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 start voting with the first round of G/F Region 1 below.
Round One— G/F Region 1
VINCE CARTER (1) vs. DELL CURRY (8)
Carter: The first true face of the franchise, Carter was the NBA’s most electrifying athlete during his Toronto tenure, leading the Raptors to their first playoff birth and helping to popularize and legitimize not only the young franchise but the sport of basketball in Canada.
403 games (1998-05), 23.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 1 bpg, 43.8 FG% (37.3 3P%). ’99 Rookie of the Year, 5X All-Star, 2X All-NBA.
Curry: Curry came to the Raptors at the age of 35 but still managed to make an impact during his NBA twilight. The sharpshooter knew his role and played it effectively, giving the franchise one of its most dangerous shooting threats to ever suit up. Bonus points for moving his family to Toronto during his Raps tenure, leading to Steph Curry dominating T.O. junior high school scene.
194 games (1999-02), 6.7 ppg, 42 FG% (39 3P%), 83.3 FT%. 44.4 3P% in 19 playoff games.
MORRIS PETERSON (2) vs. LOU WILLIAMS (7)
Peterson: Second all-time in both games played and three-pointers made (801) for the Raptors, “MoPete” was a key contributor both as a starter and sixth man during his Toronto tenure, and chalked up plenty of iconic moments to boot.
542 games (2000-’07), 12 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1 spg, 42.1 FG% (37.1 3P%), 2001 All-Rookie team
Williams: Here for a good time if not a long time, Williams made his mark in his lone season wearing a Raptors jersey. The talented scorer won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2014-15, averaging an impressive 15.5 points off the bench while also providing plenty of clutch performances.
80 games (2014-15), 15.5 ppg, 2.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 40.4 FG% (34.0 3P%), 2015 Sixth Man of the Year
MATT BONNER (3) vs. JORGE GARBAJOSA (6)
Bonner: The “Red Rocket” admittedly wouldn’t crack a list like this based on performance alone, but there’s no doubting his status as one of the all-time fan favourites, despite a relatively short stint with the Raps. Maybe it was his famous love for Toronto’s public transit system, or local submarine sandwich shops, but don’t forget that Bonner did have his share of memorable on-court moments, too, including, for my money, one of the greatest in franchise history.
160 games (2004-06), 7.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 49.0 FG% (42.1 3P%).
Garbajosa: A do-it-all forward, Garbajosa came to the Raptors at the age of 29 after a successful career in Europe. He may be best remembered for the gruesome leg injury that ended his NBA career after just two seasons, but Garbo also played a key role in helping the Raptors reach the post-season and win their first division title of the Chris Bosh era.
74 games (2 seasons, ’06-08), 8.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.1 spg, 41.5 FG% (34.4 3P%), 2007 All-Rookie team.
TERRENCE ROSS (4) vs. DOUG CHRISTIE (5)
Ross: Though he was inconsistent, there was no doubting Ross’ talent while in Toronto. He tied a franchise record by dropping 51 points in a game and picked up the mantle from Vince Carter as the Raptors’ best dunker while providing the team with its best three-point shooting threat during its most successful seasons.
363 games (5 seasons, ’12-’17), 9.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.7 spg, 42.2 FG% (37.6 3P%).
Christie: An important two-way player and starter for the Raptors during their first ascension in the NBA, Christie remains the franchise leader in steals per game and sits in the top-10 in points scored.
314 games (5 seasons, ’95-’99), 14.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.1 spg, 41.4 FG% (35.5 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 THE GREATEST RAPTOR OF ALL-TIME!
