11 -- T.J Ford (PG, 2006-2008)
I remember my favourite high school English teacher being very excited when the Raptors signed Rafer Alston to a five year deal. He was coming off a breakout year in Miami as a sixth man, and combined with Vince, sophomore Bosh, Jalen Rose and bench stud Donyell Marshall, there was optimism for a good squad. Alas, Carter was traded two months into the season and Alston quickly was not having a good time. "Skip To My Lou" was a lot of fun to watch though, there's a reason why he's a
street ball legend.
Alston as a Raptor was significantly more successful than any of Negele Knight (seven turnovers and five personal fouls in 56 minutes is... well noticeable), Lindsey Hunter (a solid veteran guard who was much
worse as a Rap than 15 year old me remembers) and Shamorie Ponds (9 points in 11 minutes is quite a bit better than Knight ever did).
Later in Bryan Colangelo's tenure, he lured Linas Kleiza back to the NBA to try solidifying the small forward spot. Kleiza was a guy you'd want to use in a video game: a streaky gunner who could and would shoot from anywhere on the court. As a Raptor he did just that... aside from the 'scoring' part. Or actually being on the court very much.
When Alston was traded for Mike James (and the subsequent Mike James
chucker season), Toronto a year later made yet another move for a point guard in
T.J Ford, a relatively recent lottery pick whose career had been thrown off by a spinal injury. Ford couldn't shoot a lick from outside (career .289 percent) but was still lightning quick and a crafty passer. With Bosh, a pair of European free agents in Anthony Parker, Jorge Garbajosa and the #1 pick Bargnani, Ford helped the surprise 06-07 Raptors make the playoffs for the first time in half a decade, and the first ever Raptor team to do so not featuring Vince Carter. Naturally, that team ended up playing the Nets in the first round, losing to... Vince Carter. The Nets had no equal to Bosh in that series (their best players were all smaller dudes: Carter, Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd) so instead they deployed a bunch of journeymen bigs like Josh Boone or Mikki Moore to hack Bosh anytime he got inside. New Jersey stole Game One in Toronto (the genesis of the 'Raptors always lose Game 1' narrative) and Toronto was never able to win one back in Jersey, despite a
saddeningly close Game 6 (and why Jefferson is seriously an all-time underrated Raptors villain).
Despite that sting of losing to the then villainous Carter in the playoffs, 06-07 was an incredibly fun team and planted the concept that this franchise could be exciting again after the soul searching bleakness of Vince's departure. As the primary playmaker/quarterback of that team, Ford has himself a respectable place in Raptor lore.
12 -- Rasho Nesterovic (C, 2006-2008, 2009-10)
Man, this is where even obscurity wonders who most these guys are. Donald Whiteside played 250 minutes for the second year Raptors! (and that's all I know). How about Trey Johnson? Andre Barrett? John Thomas? Ronald Dupree? I got nothing here.
Young Canadian Oshae Brissett has been thrust into NBA action way more times than expected during this (suspended) season because of injuries. Brissett shows the athleticism and makings of a potential NBA player if he can refine his offensive game... a lot. Another defense-only guy, Michael Curry, wore '12' his one season as a Raptor, while mostly just serving as then-head coach Kevin O'Neill's
private eyes in the locker room. Curry was about as offensively capable as Brissett is now, except Brissett is young enough to get ID'd at bars while Curry was considerably older in 2004 than I am now. O'Neill (who probably would've loved a 42-38 score in an NBA game) was enamored with Curry and played him a ton, despite his complete lack of anything resembling scoring ability.
The '12' has to be
Rasho Nesterovic, an old school center picked off from the Spurs for Eric Williams and Matt Bonner. He was slow, as flashy as a burnt light bulb without anything resembling an outside game... but he was crafty enough, boxed out and most importantly gave the team something they hadn't had since maybe Kevin Willis: a consistent, physical, healthy center. In retrospect, it probably speaks more about those darkest days of the franchise, when anything resembling reliability was like a gift from the heavens. Being a Raptor fan has certainly been a ride.
