A Toronto Raptors come the National Basketball Association team based around Toronto, Ontario. It is presently a simply NBA team depending outside of the United States. A team is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.

Franchise History (By Seasons)

1995-96
Fallowing Isiah Thomas was named a general manager around 1995, he quickly staffed a management by having his have personnel, including the foremost head coach Brandon Malone (world health organization was late reunited by using Thomas in the Knicks organization in 2003). In a period of a summertime of 1995, a league experienced an expansion draft to fill out the roll of the newly Toronto Raptors & Vancouver Grizzlies. Following of a coin flip, a Bird of prey experienced the foremost pick of the expansion draft, & selected chicago point-guard & Three-point specialist BJ Armstrong. Inside the move that would seem to become the constant theme throughout Toronto's early times, BJ threatened does'nt to are to camp & Isiah Thomas promptly moved him. Thomas selected the wide range of players in the expansion draft, including veterans Jerome Kersey, Willie Anderson & John "spider" Salley.

Thomas chose to build a franchise in Damon Stoudamire, a point guard away from Arizona. A Bird of prey' choice of Stoudamire was met using snort from either victims present at a 1995 NBA Draft at SkyDome in Toronto, many of whom bought into a hoopla surrounding UCLA star Ed O'Bannon. Still, Stoudamire proved to exist when the 1 brilliantly point around a terrible number one year as he won Rookie of the Year honours by averaging 1Ix points & 9.Threesome helps by the game.

Record: Twenty-one Wins - 61 Losses

1996-97
A team's win record improved by nine games from either its maiden year & attendance was rising. Analysts predicted the playoff-contending or the championship caliber team within the matter of two or three seasons. Marcus Camby who was drafted second overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Raptors experienced the dissatisfactory greenhorn year.

Record: Xxx Wins - 52 Losses

1997-98
A lot optimism evaporated whenever a team was hit by many injuries within early 1997-1998 year. Thomas, a brilliant streaming video player & skilled judge of talent however lacking inside management skills, failed to prevent the downfall of the team which led to the dismantlement of the core players & resignations of the head coach Darrell Walker & yet of Thomas himself. Whenever Glen Grunwald was named to succeed Thomas within 1998, virtually nobody thought he may turn a team about, demonstrated per booing from either a crowd once he processed his number one appearance to Air Canada Centre for a speech. Nevertheless, a players reacted by swimming harder & Marcus Camby earned a number one 2 triple doubles of his career in the last 4 games of the year.

Record: Xvi Wins - 66 Losses

1998-99
Grunwald showed his better management ability than his predecessor by options trading Camby to the Knicks for proven seasoned Charles Oakley, whose tough mentality & playoff personal experience helped a maturity of the immature players. Numerous thought the trade would injured a team, since he was stock trading away a promising prospect for an senescent veteran. But, Oakley's leadership proved important to the profits of the 1998-1999 Raptorial bird. the coaching job staff temporarily solved a want of a admittedly point guard by rotating Dee Light brown, Alvin Williams and Doug Christie to play the position. This wwhen an fantabulous move, as Christie greatly refined his defensive game & became one of a elect defenders around NBA. Alvin likewise showed improvement, on the offensive prevent. Kevin Willis, another veteran acquired from either trade, solidified a center position. Sustaining victims deuce holes temporarily filled, a team won supplementary games than ever prior to. A fresh coach Butch Carter, besides doing an excellent coaching, too helped evolve a immature players on the team, especially new A lot-Star Tracy McGrady. Although a team did non produce a playoffs, numbers of were affirmative sustaining a brilliant performances from either a Greenhorn of the Season Vince Carter and a lot improved McGrady.

Record: Twenty-three Wins - 27 Losses (the shortened 50-game schedule)

1999-2000
Grunwald decided that a guide to the Bird of prey' lack of the avowedly point guard & the hard front court presence would use to are from either matured seasoned players. He too knew that a ageing Willis & Oakley would yet use to play fewer minutes or even chance injury. So, in a period of the 1999 draft, he decided to trade first-spherical draft pick Jonathan Bender for veteran power forward Antonio Davis from the Indiana Pacers, who experienced been forced to oppose a bench behind mate Dale Davis. In the backcourt, Butch Carter rotated Carter, Christie, Williams & Dell Curry at the shooting guard position & Williams & Muggsy Bogues at point guard. Rotation of Antonio, Oakley & Willis in a front court & a maturation of two Carter & McGrady helped the team produce its number one ever playoff appearance. Still, forswearing important playoff personal experience, a Raptorial bird were swept per New York Knicks in the playoffs.

