5. T.J. Ford
Ford’s career in Toronto was scrutinised before he even walked in the door. Brought in as part of the trade that sent Charlie Villanueva to the Bucks – his injury history proceeded to be the catalyst for people referring to the trade as lopsided.
However, Ford was brought in to lead the Raptors alongside Chris Bosh and life started well for him in Toronto. He scored 19 points in his début game in a loss against New Jersey en route to becoming one of the Raptors best scoring guards in recent memory.
Ford came up clutch in numerous big moments throughout the season – including a buzzer beater to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 98-96 on the road, finishing with fourteen points and nine assists.
Finishing the campaign with a then career-high 14.0 points and 7.9 assists, Ford helped lead the Raptors to their first playoff appearance in five years and their first ever Atlantic Division title, building a nice rapport with fellow point guard Jose Calderon along the way.
Injuries, along with increasingly impressive performances from Calderon, would begin to mar Ford’s second season. He started only 26 of the 51 games he appeared in the 2007-08 season, although he was still valuable when on the court, averaging 12.1 points and 6.1 assists per game.
Unfortunately, his tenure north of the border ended in rather tumultuous terms. Ford was a non-factor for the majority of the playoffs and was unhappy with his role as back-up to Calderon. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers on draft night in 2008.