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Here at Off the Glass we’re taking on the arduous task of going through every NBA teams’ greatest possible starting five, using players that have played for that franchise. A player at each position (Point Guard through Center) will be selected, along with a 6th man who can be any position.
This is how it works:
Players selected must have played at least two full seasons for the franchise
The selection will be based on a combination of statistics, accomplishments/accolades and their significance to the franchise in question
Players had to have predominantly played at that particular position for at least one season to be eligible
Let’s get started.
Toronto Raptors
*Photo via NorthPoleHoops
Point Guard – Kyle Lowry: Kyle Lowry is a no-brainer here. He has been the Raptors most productive player at this position and has had (by far) the greatest team success with the franchise.
Shooting Guard – DeMar DeRozan: You can tell he truly loves the organization and it has shown on the court. Looking through the Raptors record books, DeMar’s name consistently pops up near the top of almost every major statistic. However, this spot might have looked different if a certain other 9th overall pick decided to stay in Toronto, rather than jump to Orlando.
Small Forward – Vince Carter: Widely regarded as the greatest Raptor of all-time - a lot of people forget that Vinsanity actually played small forward during his most successful stretch with the Raptors. Although he has been booed every time he has touched a basketball in Toronto since his departure, there is no questioning that Vince single-handedly legitimized this franchise. This was obviously another no brainer.
Power Forward – Chris Bosh: Although he didn’t leave Toronto on the greatest of terms, Chris Bosh was one of the few genuine franchise players that came through Toronto. Chris was easily the franchise’s most productive big man, and one of their most productive players overall. Unfortunately, he didn’t see the same team success as the other names on this list.
Center – Antonio Davis: This was definitely the hardest of the five. There aren’t many lists where Antonio Davis beats out Hakeem Olajuwon, but this is one of them. He earned his sole all-star appearance while playing in Toronto and is the only other Raptor outside the four guys mentioned about to be named an all-star while playing in Toronto. He was also a big part of Toronto’s second longest playoff run in franchise history.
6th Man – Morris Peterson: More affectionately known as ‘Mo-Pete’, no one player in franchise history was more beloved than Peterson. His value was never fully appreciated if you simply checked the box score, but Peterson built a reputation with his hustle and ability to show up in the clutch. Perhaps his value is most apparent in the fact that at one point he appeared in 371 consecutive regular season games for the Raptors.
Did I miss any of your favorite Raptors? Let me know if you agree or disagree – @awrxshxx