13 --
Mark Jackson was a Raptor! I always forget this and just think of him as the Warriors coach just before they became an unstoppable monster (also for
this clip). Malcolm Miller is still currently an end-of-the-bench Raptor after a few seasons but hasn't done much of anything more notable than that. If this were 2010 I bet he'd have started 100 NBA games by now (those teams, man).
Patrick O'Bryant was a notable draft lottery bust who got a short look in T.O over two seasons (and never sniffed the NBA again afterward, telling you how well that went). David Andersen was an Aussie forward who looks like a missing member of The Hives (watch out for the
broken bones), Sebastian Telfair was an enticing lottery point guard who merely just bounced around the NBA for about a decade, Toronto one of his last stops. Linton Johnson only played ten minutes for the franchise and Dwight Buycks was about as memorable as somebody who played ten more (it was 146... yikes).
Ah... Mike James played just one lost season in Toronto, but it has become the stuff of legend. Acquired from Houston, James quickly realized how hopeless the 05-06 Raptors were, so as a pending free agent he unabashedly decided to dominate the offense. The results were nuts. He shot .442 from three on five attempts per game (wild by mid-2000s NBA standards), averaged 20+ points for the entire season and controlled the ball every possession, or any chance he got. He set outlier career highs in basically everything and at the time seemed a fun story, but looking closer he wasn't doing a whole lot to help them actually win. Since the team was awful anyway none of it mattered, so James' 2005-06 season is an amusingly weird quirk in Raptor history.
Now it's hard. Doug Christie was my first favourite player as a kiddo, and I vividly remember a Pizza Pizza (blech) billboard with him right at Spadina and Bloor. Becoming a more knowledgeable fan as I got older, I learned Christie was seriously underrated: a stud guard defender, smart, terrific ball handler for multiple good teams. However I was too young to fully appreciate all that for myself, so I gotta go with someone from the times I was a touch older.
With Charles Oakley, Antonio Davis, Kevin Willis and later Keon Clark in the fold, the playoff Carter teams weren't lacking for toughness. But aside from Clark, those guys were all veterans and their toughness was measured more through bruising and physicality than pure raw energy. During the 00-01 season, general manager Glen Grenwald traded away the under-performing Corliss Williamson with Dee Brown for a needed center in Eric Montross, accompanied by an ultra-hyperactive forward named
Jerome Williams, better known as 'Junkyard Dog' or 'JYD'.
JYD did the dirty(ier) work. His energy was unequaled, battling anybody for any rebound, never backing down from an opponent and barking aloud in the moment of the game. On the court he was a tornado, off it he was (and is) a chatty, charismatic and passionate spokesman for basketball and the Raptors franchise even almost two decades later. I loved Christie as a kid, but as a young teen I loved those good Raptor teams and JYD was my second favourite player when I started paying closer attention. Pound The Rock (the Score's bball podcast) did a great
interview with him not too long ago that I highly recommend if you're into that stuff.
14 --
Muggsy Bogues was a good player for a long time and important to those early Raptor teams that flirted with lady goodness. Bogues' photo next to Manute Bol is one of the
best sports photos ever, plus he was in Space Jam!
Joey Graham was an athletic forward that we all had high hopes for (especially as a draft pick gained in Babcock's awful Carter trade) and he teased but really never put it together. D.J. Augustin played a third of a season on a bad 2013 Raptors team before getting released... and somehow has still stuck around long enough that he hit the game winning shot in a Game 1 against the Raptors this past playoffs. This franchise has some ghosts, man.
