth overall by the Toronto Raptors out of North Carolina in 1998. (Photo by Steve Lipofsky/Basketball Photographs)
The Raptors were hoping to make a splash when they traded for the draft rights to North Carolina star Vince Carter to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for the rights to Carter’s college teammate, Antawn Jamison, in 1998. What they got was a guy who went on to be nicknamed “Air Canada,” so, yes, Carter made a splash.
He was the Rookie of the Year in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season and was a five-time All-Star for Toronto, earning All-NBA honors twice.
In parts of seven seasons with the Raptors, Carter averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals and one block per game.
Carter holds Toronto single-season records with 2,107 points in 1999-2000 and a 27.6 points per game average in 2000-01. His 32.5 usage rate in 2003-04 is also a single-season standard and he set records for offensive win shares (10.3) and total win shares (12.9) in 2000-01.
Carter is the Raptors’ second-leading scorer all-time with 9,420 points and is also second with 415 blocked shots, third with 554 3-pointers and 534 steals, fourth with 2,091 rebounds and 1,553 assists and sixth with 403 games played. His 23.4 points per game average is a franchise career record and he is fourth with 1.3 steals per game and sixth with 3.9 assists per game. His 21.8 player efficiency rating (PER) is also the franchise’s best and his 29.8 career usage rate is the highest in team history.
Here are some highlights from Carter’s days as a Raptor:
Things didn’t end well in Toronto for Carter, who asked to be traded and finally had his wish granted in December 2004. He was sent to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Alonzo Mourning (who refused to report), Aaron Williams, Eric Williams and first-round picks in 2005 and 2006. He has since played for the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks and is currently a free agent.
Apologies to: Morris Peterson, Joey Graham.
The Toronto Raptors made Andrea Bargnani the first European player to be taken No. 1 overall in the draft when they used the top pick to get the Italian big man in 2006. (Wikimedia Commons photo)
Power Forward: Andrea Bargnani (2006-13)
The Raptors made some history in the 2006 NBA Draft when they took Italian big man Andrea Bargnani with the No. 1 overall pick, making him the first European player to ever be taken first overall, but his tenure in Toronto is generally viewed as a disappointment.
Bargnani was an All-Rookie selection in 2006-07, but never appeared in an All-Star Game nor was he ever named to an All-NBA team.
In seven seasons, Bargnani averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and was a 36 percent shooter from 3-point range.
Bargnani is second in franchise history with 579 3-pointers and is third with 6,581 points and 2,095 rebounds and fourth with 382 blocked shots and 433 games played. His 15.2 points per game average is sixth-best in team history and he is seventh with an 82.5 free-throw percentage.
Bargnani had some solid games for the Raptors, including a 31-point effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012:
On July 10, Bargnani was dealt to the New York Knicks in exchange for Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, a 2016 first-round draft choice and second-round picks in 2014 and 2017.
Apologies to: Amir Johnson.
Chris Bosh became the Toronto Raptors’ all-time leader in points and rebounds after he was selected fourth overall out of Georgia Tech in 2003. (Flickr.com/John Maynard)
Center: Chris Bosh (2003-10)
The 2003 NBA Draft was memorable for its star power and Chris Bosh was in the middle of that, going to the Raptors with the fourth overall pick after one season at Georgia Tech. Bosh became the face of the franchise after Vince Carter was traded away early in his second season.
Bosh was a five-time All-Star with Toronto and was named to the All-NBA team in 2006-07.
In seven seasons with the Raptors, Bosh averaged 20.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game.
Bosh holds single-season team records with 10.8 rebounds per game, a 25.0 PER, a 25.2 defensive rebound rate and a 17.7 total rebounds rate in 2009-10.
He is also Toronto’s career leader with 10,275 points, 4,776 rebounds and 600 blocked shots and is third with 509 games played and sixth with 1,115 assists and 397 steals. He is also the Raptors’ career leader with a 9.4 rebounds per game average and is also second with 20.2 points per game, sixth with 1.2 blocks per game and seventh with a 49.2 field-goal percentage.
Here are some highlights from Bosh’s time in Toronto:
In July 2010, Bosh left for the Miami Heat as part of a sign-and-trade deal that brought two 2011 first-round picks and a trade exception to the Raptors.
Apologies to: Antonio Davis.
Shooting Guard: Doug Christie (1996-2000)
Doug Christie, shown on a 1996 Upper Deck card, joined the Toronto Raptors late in their first season and was a stalwart in the franchise’s early years.
The Raptors picked up Doug Christie from the New York Knicks along with Herb Williams and cash in February 1996, late in their first season, in exchange for Willie Anderson and Victor Alexander and Christie became a fixture for Toronto in its early years.
In parts of five seasons with the Raptors, Christie averaged 14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
He holds team single-season records with 201 steals and 2.5 steals per game in 1996-97 and with a 3.5 steal percentage in 1998-99.
Christie is Toronto’s all-time leader with 664 steals and is also fifth with 431 3-pointers and 1,197 assists, seventh with 4,448 points and 314 games played, eighth with 1,448 rebounds and 10th with 187 blocked shots. He is also the Raptors’ career leader with 2.1 steals per game and is also seventh with 3.8 assists per game and eighth with 14.2 points per game. His 3.2 steal percentage is also a franchise best.
Here’s an interview Christie did while with Toronto in the late 1990s:
In September 2000, Christie was traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Corliss Williamson. Originally drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1992, Christie played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Knicks prior to coming to Toronto and was a member of the Kings, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers before retiring after the All-Star break in 2007 while on a 10-day contract with the Clippers. Christie now spends his time as a motivational speaker and created Christie Sports Management in 2009, with the mission of training and educating NBA players and those who hope to be NBA players.
Apologies to: DeMar DeRozan.
Signed as a free agent after playing professionally in Spain for six seasons, Jose Calderon became the Toronto Raptors’ all-time assists leader and set an NBA single-season record by shooting 98.1 percent from the free-throw line in 2008-09. (Wikimedia Commons photo)
Point Guard: Jose Calderon (2005-13)
Jose Calderon was already a seasoned professional, a veteran of six seasons in the Spanish league, before signing with the Raptors as a free agent in August 2005 at age 24.
It was a good deal. Calderon worked primarily as a reserve for Toronto’s Atlantic Division title-winning team in 2006-07 and started 56 games for the last Raptor team to make the playoffs in 2008. He led the league in free-throw shooting with an NBA-record 98.1 percent mark in 2008-09 and in 2012-13 led the NBA with a 46.1 3-point field-goal percentage.
In parts of eight seasons, Calderon averaged 10 points and 7.2 assists per game for Toronto.
His 61.3 true shooting percentage in 2008-09 and 57.5 effective field goal percentage and 126.9 offensive rating in 2007-08 are club single-season records.
Calderon is the Raptors’ all-time leader with 3,770 assists and is also second with 525 games played, fourth with 456 3-pointers, fifth with 5,235 points and 469 steals and ninth with 1,315 rebounds. He is also Toronto’s career leader with an 87.7 free-throw percentage and is also third with 7.2 assists per game and 10th with a 38.8 percent mark from 3-point range.
Here are some of Calderon’s Raptor highlights:
On Jan. 30, Calderon was part of a three-team trade, going to the Detroit Pistons in a deal that saw Ed Davis and a 2013 second-round pick go from Toronto to the Memphis Grizzlies, Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince move from the Pistons to Memphis and Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi wind up with the Raptors from the Grizzlies. On July 11, he signed a free-agent deal with the Dallas Mavericks.
Apologies to: Alvin Williams.