Toronto Raptors: All-time Starting 5
By Jack Long
It is always a good thing when making a list of the best players in franchise history is this difficult to formulate. For the Toronto Raptors, it is becoming an increasingly onerous task. The past few decades especially has given us some amazing talent and great moments.
For the purposes of this list we will only be looking at a player’s play during their time in Toronto, so don’t expect to see Tracy McGrady or Hakeem Olajuwon on this unit due to their minimal contributions north of the border
So who made the cut?
Toronto Raptors All-Time starting 5: Tough Cuts
Damon Stoudamire
One of the OG Toronto Raptors, Stoudamire‘s time with the Raptors was short and the departure was not so sweet. However, he was a player who helped a hockey town fall in love with the game of basketball. Mighty Mouse won Rookie of the Year in his first season in Toronto and averaged near 20 points and 8 assists during his short stint with the team.
Pascal Siakam
Siakam is a player who could end up on this list in a few years. Siakam is a guy who has steadily improved since being drafted by the Raptors in 2016. Masai Ujiri could probably say in a candid moment that he never expected the guy out of New Mexico State to be a future All-Star and offensive centerpiece of the team.
Jonas Valanciunas
Valanciunas will forever be in the hearts of all Raptors fans. One of the most loyal and hardworking players that Toronto has ever seen, Big Science could always adapt to the evolution of the game and was happy in any role given to him. A great locker room guy more than anything else, the Lithuanian is someone Raptors players surely miss.