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

Brooklyn Nets Mt. Rushmore

Thursday, July 28, 2022

The Brooklyn Nets were founded in 1967 and since then, they went through a lot of changes, both with rosters and franchise names.  Before being known as the Brooklyn Nets, they were formerly known as the New Jersey Americans, the New York Nets, and the New Jersey Nets.  But even through all those different names, they haven’t been able to win a championship.  They did have a ton of talents play for them.

Here’s my personal Brooklyn Nets Mt. Rushmore:

1.  Buck Williams

Williams played the first eight of his 17-year career with the Nets.  During his tenure there, he was a three-time All-Star (1982, 1983, 1986) who made the All-NBA Second Team in 1983 and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1988.  He was also named the 1981-1982 Rookie of the Year.

While playing for the Nets, he averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, 0.9 steals, and one block.  As of right now, he is the Nets’ all-time leader in rebounds (7,576), second all-time leader in points (10,440), sixth all-time leader in steals (599) and third all-time leader in blocks (696).

2.  Jason Kidd

Kidd is a pretty obvious one.  He is regarded as one of the greatest point guards and passers of all-time.  ESPN even once called him “one of the best passing and rebounding point guards in NBA history.

He spent seven of his 19-year career with the Nets.  During his time there, he was a seven-time All-Star (2000-2004, 2007, 2008) who made the All-NBA First Team twice (2002, 2004) and the All-NBA Second Team in 2003.  He also made the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times (2001, 2002, 2006) and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team four times (2003-2005, 2007).

Kidd has recorded a total of 210 double-doubles and 61 triple-doubles with the Nets.  He also led the league in assists three times (2001, 2003).

While playing for the Nets, he averaged 14 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and 0.3 blocks.  Right now, Kidd is the Nets’ all-time leader in assists (4,620) and steals (950).  He is also their fifth all-time leader in points (7,373), sixth all-time leader in rebounds (3,662) and 2nd all-time leader in three-pointers made (813).

3.  Julius Erving

Granted, Erving is more known for his time with the Philadelphia 76ers.  Even though he played for the Nets for only three years (1974-1976), he still achieved so much.

While playing for the Nets, he appeared in the ABA All-Star game every year while also being named to the All-ABA First Team every year.  He was also a three-time Most Valuable Player who made the ABA All-Defensive First Team in 1976 and led the league in scoring three times.

Erving even won the ABA championship and the Playoffs MVP twice (1974, 1976).

He averaged 28 points while playing for the Nets, as well as 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks.  He is currently the Nets’ seventh all-time leader in points (7,104), ninth all-time leader in rebounds (2,738), seventh all-time leader in steals (583), and sixth all-time leader in blocks (521).

4.  Brook Lopez

Lopez spent the first nine years in the league with the Nets and he definitely made a name for himself.  He didn’t earn a lot of accolades but if you watched him play, you would understand why he’s on this list.  While playing in a Nets uniform, he was a NBA All-Star in 2013 and made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2009.

During his tenure with the Nets, he averaged 18 points, seven rebounds, one assist, 0.6 steals, and one block.  Right now, he is the Nets’ all-time leader in points (10,444) and blocks (972).  He is also their third all-time leader in rebounds (4,005).

Honorable Mentions:  Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Kerry Kittles, Billy Paultz

Dirk Nowitzki is the best player from the 1998 NBA Draft

Friday, July 24, 2020

 

The 1998 NBA Draft was a draft to remember.  It took place on June 24, 1998, and helped turn around struggling franchises like the Sacramento Kings, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Toronto Raptors.  It featured athletes incredible athletes such as Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, and Mike Bibby.  But, in my opinion, the best player from the draft is Dirk Nowitzki.

Dirk Nowitzki was drafted as the ninth pick by the Milwaukee Bucks and then quickly traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he spent his entire 21-season career.  He’s well-recognized as, not just one of the greatest Maverick players of all-time, but one of the greatest power forwards of all-time.

He’s able to adapt to different situations and can shoot the ball extremely well for a power forward.  His one-legged fadeaway is an unstoppable move that he has mastered time and time again.  Not only can he shoot but he can also do all the other things that your typical power forward can do, from rebounding to dominating the paint.

Dirk Nowitzki wasn’t very productive during his rookie season but then again, he was just a rookie.  During his first season, he averaged 8.2 points per game, along with 3.4 rebounds a game, 1.0 assists a game, 0.6 steals a game, and 0.6 blocks a game.  He shot 41% from the field while shooting 21% from beyond the arc.  He finished with a true shooting percentage of 49%.