It's slim pickings here (unless you want Micheal Williams' 15 minutes or Julian Wright's extremely unremarkable 2010-11 season) so thank goodness for
Danny Green. Yeah, he struggled badly in the playoffs and almost threw away the championship during that weird Game Six finish (and people wonder why Raptor fans are always nervous about inbounds plays) but none of that should take away how crucially good he was in the regular season, or the sheer enjoyableness of his podcast with Harrison Sanford "Inside The Green Room". Green came to Toronto as a potentially washed 3-and-D guard thrown into the Kawhi trade to match salary. Instead he was a key starter,
canned tons of threes, brought veteran presents(TM) and composure to an eventual champion. A smart, likeable dude, easy to root for even if he's a Laker now. Here's hoping for a long end to his career and a longer stint as a broadcaster afterwards.
15 --
A number filled with infamy in these parts.
I mean, when we signed Anthony Bennett I wasn't expecting much but geez some people are unreasonable.
Big man Greg Monroe didn't have much left when he joined the Raptors in 2019, and with a long term injury to Jonas Valanciunas he was thrust into an ill-fitting role. Later that season he joined the 76ers and lost to those same Raptors in the playoffs, bringing a question of whether he deserved a championship ring (the dude probably wouldn't want one anyway from those circumstances, I imagine). Oppositely, Eric Moreland was indeed on that championship team and is the only '15' to achieve such a thing with the Raptors. Well winning conquers all so Moreland gets the nod. Right? Right? Okay fine... I'll continue.
Jorge Garbajosa was the key glue guy on my 4th favourite Raps team ever, that plucky 06-07 team (first ever to win the Atlantic Division). He could shoot from outside, was a tough defender at the forward spot and just filled in the cracks to make the whole squad tighter than it's sum. His devastating injury before the playoffs in 06-07 (eventually wrecking his NBA career) is an all-time Raptor Heartbreak moment. The image of Calderon trying to support his wounded friend on the court still stings.
Likewise, Amir Johnson was a key glue guy on those early good Lowry/DeRozan teams. A late second round pick of the Pistons, Amir barely played minutes as a teenager until finding his way to Toronto when swapped for Carlos Delfino. He was quickly loved by fans (
makes sense) and advanced stats, buoying up units with his hustle, rebounding, terrific screen setting and personal embrace of the city (he did the Zombie Walk!). Unfortunately his body/ankles didn't agree to the task of being a full time NBA player, as his effectiveness gradually slipped until he was just too slow to stick in the league anymore. He still enjoyed a nice career, an important cog even in his last Raptor days when he moved around like balding Jimmy Hustle playing YMCA ball (despite only being 28).
As much as I love Amir, the best '15' is the man who first made Raptor basketball cool. Chris Bosh may have been the first star who gave the franchise a theoretical longer window, DeRozan the first who truly believed in its championship potential and Lowry the one who helped bring that ultimate validation, but
Vince Carter was the one who put the franchise on the NBA map. Before Vince, Toronto was an experiment, an outpost in some weird unknown land with cartoonish jerseys (though strangely now enjoyed?) and nothing else to offer the casual fan. Carter totally transformed that perception, both with his marketable ascension to superstardom and his incredible ability. He was a one man "must see TV" type of player: in his prime he's probably the best dunker of all time (
prove me wrong, kids). Carter did things nobody at that time had ever seen before, and there's a reason beyond respecting the current NBA Methuselah that young players in the
*cough* lame *cough* recent Slam Dunk contests put on Carter jerseys nearly two decades after his
legendary performance. Seriously, compare all the extra antics, gimmicks or obvious playing for hype featured in most dunk contests this past decade-plus, then look at how stone faced, confident and simple Vince keeps it there. He knew he was gonna win this thing before he even put his sneakers on and just let his explosiveness do the talking.
Carter is a complicated figure in team history. It's savior, it's disgruntled problem, it's biggest villain... then eventually an iconic and venerated part of the past. So much of that dislike is based on how he left the Raptors, which was bad (although the crappy return of that trade is squarely on that much much more bad GM). I definitely loathed Vince for a time, especially when he was on the Nets and tormented the Raptors time after time (trading him to a division rival? RIP Rob Babcock but geez dude, you dumbass).
