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
Thursday Mar. 30: Regional finals
Friday Mar. 31: The Final Four
Monday Apr 3: Championships
Check out the full bracket here, and then cast your votes with the first round of the Bigs Region below.
Round One— Bigs Region
CHRIS BOSH (1) vs. RASHO NESTEROVIC (8)
Bosh: 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.
Nesterovic: His workman-like demeanour won over Raps fans, while his championship experience with the San Antonio Spurs (where he started alongside Tim Duncan en route to the 2005 title) prior to arriving in Toronto made an underrated impact on a Raptors team that won their first Atlantic division title in franchise history while he started at centre.
193 games (2006-08, 2009-10), 6.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.8 bpg, 54.8 FG%
AMIR JOHNSON (2) vs. MARCUS CAMBY (7)
Johnson: 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 reg, 0.7 spg, 1.1 bpg, 57.2 FG% (37.1 3P%)
Camby: The former second-overall pick may have reached his apex in later years when he no longer donned a Raptors jersey, but Camby was still an imposing rim protector during his brief time in Toronto.
126 games (1996-98), 13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.1 spy, 2.9 bpg, 40.4 FG% (34.0 3P%), 1997 All-Rookie Team
JONAS VALANCIUNAS (3) vs. ANDREA BARGNANI (6)
Valanciunas: 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
Bargnani: One of, if not the, most polarizing players in franchise history, Bargnani’s drop-off in production toward the end of his time in Toronto overshadows what the 2006 1st overall pick provided the Raptors. At his peak he was a tremendous offensive player—a 20 point-per-game scorer whose shooting ability from long range made him a difficult matchup for opponents.
433 games (2006-13), 15.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 0.9 bpg, 43.7 FG% (36.1 3P%), 2007 All-Rookie team.
ANTONIO DAVIS (4) vs. BISMACK BIYOMBO (5)
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
Biyombo: One of the shortest-tenured players in the field of 24, Biyombo was all of our fathers. His tenacious performance in place of an Jonas Valanciunas during the Raps 2016 playoff run to the Conference Finals will forever endear him to Raptors fans.
82 games (2015-16), 5.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1,6 bpg, 54.2 FG%.
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 THE GREATEST RAPTOR OF ALL-TIME!