During his time in Dallas, Nowtizki was a 14-time All-Star who was named to the All-NBA First Team four times, the All-NBA Second Team five times and the All-NBA Third Team three times.  He was also named league MVP during the 2006-2007 season in which he joined the 50-40-90 club (when you shoot 50% from the field, 40% of the three-point line, and 90% from the free-throw line).

Dirk Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points per game during his career, along with 7.5 rebounds a game, 2.4 assists a game, 0.8 steals a game, and 0.8 blocks a game.  As stated before, Dirk was an excellent shooter for a big man.  He shot 47% from the field while knocking down 38% of his three-pointers.  He finished his career with a true shooting percentage of 58%.  He also finished with 143.8 offensive win shares and 62.6 defensive win shares.

Currently, Dirk Nowitzki is the Dallas Mavericks’ all-time leader in points with 31,560, their all-time leader in rebounds with 11,489, their all-time leader in blocks with 1,281, and their all-time leader in three-pointers made with 1,982.  He is also their fourth all-time leader in assists with 3,651 and their second all-time leader in steals with 1,210.

The European player led the Mavericks to the playoffs 15 times, winning one championship in 2011 while being named Finals MVP.  During the playoffs, Nowitzki averaged 25.3 points a game, along with 10.0 rebounds a game, 2.5 assists a game, 1.0 steals a game, and 0.9 blocks a game.  He shot 46% from the field while knocking down 37% of his three-pointers.  He finished with a combined true shooting percentage of 58%.  He also finished with 18.0 offensive win shares and 5.1 defensive win shares.

As of right now, Dirk Nowitzki is the Dallas Mavericks’ all-time leader in points scored during the playoffs with a total of 3,663.  He is also their all-time leader in rebounds with 1,446, their all-time leader in assists with 360, their all-time leader in steals with 149 and their all-time leader in blocks with 129.  He is, though, their second all-time leader in three-pointers made with 149.

The 1998 draft class was definitely one for the books and it helped out so many franchises.  Not only did it feature Nowitzki, Carter and Pierce but there were players like Rashard Lewis, Antawn Jamison and Cuttino Mobley.  But, in my opinion, the best player from that draft is Dirk Nowitzki.

Vince Carter is the greatest Toronto Raptors player of all-time

Sunday, July 9, 2020

 

The Toronto Raptors were founded in 1995 and they have just recently reached their goal:  They were the NBA champions last year.  It marked their first championship even though they made a total of 12 playoff appearances.  They have had a lot of talented players on their rosters but the greatest Raptors player of all-time, in my opinion, is Vince Carter.

If “age ain’t nothing but a number” was a person, it would be Vince Carter.  Okay, that was a corny joke…sorry.  But, nevertheless, Carter is the only player to play 22 seasons and in four different decades.  That’s pretty amazing.  He was well-known for his spectacular dunks, giving him nicknames such as “Half Man, Half Amazing” but he can still score from different areas of the court, as well.  He was definitely a marquee athlete.

Carter played with the Raptors for the first seven seasons of his career.  During his time there, he was a five-time All-Star who was named to the All-NBA Second Team and Third Team once each.  He averaged 23.4 points per game, along with 5.2. rebounds a game, 3.9 assists a game, 1.3 steals a game, and 1.0 blocks a game.  He could also shoot the ball well.  He shot 45% from the field while knocking down 38% of his three-pointers.  He finished with a true shooting percentage of 53%.

As of right now, Vince Carter is the Toronto Raptors’ fourth all-time leader in points with 9,420.  He is also their eighth all-time leader in rebounds with 2,091, their sixth all-time leader in assists with 1,553, their fifth all-time leader in steals with 534, their fourth all-time leader in blocks with 415, and their fifth all-time leader in three-pointers made with 554.

Carter helped the Raptors make the two seasons in a row but unfortunately, could never win a championship.  He did, however, average 25.7 points per game in the playoffs.  He also averaged 6.4 rebounds a game, 5.0 assists a game, 1.5 steals a game, and 1.6 blocks a game.  He shot 42% from the field while drilling 37% of his three-pointers.  He finished with a combined true shooting percentage of 51%.

Currently, Vince Carter is the Toronto Raptors’ seventh all-time leader in points scored during the playoffs with 385.  He is also their 15th all-time leader in rebounds with 96, their eighth all-time leader in assists with 75, their eighth all-time leader in steals with 23, their sixth all-time leader in blocks with 24, and their 12th all-time leader in three-pointers made with 26.

Although the Raptors just won their first championship last season, they still have had a lot of great, talented players on their rosters.  They’ve had guys like Chris Bosh, Alvin Williams, and even Carter’s cousin, Tracy McGrady.  Recently, the Raptors featured stars Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan who are no longer with the franchise.  But they still have Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam, who are spectacular.  But, in my opinion, the greatest Raptors player of all-time is Vince Carter.