3 former Toronto Raptors who could win a championship this season
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors have officially crashed out of the 2022 NBA postseason, as their seven-game loss to the 76ers brought an end to one of the most exciting seasons any team in the league had. The Raptors overachieved in a year where so many thought they were bound for the lottery.
While Masai Ujiri has likely turned his attention towards free agency and the NBA Draft, Raptors fans can still tune in to the NBA Playoffs with the aim of hoping some of their former Toronto players get to slip a ring on their finger. The playoffs were littered with them this year.
Even after they left Toronto, former Raptors have proven to be viable rotation contributors on some of the best teams in the league. Some 2019 holdovers are looking to slip on ring No. 2, while players that thrived in the Dwane Casey era are trying to get their first taste of championship glory.
These three former Raptors are still alive in the postseason picture. Toronto might not be able to get themselves a ring this year, but they can take some solace in the fact that former players and franchise legends have the chance to force themselves into the winner’s circle.
3 former Toronto Raptors who could win a championship.
3. Bismack Biyombo, Phoenix Suns
After years of plodding away on some bad Hornets teams, Biyombo is now a championship favorite. His Suns are at the top of the West, and his combination of rebounding (4.6 per game) and scoring (5.8 points per game) on the inside has played a role in getting them there.
Originally signed during the NBA’s COVID-induced shortage, Biyombo has stuck around and played a part in Phoenix making it to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. That dogged perseverance to get back into the game should make him an easy player to root for.
Former Raptors big Bismack Biyombo could get a ring.
Biyombo only had one season in Toronto, but it was the best season of his career in terms of rebounds per game. On a team that won 56 games and made it to the Conference Finals, Biyombo’s presence in the post can’t be understated as one of many factors that pushed Toronto that far.
Considering how the Suns are the overwhelming favorite to come out of the West, Biyombo might have as good a shot as any one of these three players to make it to the Finals. A serviceable role player for years, Biyombo getting a ring alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker could be a pleasant sight to see.