I think a lot of why Vince is loved again is the franchise has now a huge sustained period of success without him. When he left, it felt like this was our one-in-a-lifetime talent skipping town and the good times were over indefinitely. Factor in his immediate embrace and flourishing with the Nets... and he was in his prime and clearly
especially determined to destroy our hopes and dreams.
But now? Just this season Vince came in for the Hawks, immediately hit a couple of shots against the Raps (which he still always does) and I remember thinking: give me 43 year old Vince suddenly going off against us; it'd be so fun... and none of those old feelings matter anymore. Back when he just ruined us (especially the 06-07 playoffs) played into that endless sense of doom you get when you're passionate about... well the Toronto Raptors. That stung 14 years ago, but it doesn't sting anymore because even before we won a title this franchise finally proved it could reach and sustain higher success. Time doesn't heal but time can forgive, and Carter now himself has become a player so easy to root for. He's made his money, there's almost certainly something in broadcasting waiting for him when he does retire, but he keeps playing, working hard to keep himself in top physical shape even now far beyond his athletic peak... maybe he just loves playing the game. And that is always worth our admiration and our cheers.
Vince Carter deserved our greatest adoration, our greatest resentment, but now biggest of all our greatest respect. When he (wants to) retire I'd sign him to a 1 day deal, have a press conference and retire that '15' (while also honouring Amir somehow because c'mon). Carter's iconicism as a Raptor should not and will not fade anytime soon.
16 --
Matt Bonner (F, 2004-2006)
Okay! Something quick. Peja Stojakovic had a very effective two game cameo as a Raptor (I was in Thailand at the time and never saw said impact on a definitely terrible team). Steve Novak was a weirdly tall three point specialist scored in the Bargnani trade, so automatic win regardless of what he did.
It's a number for tall gunners, so the best '16' is the Red Rocket:
Matt Bonner. An awkward looking big fella drafted in the second round, Bonner quickly became a fan favourite with his exceptional three point shooting and just likeable persona (like a Chief O'Brien type). I remember once when I was nineteen working at the Drake Hotel, Bonner was a bit drunk and lounging in a chair near the front door, and just super polite and sweet to anybody coming his way. Just a real kind, pleasant fella. The Raptors traded him to the Spurs for Rasho Nesterovic which at the time was a useful trade, but it's no fluke that Bonner went on to win two NBA titles and play a key role as a reserve for some excellent squads. Hmmmm, since he retired the Spurs seem to be having hard times... coincidence?
Yeah probably. Still, good player... great dude.
17 --
Jonas Valanciunas (C, 2012-2019)
Eric Williams was the key piece brought back in the Vince Carter trade. If you've never heard of Eric Williams and had to look him up, that basically tells you how good that trade was. (f@@king Babcock, man). Then of course there's Jeremy Lin, who's best Toronto moments aren't as a Raptor (actually
against them) but still was on The Team.
Big Val is my guy, and like DeRozan, an easily beloved player with considerable flaws. Jonas Valanciunas was taken 5th overall by the Raptors in 2011, with the knowledge he would be playing overseas for another season and thus wouldn't make his debut until 2012. In that meanwhile, overseas he proved himself a dynamic player with a quirky
fun sense of humour (he's definitely more convincing as a ref than a wizard), which gave the desperate fans hope that this big Lithuanian would be the next big thing for the sad franchise.
Unlike Bargnani, once hitting the NBA Big Val demonstrated an ability to adapt and improve. He got bigger so to bang with the heavyweights in the league. Then when the league suddenly shifted to more versatile, switchable shooting big men, Val tried adapting his game to include a three point shot (he was always a terrific free throw shooter so it seemed possible). He never figured out how to defend outside the post, but he was a consistent team-first player and worked at whatever he could to help good teams succeed. Trading him for Marc Gasol was heartbreaking and at the time I thought stupid, as at the time as I thought Gasol was just an older, worse rebounding version of Val (geez was I wrong there).
