2007-08 Toronto Raptors
Expectations will be high for the Raptors after winning their 1st division championship. Ticket buyers can definitely look forward to their team holding on to that winning chemistry. In spite of that, Toronto has made some key changes for ’07-08. They hired GM Bryan Colangelo away from the Phoenix Suns, and will use the Phoenix style in putting the team together. Toronto wants back to back championships, as evidenced by the decision to trade forward Charlie Villanueva for speedy point guard TJ Ford. Fans can also expect Chris Bosh to continue being the centerpiece of the team, and Morris Peterson to run lots more. The Raptors used the first pick in the June draft to select Italian forward Andrea Bargnani. Bargnani, Bosh and Ford should be the foundation of this team for years to come.
Previous Seasons
Toronto NBA basketball fans are starting to think the Raptors have become extinct … again. Forward Chris Bosh is looking to change that. Bosh, a lanky forward out of Wake Forest, has drawn comparisons to Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett. Bosh has the size and athleticism to score inside as well as the touch to step outside for the smooth jumper. A pair of 2005 first-round draft picks in Joey Graham and Charlie Villanueva showed up at the Air Canada Centre ready to make an instant impact.
The Toronto Raptors were one of the first NBA teams to hit Canada in 50 years. At the time of their arrival, the Jurassic Park movies were a big hit and the team capitalized on dinosaur hysteria by naming the team Raptors. The Raptors first season ended with 21 wins. Rookie Damon Stoudamire was a big hit, winning Rookie of the Year honors and scoring 19 points per game.
By 2000 the Raptors had acquired some talent. Vince Carter, the 1999 Rookie of the Year was on the roster, along with Antonio Davis, Charles Oakley, and Tracy McGrady. McGrady and Carter together averaged over 40 points a game and the Raptors put together a 45-37 season record to achieve the first playoff berth in Toronto Raptors history. It was a short-lived brush with glory as the Raptors, inexperienced in playoff mania, had their heads handed to them by the New York Knicks in only three games.
Lenny Wilkins came on board in 2001 with the hopes that he could push the Raptors to a higher level. Wilkins, with Vince Carter playing an even more prominent role as a team leader, led the team to a 47-35 record and their second consecutive trip to the NBA Playoffs. This time the more experienced Raptors sent the New York Knicks home with a five game series win, their first ever. In the 2nd round the Raptors pushed the Philadelphia 76ers to the limit, forcing a 7th game in a back and forth series. A heartbreaking loss in Game 7 prevented the Raptors from moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
