Toronto Raptors: Five best centers in franchise history

Antonio Davis

Not the flashiest or most talented player on this list, Antonio Davis provided the Toronto Raptors with 5-and-a-half seasons of solid play at the center position.

After spending the early parts of his career on some very successful Indiana Pacers teams, Davis was traded to the Raptors in exchange for the 5th overall pick on the 1999 draft, Johnathan Bender.

Despite going from a championship contender to a lowly Raptors franchise which never had qualified for the playoffs to that point, Davis came in and was the ultimate professional.

Davis averaged 11.5 points, 8.8 rebounds with 1.3 blocks per game in his first season north of the border and helped lead the Toronto Raptors to their first postseason birth as a franchise. Davis was the second best player on the team. A team, that yes, was swept in the first round, but was an influential piece of basketball in Canada.

The following season Davis was voted to the Eastern Conference All-Star team and helped Toronto earn its first ever playoff victory.

Over the rest of Davis’ time with the Raptors the team had varying levels of success, from the team that loss in seven to the Eastern Conference Philadelphia 76ers to the under .500 squads that marked the end of his tenure. Regardless of the state of the team, however, Davis provided solid performance year-in, year-out.