No. 3: 2006-07
After exiting the 90s, the Raptors had found some success due to the explosion in popularity and notoriety ensued by Vince Carter in the “Vinsanity” era. Carter’s emergence as a potential star in the NBA gave them a fighting chance to compete in the playoffs as well as amass popularity within the NBA circle.
Unfortunately, management and Carter had their differences, ultimately leading to Carter being traded to the New Jersey Nets in the 2004-05 season in exchange for Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, two-first-round-picks, and Alonzo Mourning (who refused to play in Toronto and had his contract bought out post-trade).
In what was a completely lopsided trade, Toronto turned to budding star Chris Bosh to lead them into the next chapter of the franchise’s history. Bosh would become a star in Toronto, putting up spectacular numbers on a nightly basis, and would lead the Raptors to the 2006-07 playoffs coming off a 47-win season, tying a franchise-best set in the 2000-01 season.
By winning the Atlantic division, the Raptors secured themselves the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference, only to be matched up against a familiar face in Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets in the opening round.
Vince Carter took down the Raptors.
Carter would go on to exorcise his demons with the Raptors, dominating the series with 25 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. With this onslaught of offense, the Raptors struggled to fight back, as Bosh underperformed when the lights shined their brightest and his supporting cast was just not talented or experienced enough to make up for his shortcomings.
The Raptors would end up losing the series in six games, leaving fans to sit with their head in their hands wondering why management did away with Vinsanity. In what looked like the development of a future contender, the Raptors turned out to be a pretender.
The Raptors would only make the playoffs once more in the Bosh era, adding an extra sense of disappointment to a team that had shown such promise.