Valanciunas (now in Memphis) still does what he always does: kills it on the boards, is a menace in the post and moves around in that slow mechanical way so bizarre for a dude so obviously athletic. I don't watch too many Grizzlies games (despite the awesomeness of Ja Morant) so I can only hope Big Val's hilariously obvious pump fake is still fooling the best basketball players in the world. Rock on big fella.
18 --
Anthony Parker (G, 2006-2009)
Unless you're obsessed with the
Ben Uzoh Game, Anthony Parker is your '18' man. Parker was a bit player on some late 90s NBA teams, went off to play in Israel for half a decade and established himself as one of the best non-NBA players in the world. In one of Bryan Colangelo's better moves, he brought Parker back to North America in 2006 with a three year deal.
He quickly established himself as their reliable starting two-guard, capable of strong defense on an opposing star and exceptional three point shooting. Basically what Danny Green did for the championship squad. Parker likewise was an integral part of that 06-07 Raps team,
hit some big shots to the delight of Chuck Swirsky, and really proved how perseverance can often times get you somewhere. As a 24 year old he averaged eleven minutes a game in 16 contests for a forgettable Orlando team. Six years later as a 31 year old he was a starter for a playoff Raptors team, and later a starter on LeBron's last (first tour) Cavs team.
No Raptor has ever worn 19
20 --
As an aside, it's strange that Bruno(!) Caboclo immediately changed from '20', which he'd worn since drafted by the Raps, to '5', once DeMarre Carroll left town. Does this mean anything? Not really. Does anything mean anything? Impossible to tell.
Dewan Hernandez, a current Raptor but injured all season, wears '20' currently. Jodie Meeks actually played playoff minutes early in the championship run last year (unfortunately forgetting his three point shot in the cab), Mickael Pietrus was a good forward who for some reason was completely awful as a Raptor, Carlos Delfino was a sort of jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type player who never quite put it all together (though turning him into Amir Johnson is a definite win), Leandro Barbosa was an exciting speedy guard (the Brazilian Blur!) best known as a Steve Nash running mate in Phoenix, and Fred Jones was a former slam dunk champ that for half a season... had zero memorable dunks in T.O.
I remember in early 1998 (I was ten) walking with my dad in the old Dominion supermarket down near Huron and Dupont (it's an LCBO now) and seeing a newspaper for sale. On the front page was a story about the Damon Stoudamire trade, which had either been the day before or the day before that. At the time, the future of the Raptors was bleak. Isiah Thomas (yeah, I know) had left the team as president and Stoudamire, the only star the franchise had then ever known, wanting out immediately after Thomas's departure seemed a death bell for basketball in Toronto, especially with the negative buzz surrounding the Vancouver Grizzlies. The NBA in Canada experiment was rolling down the road of failure.
Stoudamire was a really good, and fun player. A tiny point guard (5'10) and a lefty, Damon (and later Marcus Camby) was the only thing those early Raptor teams had that could point to a potentially positive future. He was a horse, averaging over 40 minutes a night, nearly ten assists and capturing the love of fans with his endearing nickname "Mighty Mouse", a cartoon character of which he had a tattoo of.
When the Raptors traded him to Portland, the key piece they got back was Kenny Anderson, who refused to even report to the team (earning him a nicely deserved place with Alonzo Mourning among the
worst Raptors ever). This added even more heartbreak to the situation. Fortunately, one of the lesser pieces thrown into the deal was a young point guard named
Alvin Williams. He didn't have Damon's flash or overall skill, but he was gritty, knew how to guard, and eventually became a key starter on the most successful Raptor team of their first nineteen years. He even hit a
big shot along the way, which combined with his longevity (though injuries eventually ground him down) gives him the '20' nod here.
Next time we tackle the 20s.
Oh myyyy.
