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 Guards Region below.
Round One— Guards Region
KYLE LOWRY (1) vs. T.J. FORD (8)
Lowry: 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.
Ford: Number one all-time in franchise history in assist percentage, Ford was an extremely capable floor general during his time in Toronto, which was ultimately cut short when a scary fall led to an injury that kept him out of the lineup and saw his job get taken by Jose Calderon.
126 games (2006-08), 13.2 ppg, 7.2 apg, 1.2 spg, 44.8 FG% (30.0 3P%)
JOSE CALDERON (2) vs. CORY JOSEPH (7)
Calderon: 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%)
Joseph: The first hometown product to make an impact for the Raptors, the Toronto-area native’s versatility off the bench and ability to play both with and off the ball was crucial to the Raptors Conference Finals run in 2016.
152 games (2015-), 8.8 ppg, 3.2 apg, 0.8 spg, 44.4 FG% (31.7 3P%)
ALVIN WILLIAMS (3) vs. JALEN ROSE (6)
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%).
Rose: Rose showed off his versatility during his time in Toronto and uttered the single greatest quote in team history when he learned the Raps traded Vince Carter to the Nets (“Did we get Richard Jefferson!?” No, Jalen, not quite). He also has quite the story to tell about the day he was traded from the Raptors to the Knicks…
177 games (2003-06), 16.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.7 spg, 43.1 FG% (34.5 3P%).
DAMON STOUDAMIRE (4) vs. MUGGSY BOGUES (5)
Stoudamire: 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
Bogues: The diminutive pro was always a fan-favourite for his stature and subsequent underdog status. Muggsy came to the Raptors as a veteran and proved to be an important piece in their first playoff run before calling it a career.
83 games (1999-01), 4.9 ppg, 3.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 43.6 FG% (32.7 3P5).
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!
