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 G/F Region 2 below.
Round One— G/F Region 2
DEMAR DEROZAN (1) vs. TRACY MURRAY (8)
DeRozan: What can you say? Since being drafted in 2009, DeRozan has improved every year to reach his status today as one of the NBA’s deadliest scorers and a perennial all-star. In the process he’s proudly advocated for Toronto as a basketball city and his loyalty, longevity (franchise leader in games played) and production (all-time franchise scoring leader) are literally unmatched.
588 games (2009-), 19.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 44.6 FG% (28.8 3P%).21.5 ppg in 31 playoff games. 3X All-Star.
Murray: A key secondary scorer (16.2 ppg) during the Raptors’ first season, Murray— aka “the Long-Range Bomber”— consistently provided a huge lift to his team and its fans throughout his two stints in Toronto.
160 games (1995-96, 2000-02), 11.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.7 spg, 44.1 FG% (40.6 3P%)
CHARLES OAKLEY (2) vs. JAMES JOHNSON (7)
Oakley: Oak brought his reliable toughness and an enforcer’s mentality to Toronto, making him a fan-favourite from day one.
208 games (1998-01), 7.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.1 spg, 40.6 FG% (81.3 FT%)
Johnson: Another forward who never backed down from anybody, Johnson had a rocky time in Toronto but left an impact on fans with his versatile game and post-game quotes. Well, at least this one.
214 games (2010-12, 2014-16), 7.6 ppg, 3.7 apg, 0.8 spg, 1.1 bpg, 49.8 FG% (27.7 3P%)
JEROME WILLIAMS (3) vs. TRACY MCGRADY (6)
Williams: The Junkyard Dog remains one of the Raptor’s all-time fan-favourites, thanks to his workman-like approach to the game and total embrace of the Raptors community.
180 games (2000—04), 7.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.3 spg, 49.7 FG%.
McGrady: Though it wasn’t until he left the Raptors that he truly blossomed, McGrady was cut his teeth in the NBA as a teenage Raptors draft pick, wowing fans with flashes of his potential, and putting on a show representing the franchise alongside Vince Carter at the 2000 slam dunk contest.
192 games (1997-2000), 11.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.4 bpg, 44.8 FG% (28.4 3P%).
PATRICK PATTERSON (4) vs. ANTHONY PARKER (5)
Patterson: He’s established himself as a key contributor to the current Raptors core, where his shooting ability and defense make him one of the team’s most impactful reserves.
265 games (2013-), 7.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.7 spg, 0.5 bpg, 43.4 FG% (37.3 3P%).
235 games (2006-09), 13.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.2 spg, 46.0 FG% (42.4 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!
