Toronto Raptors: The five worst stretches of futility in team history
By Jason Mills
Raptors losing streak No. 4: December 8, 2002-January 10, 2003 (12 games)
2002/03 would represent the Raptors’ return to futility after the franchise’s first three-season stint in the playoffs. The season would be miserable for former star Vince Carter ,who managed to play 43 games in which he averaged 20.6 points.
It wasn’t just Carter who would be slowed by injury. Lamond Murray would miss the season after a ligament tear in his right midfoot, newcomer Lindsey Hunter would miss 53 games, and Antonio Davis 29. The Raptors would use 19 different players in 2002/03.
Voshon Leonard was added to the team, but he did not have a great season as a Raptor. He would miss 19 games himself and average 14.1 points per game. The 24 wins the Raptors managed to secure that year are the sixth-worst in franchise history for a single season.
The Raptors couldn’t get out of their own way this season
The 12 game losing streak began midseason in early December when they would drop a 104-91 decision to the Portland Trail Blazers on December 8th.
The closest the Raptors came to breaking that losing streak was a 109-107 double-overtime loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. Morris Peterson shined that night, scoring 27 off of the Raptors’ bench.
But it was a lost season with the losing piling up as, while the 12 game streak was the worst stretch of bad play, it was also one of four stretches in which the Raptors lost 5 or more games that season. The pain that was the 2002/03 season ended with eight straight losses.
The saving grace was the drafting of Chris Bosh fourth overall in 2003.