Players The Raptors Acquired Five Years Too Late (Part 1)

So, I'm sure several (and wouldn't be surprised if all) teams have acquired guys that were amazing throughout there career.

But, sometimes you acquire guys who are on the downside of their good or amazing career.

This slide show is about the Raptors' top 10 players that were acquired five (or more) years too late.

They would have been amazing playing for the Raptors had they been acquired in their prime. But unfortunately, they were not and most did not significantly help the Raptors.

...Unless, that is, you count rubbing off on other players.

Remember that this it is not completely based on numbers. Some of it is based on age and money and why we ever acquired them at that age.

1. Shawn Marion

Well, Shawn Marion had a significant impact on the Raptors and still has a lot of game.

He was acquired at the age of 30 (three months before his 31st birthday), which is usually the start of the downside of a player's career. Marion took a lot of the pressure of rebounding off Bargnani and Bosh; he stole many rebounds that the opposing team could have gotten otherwise.

He went up to Bryan Colangelo one time and said:

"If you had of had me all season, we would be in the playoffs."

As bold as that is, it was true.

He averaged 14.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.3 apg as a Raptor, which was better than pretty much everyone on Toronto's roster at the time.

However, had he be acquired five years earlier at the age of 25, he would have given the Raptors 19 ppg, 9.3 rpg, and 2.7 apg.

2. Hakeem Olajuwon

He leads the all-time blocks list with 3,830. Unfortunately, only 90 of those came from his time with the Raptors.

I'm sure you all know how good he was in his prime; and even for his final season in the NBA, 90 blocks overall ain't bad.

However, he was acquired by Toronto in 2001 at the age of 39 for a second and first round pick.

He was probably worth two second round picks, but the Raptors were a title contender and didn't really need their draft picks the following season.

But really: why would you sign an almost 40 year old to a three year deal worth $17.4 million?

That is almost a MILLION MORE than what it cost the Raptors to get a proven starting PG in Jarrett Jack, and he was a RESTRICTED free agent!

Olajuwon turned down a $13 million offer to end his career with the Rockets, but $4.3 million is still over paying.

But, I don't think that was their first offer. Toronto's idiot GM Glen Grunwald's first offer to a 39 year old was $5.8 million a year!

He averaged career lows in his lone season with the Raptors: 7.1 ppg, 1.5 bpg, 6 rpg, and 1.1 apg.

Guess who his agent was? Dan "the greedy bastard" Fegan, who said about the trade that "Hakeem felt he was done as a top player for the Rockets. But, not as an NBA player."

How does that even make sense?

Olajuwon was waived Oct. 27, 2003. Nobody picked up the 41 year old (who would, after just seeing him have his worst season ever?) so his guaranteed salary still counted against the Raptors which was just under 5.8 million, I believe.

The good news was that the Raptors fired Glen Grunwald in 2004, after he messed up the team and their chances at a championship. The bad news is they hired Rob Babcock.

3. Muggsy Bogues

This is where it got difficult to choose, but I think Muggsy earned himself the No. 3 spot.

He was acquired by Toronto in 1999 at the age of 34. Now, of course five years earlier, 1994, the Raptors didn't exist.

So, we'll make an exception and say four years earlier in 1995.

His best three seasons were 1993-1995. During his two seasons with the Raptors ('99-'00 and '00-'01), he averaged career lows—and possibly NBA player lows.

99-00: 5.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 3.7 apg
00-01: 0 ppg, 1 rpg, 1.7 apg

There is no typos in these paragraphs.

This was another act of stupidity that led to the firing of Glen Grunwald.

4. Dell Curry

He 's on here for basically all the same reasons Muggsy is; Curry was acquired in 1999 at the age of 35, and he had career low numbers with the raptors.

In Curry's three years with Toronto, his numbers were as follows.

99-00: 7.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.3 apg
00-01: 6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.3 apg
01-02: 6.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.1 apg

Those aren't terrible numbers, but just the fact that those were probably his worst numbers since his rookie season (and him being 35) are No-No's.

Three strikes and you're out, Grunwald. While that is usually how it works, he wasn't fired just yet. Why? I have no idea.

5. Lamond Murray

Ok, back to the non-exception normal stuff.

Lamond Murray was acquired via free agency in 2003 at the age of 30. Now, this compared to Muggsy and Dell sounds good. But, it is actually not.

I can see why he was acquired, as he had arguably his best season stat—wise last the time he played in the NBA, in 01-02.

What a difference for the worse two years make. Let's look at his numbers in 2001-02, and then 2003-04 and 2004-05.

01-02: 16.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.2 apg.
03-04: 6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, .8 apg.
04-05: 6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, .8 apg.

He was then acquired by New Jersey at the age of 32 in 05-06, where he averaged even lower numbers.

This was probably the last screw—up that Glen Grunwald made as a GM.

Slight Problem

Well, this is part one and i'm only doing five. So, I'll get the other five done soon. Plus, some of you guys are probably going to rip on this one. So, then i can make improvements to part two based on my thoughts and your feedback.

peace.