Toronto Raptors Mt. Rushmore

Thursday, September 1, 2022

The Toronto Raptors were founded in 1995 and since then, they haven’t a great amount of success.  They made 13 postseason appearances and only earned one championship.  They have had a lot of talented players on their rosters, though.

Here’s my personal Toronto Raptors Mt. Rushmore:

1.  Vince Carter

Ever since Carter arrived in Toronto via a trade on the night of the 1998 draft, he has made the organization relevant.

He took the Raptors to their very first playoff appearance in franchise history in just his second year.  He has been dubbed by multiple players, and journalists, and even the NBA as the greatest dunker of all-time.  He was so good that he was ultimately nicknamed “Air Canada”.

A lot of viewers forget that Carter was also a reliable three-point shooter, ranking sixth all-time in three-pointers made with 2,290.

He spent seven of his 22 years in the league with the Raptors.  While playing for them, he was a Rookie of the Year winner in 1999.  He then formed himself into a five-time All-Star (2000-2004) who made the All-NBA Second Team in 2001 and the All-NBA Third Team in 2000.

During his time in Toronto, Carter averaged 23 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.

He is their fourth all-time leader in points (9,420), ninth all-time leader in rebounds (2,091), seventh all-time leader in assists (1,553), fifth all-time leader in steals (534), fourth all-time leader in blocks (415), and sixth all-time leader in three-pointers made (554.

FUN FACT:  On December 11, 2006, Carter recorded a career-high 9 three-pointers in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

2.  Kyle Lowry

Obviously, Lowry a.k.a. Mr. Raptor had to the be on the list.

He plays the game with aggressiveness, leadership, and instinct which leads to him constantly being compared to a “pit bull”.  He is also an elite rebounder for a point guard, as well as a strong defender.  He even holds the Raptors’ all-time record for most triple-doubles with 16.

During Lowry’s nine years in Toronto, he was a six-time All-Star (2015-2020) who made the All-NBA Third Team in 2016.  He also played a key role in helping the Raptors win their 2019 NBA championship.

He averaged 17 points with the Raptors, as well as four rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and 0.3 blocks.

He is currently the all-time leader in assists (4,277), steals (873) and three-pointers made (1,518).  He is also their second all-time leader in points (10,540) and third all-time leader in rebounds (2,954).

3.  DeMar DeRozan

If Lowry is on this list, then DeRozan got to be, too.  After his first season in the league, he expanded his game and later became one of the most gifted scorers in the NBA.  He even took on more of a leadership role.

Throughout his nine years in Toronto, he was a four-time All-Star (2014, 2016-2018) who made the All-NBA Second Team in 2018 and the All-NBA Third Team in 2017.  He averaged 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and 0.3 blocks.

As of right now, DeRozan is the Raptors’ all-time leader in points (13,296).  He is also their sixth all-time leader in rebounds (2,739), third all-time leader in assists (2,078) and third all-time leader in steals (655).

4.  Kawhi Leonard

A lot of people are going to disagree with this decision and honestly, I could completely understand that.

Leonard, who is noted as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, only spent one season with the Raptors, in which he played 60 games.  But regardless of that, he was responsible for leading them to the first championship in the organization’s history.

While performing in Toronto during the 2018-2019 season, he was an All-Star who made the All-NBA Second Team and NBA All-Defensive Second Team.  And obviously, he was a NBA championship who also won Finals MVP.

During his tenure with the Raptors, Leonard averaged 26 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and 0.4 blocks.

Honorable Mentions:  Chris Bosh, Jonas Valanciunas, Jose Calderon, Pascal Siakam

Should Fred VanVleet be considered a priority during this free agency?

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Toronto Raptors’ point guard Fred VanVleet will be a free agent once this season is officially over and the New York Knicks have already expressed interest in him.  But do I think he should a priority during this free agency?  My answer is YES and I’ll explain why below.

After going unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft, Fred VanVleet signed a multi-year deal with the Toronto Raptors on July 18, 2016.  He was offered two deals prior to this signing, but he declined both of them.

Fred VanVleet played with the Raptors for his entire four-season career so far.  He is currently averaging 10.5 points per game with them, as well as 2.6 rebounds a game, 4.1 assists a game, 1.0 steals a game, and 0.3 blocks a game.  He is shooting 41% from the field while knocking down 39% of his three-pointers.

During the 2016-2017 season (his rookie season), VanVleet averaged 2.9 points a game (406th in the league).  He also averaged 1.1 rebounds a game (430th in the league), 0.9 assists a game (307th in the league), 0.4 steals a game (318th in the league), and 0.1 blocks a game (405th in the league).  He did that while shooting 35% from the field (443rd in the league) and 37% from downtown (99th in the league).

