Answering the question of “who is the greatest Raptor of all time?” may not be easy, but realistically comes down to only a few names— Carter, DeRozan, Bosh, or Lowry.
“Who is your favourite Raptor?,” on the other hand… Well, that might not be so simple.
So who takes the title? After more than 20 seasons and an eclectic cast of characters donning a Raptors jersey in that span, there are certainly no shortage of options. In the spirit of March Madness, Sportsnet devised the Raptors Bracket Challenge to find out.
After much deliberation, the field was whittled down to a final group of 24 split into four regions based on position, with the seeding determined with consultation from Raptors play-by-play voice and Sportsnet host Eric Smith. And although it’s for you to decide, we urge you to keep in mind production and vote with both your head and your heart.
Monday Mar. 27: Round One (G/F Region 1, Bigs Region)
Tuesday Mar. 28: Round One (G/F Region 2, Guards Region)
Wednesday Mar. 29: ‘Final Four’ for each region (G/F 1 & 2, Bigs, and Guards)
Thursday Mar. 30: Regional finals
Friday Mar. 31: The Final Four
Monday Apr 3: Championships
Check out the full updated bracket here, and then cast your votes in the Final Four of the Bigs and Guards regions below.
Bigs Region
CHRIS BOSH (1) vs. ANTONIO DAVIS (4)
Bosh: Round one: Bosh (92% of votes) over Rasho Nesterovic.
Adored during his accomplished Raptors tenure, Bosh established franchise records across the boards (currently still 1st in rebounds, blocks, and win shares) as the 2003 4th overall pick developed into a perennial all-star while in Toronto. With Bosh as the unquestioned alpha dog, the Raptors won their first division title and returned to the post-season for the first-time since the Vince Carter era.
509 games (2003-10), 20.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 bpg, 49.2 FG% (79.6 FT%). 5X All-Star, 2004 All-Rookie Team, 2007 All-NBA Team.
Davis: Round one: Davis (59%) over Bismack Biyombo.
Davis: Arguably the second-best player during Vince Carter’s reign, Davis brought a level of professionalism to his job that helped set the tone for the rest of the team and consistently provided toughness and high-quality play on both ends of the floor.
310 (1999-04), 12.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 42.6 FG% (77 FT%). 16.1 ppg & 10.6 rebounds in 20 playoff games. 1X All-Star.
AMIR JOHNSON (2) vs. JONAS VALANCIUNAS (3)
Johnson: Round one: Johnson (84%) over Marcus Camby.
A massive fan-favourite in Toronto for both his gritty play on the glass and his embrace of the city and its fans. Johnson not only started for the Raptors teams that returned to the playoffs and led to the creation of Jurassic Park, but also made major efforts to get involved with the local community.
451 games (2009-15), 8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.7 spg, 1.1 bpg, 57.2 FG% (37.1 3P%).
Valanciunas: Round one: Valanciunas (85%) over Andrea Bargnani.
Though he’s still searching for consistency (in terms of both production and minutes), it’s been fun to watch Valanciunas’ development over the years. His performance in the first round of the 2016 playoffs (and the second round vs. Miami until he was hurt) especially stand out in terms of what JV can provide to the Raps.
354 games (2012—), 11.4 ppg, 8.5 reg, 1.1 bpg, 55.3 FG% (78.2 FT%). 2013 All-Rookie Team
Guards region
KYLE LOWRY (1) vs. DAMON STOUDAMIRE (4)
Lowry: Round one: Lowry (98%) over T.J. Ford.
The Raptors’ all-time three-point leader has been arguably the most important figure in the franchise’s turnaround. Lowry came to Toronto with a bad reputation but has blossomed into a perennial all-star and one of the top point guards in the NBA.
350 games (2012-), 18.2 ppg, 6.8 apg, 4.7 rpg, 1.6 spg, 42.6 FG% (37.9 3P%). 3X All-Star, 2016 All-NBA Team.
Stoudamire: Round one: Stoudamire (71%) over Muggsy Bogues.
The first star of the franchise, Stoudamire brought hope to early Raptors fans and is likely best remembered for his stellar performance out-duelling Michael Jordan and the ’96 Bulls in Toronto during the Raps inaugural season.
200 (1995-98), 19.6 ppg, 8.8 apg, 1.5 spg, 41.5 FG% (36 3P%). 1996 All-Rookie Team, 1996 Rookie of the Year
JOSE CALDERON (2) vs. ALVIN WILLIAMS (3)
Calderon: Round one: Calderon (61%) over Cory Joseph.
The definition of a professional, Calderon endured in Toronto through the good times and the bad, establishing himself as one of the NBA’s more reliable offensive point guards during his Raptors tenure.
525 games (2005-13), 10.0 ppg, 7.2 apg, 0.9 spg, 48.1 FG% (38.8 3P%)
Williams: Round one: Williams (65%) over Jalen Rose.
Williams: Starting point guard for the Raptors teams that first made the post-season, “Boogie” Williams was a steady hand and fan-favourite during his time in Toronto and remains a part of the culture thanks to his gig as a Raptors analyst.
417 games (1997—2005), 9.3 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.2 spg, 41.9 FG% (31.5 3P%).
CHECK BACK TO SPORTSNET.CA THROUGHOUT THE WEEK TO VOTE IN THE OTHER REGIONS AND TO KEEP CASTING YOUR VOTES AS THE TOURNEY PROGRESSES AND YOU CHOOSE YOUR FAVOURITE RAPTOR OF ALL-TIME!
