The Toronto Raptors have employed dozens of power forwards in their 23-year history. Here are the top five in franchise history.
The Toronto Raptors have had many great players dawn the purple, red, and black, but almost none of them are power-forwards. If you’re screaming out the name Chris Bosh, I hear you, but for our all-time list, he has been classified as a center. You can find a full breakdown of the franchise’s greatest here. For purposes of this list Antonio Davis and Amir Johnson have been classified as centers as well. (The list was based upon Bball reference positions, for better or worse)
So, back to the list.
It doesn’t scream star power, but there have been many talented and beloved power forwards to play in Toronto. Interestingly enough, the list, similar to the position as a whole, inadvertently took on a theme of underappreciation. The players on this list often did the dirty work that isn’t always recognized by statistics, and goes unnoticed by fans.
The list includes players who have long since moved on from the Raptors, players who played for the team during dark times when the playoffs seemed forever out of reach, and players who were there during the record-breaking seasons of recent memory.
Before we begin, one power-forward who fell just short of the top-five deserves an honourable mention.
Donyell Marshall only played 2 seasons with the Raptors, but he will always be remembered as one of three players in NBA history to make 12 three-pointers in a single game.
As a Raptor, Marshall averaged 14 points and nine rebounds, and if he had stayed with the team, would have likely found himself on the following list.