The following season, he averaged 8.6 points per game (203rd in the league), as well as 2.4 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists per game (90th in the league), 0.9 steals per game (127th in the league), and 0.3 blocks per game (274th in the league).  He shot 42% from the field (324th in the league) while shooting 41% from beyond the arc (59th in the league).

In the 2018-2019 season, Fred VanVleet averaged 11.0 points a game (147th in the league).  He also averaged 2.6 rebounds a game (315th in the league), 4.8 assists a game (44th in the league), 0.9 steals a game (114th in the league), and 0.3 blocks a game (251st in the league).  He did that while 41% from the field (372nd in the league) and 37% from behind the three-point line (100th in the league).

Last season, VanVleet recorded 17.6 points per game (62nd in the league), along with 3.8 rebounds per game (213th in the league), 6.6 assists per game (20th in the league), 1.9 steals per game (4th in the league), and 0.3 blocks per game (223rd in the league).  He shot 41% from the field (365th in the league) while shooting 39% from downtown (88th in the league).

So far, Fred VanVleet has made the playoffs every year he has been in the league.  As of right now, he is averaging 9.6 points a game in the playoffs.  He is also averaging 2.1 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists per game, 0.8 steals per game, and 0.3 blocks per game.  He is shooting 39% from the field and 37% from behind the three-point line.

His first postseason appearance was during the 2017 Playoffs as the Raptors got swept in the second round by the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers, 0-4.  During those playoffs, VanVleet averaged 2.0 points per game, 0.1 rebounds per game, 0.6 assists per game, and 0.1 steals per game.  He shot 66% from the field while shooting 40% from downtown.

Fred VanVleet’s next playoff appearance was during the 2018 Playoffs when the Raptors once again got swept by the James-led Cavaliers in the second round, 0-4.  Throughout those playoffs, he averaged 6.8 points per game, along with 1.7 rebounds a game, and 2.2 assists a game.  He did that while shooting 33% from the field and 28% from behind the arc.

VanVleet and the Raptors made another postseason appearance during the 2019 Playoffs but this time, they defeated the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors in the Finals, 4-2, clinching their first championship in franchise history.  During those playoffs, Fred VanVleet recorded 8.0 points per game.  He also put in 1.8 rebounds a game, 2.6 assists a game, 0.8 steals a game, and 0.3 blocks a game.  He shot 39% from the field while knocking down 38% of his three-pointers.

This season, the Raptors made the postseason but fell to the Jayson Tatum-led Boston Celtics in the second round, 4-3.  Throughout those playoffs, Fred VanVleet averaged 19.6 points a game, as well as 4.4 rebounds a game, 6.9 assists a game, 1.6 steals a game, and 0.6 blocks a game.  He shot 40% from the field while hitting 39% of his three-pointers.

VanVleet is only 26 years old and already has postseason experience.  Being that young with experience and a lot of potential left, I think teams should consider pursuing Fred VanVleet.

Brandon Ingram deserves this season’s Most Improved Player award

Sunday, August 16, 2020

 

It has been revealed that the top three candidates for Most Improved Player award are Brandon Ingram, Bam Adebayo, and Jayson Tatum.  Before the season came to an abrupt end, these three players have shown that they have improved on the court.  But, in my opinion, this award should go to Brandon Ingram and I’ll explain why in the following paragraphs.

Last season, Brandon Ingram was suiting up for the Los Angeles Lakers.  During that season, which was his third season in the league, he averaged 18.3 points per game (950 points total).  He also averaged 5.1 rebounds a game (267 rebounds total), 3.0 assists a game (154 assists total), 0.5 steals a game (28 steals total), and 0.6 blocks a game (31 blocks total).  He shot 50% from the field while shooting 33% from behind the three-point line and 68% from the free-throw line.  He finished with a true shooting percentage of 56% and 2.0 win shares.

This season, while playing with the New Orleans Pelicans, Ingram averaged 24.3 points per game (1,358 points total).  He also averaged 6.3 rebounds per game (350 rebounds total), 4.3 assists per game (241 assists total), 1.0 steals per game (56 steals total), and 0.7 blocks per game (37 blocks total).  He shot 47% from the field while shooting 39% from beyond the arc.  He finished with a true shooting percentage of 59% and 4.9 win shares.

Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat is another player who has shown great improvement.  Last season, which was his second season in the league, he averaged 8.9 points per game (729 points total), while averaging 7.3 rebounds a game (597 rebounds total), 2.2 assists a game (184 assists total), 0.9 steals a game (71 steals total), and 0.8 blocks a game (65 blocks total).  He shot 58% from the field while shooting 20% from beyond the arc and 74% from the free-throw line.  He finished with a true shooting percentage of 62% and 6.8 win shares.

