Toronto Raptors: All-Time Starting 5 Lineup
The Toronto Raptors have only been in the NBA for about 16 years, and not many huge talents have come and stayed in Toronto, but they have come and gone.
As time passes by, this current Raptors squad can easily yield one player who can be the greatest in Raptor's history and some players who have been very efficient role players on the team.
Enjoy!
PG: Jose Calderon
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This guy has just been great as a Toronto Raptor.
He joined the Raptors as a free agent and probably was Rob Babcock's best move as the team's GM (Rob's only real good move). As a role player off the bench, Calderon proved to management that he deserved to be starting PG.
In Calderon's first few seasons, him and TJ Ford (then Raptor's stating PG) were on and off as starters. Eventually, Calderon was picked over Ford as the starter and did a great job.
He then had the same problem when Jarrett Jack was brought into the lineup. Once again, Calderon was the PG that prevailed.
Calderon holds the Raptor's record for assists in a career as a Raptor and also holds the league record for highest free-throw percentage in a season with a mind boggling 98.1 percent free-throw percentage in the '08-'09 season.
It seems as if Calderon's days as a Raptor are limited with the emergence of Jerryd Bayless and the possibility of Kemba Walker or Brandon Knight joining the team this upcoming draft, but for now, Calderon will always be the best PG in Raptors' history.
SG: Vince Carter
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Love him or hate him, he is not only the best shooting guard in Raptor's history, but also the best player the franchise has seen. If it were not for him, then the Raptors might not be in the NBA anymore.
He was a great scorer and was always bringing the crowd off their feet. His amazing dunks and clutch plays were enough to keep fans cheering, even after the game was over.
He came to Toronto via draft day trade. Carter was selected by Golden State and was immediately traded to Toronto after the Raptor's selected his college teammate Antawn Jamison. Looking at the careers of both players, it is easy to say that Toronto won that end of the trade.
Carter took Toronto to the playoffs time and time again, but the team was never able to get past the first round more than once.
Love him or hate him, Vincanity is the best player in Raptors' history, not because of stats, but because of the success the team had.
SF: Morris Peterson
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There is not much to work with in this situation for the Raptors, but if anyone is going to take this spot, it is going to be Morris Peterson.
He was with the Toronto Raptors for seven full years, and in those seven years, he showed a lot of heart for the game, management, and most notably, the fans. He was a fan favorite in Toronto, and there is no reason why he would not be.
He never had All-Star caliber numbers in Toronto, or even a big role, but he was a crucial part to the Raptor's mild playoff success.
He is most notably known for his amazing game-tying buzzer-beater against the Washington Wizards, but for Raptor fans, he was known as a great three-pint specialist and "Mo Pete."
PF: Chris Bosh
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He kind of had the same fate as Vince Carter, but in a somewhat better version. CB4 was the face of the Raptor's franchise after Carter left, and he was able to fill that role quite easily in a couple of years.
He put up great numbers in Toronto, and was a double-double machine. But when Bosh first started in the NBA, he was very weak in the post and always got beat down by the other big man on offense and defense.
He eventually worked on his post game, and with that being improved, his stats skyrocketed up. He found more ways to score and was more aggressive. Bosh soon became an All-Star, and it seemed like it would stay that way annually.
Unfortunately, he decided to leave his team and join the Miami Heat in an effort to win NBA championships and gain constant success compared to the on-and-off success he had as a Raptor.
But as the leader in points, minutes and rebounds for this franchise, Bosh plays a big role in franchise history.
C: Antonio Davis
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Davis was rushed into Toronto in one of the most lopsided trades in franchise history. Toronto shipped away their fifth overall pick, Johnathan Bender (who became a bust) to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Davis.
Davis immediately made a huge impact on the team. He and Charles Oakley provided one of the best frontcourts in the NBA at the time, and it would lead to much success.
He was part of the Vince Carter era and was part of the Raptors teams that made it to the playoffs. Davis was a hustler and a great rebounder. Not to mention his shot-blocking ability, in the three years Davis played as a Raptor, he played his best basketball.
He did not play long in a Raptor's uniform, but he provided so much help to the team that it is just impossible to not mention him as an all-time Raptor
Thanks for reading!