During this season, Adebayo averaged 16.2 points per game (1,053 points total).  He also averaged 10.5 rebounds a game (683 rebounds total), 5.1 assists a game (333 assists total), 1.2 steals a game (78 steals total), and 1.3 blocks a game (85 blocks total).  He shot 57% from the field but only knocked down 8% of his three-pointers and 69% of his free-throws.  He finished with a true shooting percentage of 61% and 8.1 win shares.

Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is a player that, in my opinion, doesn’t get enough recognition.  He came into the league showing great talent and has gotten better ever since.  Last season, Tatum averaged 15.7 points per total (1,243 points total).  He also averaged 6.0 rebounds a game (477 rebounds total), 2.1 assists a game (168 assists total), 1.1 steals a game (84 steals total), and 0.7 blocks a game (57 blocks total).  He shot 45% from the field while shooting 37% from behind the three-point line and 86% from the charity stripe.  He finished with a true shooting percentage of 55% and 5.0 win shares.

This season, Tatum averaged 23.6 points per game (1,390 points total).  He also averaged 7.1 rebounds per game (418 rebounds total), 2.9 assists per game (174 assists total), 1.4 steals per game (83 steals total), and 0.9 blocks per game (53 blocks total).  He ended up shooting 45% from the field (same as last season) while shooting 40% from downtown and 81% from the free-throw line.  He finished the season with a true shooting percentage of 56% and 6.2 win shares.

In my opinion, all three of these talented individuals showed improvements in different areas of their game and I feel they can still get better as they grow.  But for right now, I feel that the Most Improved Player award should go to Brandon Ingram.

Ja Morant deserves this season’s Rookie of the Year award

Thursday, August 6, 2020

 

The top three candidates for Rookie of the Year are Ja Morant, Kendrick Nunn, and Brandon Clarke.  Before the season ended, these three young men put on highly impressive rookie seasons.  If Zion Williamson wasn’t injured, I believe he would’ve been a top-two candidate.  But nevertheless, in my opinion, the Rookie of the Year award should go to Ja Morant.

Being the second pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, Ja Morant had a lot of expectations to live up to and he succeeded.  After missing the postseason two straight times, Morant helped the Grizzlies become playoff contenders once again.  Honestly, it would be foolish to give the award to anyone else but Morant.

This season, Ja Morant averaged 17.6 points per game (2nd on the list of rookies and 62nd overall).  He also averaged 3.5 rebounds a game (21st on the list of rookies and 227th overall), 6.9 assists a game (1st on the list and 14th overall), 0.9 steals a game (9th on the list of rookies and 112th overall) and 0.3 blocks a game (36th on the list of rookies and 272nd overall).  He shot 49% from the field (25th on the list of rookies and 117th overall) and 37% from behind the three-point line (22nd on the list of rookies and 158th overall).  He finished with a plus/minus of -0.1 (48th on the list of rookies and 246th overall).

Kendrick Nunn has been a great player for the Miami Heat, who only been in the postseason twice after the Big Three era.  He averaged 15.6 points per game this season (3rd on the list of rookies and 78th overall).  Nunn also averaged 2.7 rebounds per game (34th on the list of rookies and 292nd overall), 3.7 assists per game (4th on the list of rookies and 84th overall), 0.8 steals per game (13th on the list of rookies and 148th overall), and 0.2 blocks per game (55th on the list of rookies and 345th overall).  He shot 45% from the field (36th on the rookie list and 221st overall) and 36% from beyond the arc (24th on the rookie list and 176th overall).  He finished with a plus/minus of 1.7 (24th on the list of rookies and 126th overall).

Ja Morant isn’t the only rookie that’s shining on the Memphis Grizzlies.  Brandon Clarke was drafted as the 21st pick in the first round of the draft.  Coming off the bench, he’s been highly impressive.

Clarke averaged 12.0 points per game in his inaugural season (12th on the list of rookies and 128th overall).  He also averaged 5.8 rebounds a game (4th on the list of rookies and 81st overall), 1.4 assists a game (24th on the list of rookies and 24th overall), 0.5 steals a game (30th on the list of rookies and 275th overall), and 0.8 blocks a game (4th on the list of rookies and 65th overall).  He shot 62% from the field (10th on the list of rookies and 31st overall) and 40% from downtown (12th on the list of rookies and 59th overall).  He finished with a plus/minus of 0.2 (41st on the list of rookies and 217th overall).

These three rookies have had very impressive introduction seasons and have a great future in the NBA.  As long as they can stay healthy, I don’t see why these players can’t succeed.  But, in my opinion, the Rookie of the Year award should go to Ja Morant.