Progressive team improvements & a rise to fame of Vince Carter attracted numbers of fans as much as Toronto, numerous of whom were non antecedently basketball fans. Increased attendance & vary of fan base as well helped contribute to the decline of the Toronto Blue Jays. This was likewise a number one fully year at a Air Canada Centre, after iv years of games at a cavernous SkyDome.

Record: 45 Wins - 37 Losses; eliminated in the number one spherical of the playoffs

2000-01
Playoff failures (& Carter's media fracas surrounding Marcus Camby) led Grunwald to replenish Butch Carter by using Lenny Wilkens, who was the Hall-of-Fame coach & streaming video player by using further than Xxx years of coaching job personal experience. Additionally, the team eventually encountered a avowedly point guard, while Grunwald signed seasoned playmaker Mark Jackson to a Iv-season treat by owning a team. A year marked a development of Alvin Williams as a clutch performing artist. He scored threesome quarters of his points in the 4th quarter when you took regular year. Jackson was afterwards traded to give other minutes for Williams.

When Vince familarized himself by having a shooting guard position & played less period at little forward, Christie became spendable & was traded for little forward Corliss Williamson. Nevertheless, he was a disappointment & was traded when you took the year for defensive workhorse Jerome Williams. the loss of previous star little forawrd Tracy McGrady was too a factor the Williamson trade. Although McGrady & Carter showed telling improvement at a equivalent period, lot of the media & fan attention was revolve around Carter, world health organization dunked other typically & so was thomas more entertaining to fans. What is more, McGrady's natural position is at shooting guard, a equivalent position when Carter. So, Raptorial bird management decided to trade McGrady to the Magic during the 2000 offseason for the 1st-around draft pick inside the sign-&-trade treat.

Equally predicted by analysts, the team clinched a playoff berth while forgoing tremendously difficulty. Toronto beat Future York in the 1st spherical . Wilkens was credited for getting Williams defend shooting guard Allan Houston and Carter defend small forward Latrell Sprewell, the two major offence threats of the Knicks. Additionally, Charles Oakley's remarks incited Vince to "play it like a man", & steadily contribution from either Antonio Davis prevailed on top a less-focused Knicks. A Bird of prey were likewise lucky, when Larry Johnson was shut down by the career-ending injury & Marcus Camby was plagued by his personal kidnap. These, but, were non-factors, when it was extravagantly clear that a Raptorial bird were immensely superior to the overhyped, undertalented Knicks.

A next series against a Philadelphia 76ers was a landmark of exciting, entertaining play, & a better playoff performance per Raptorial bird therefore far. A Vi relied in Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo for their respective offence & defensive abilities, along using steadily support from either Aaron McKie and other mate. Toronto's was great deal additional balanced sustaining Carter, Williams & Davis providing very much of the offensive game & Chris Childs and Jerome Williams providing the defensive pressure. Philadelphithe took to the full benefit of its mismatch at center whereas Toronto counteracted by having a convenient-break offense using their shorter however promptly players. the series come down to the previous Quaternity seconds of Game 7, after Vince Carter missed a fadeaway jumper, losing the series by Unity point.

Record: 47 Wins - 35 Losses; eliminated in the 2nd around of the playoffs

2001-02
A Raptorial bird' exciting playoff performance attracted potentially extra fans & put unprecendented trust from either a owners in Grunwald. Inside an attempt to satisfy Vince Carter therefore that he would resign using a team, long-long-run contracts were given to Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams & Davis, & previous Everthing-Star center Hakeem Olajuwon was signed, to provide Carter with a good supporting cast. Although a team wwhen guaranteed the right start-higher for 1 year, it was a unsafe gamble as overall streaming video player wage about reached the cap, making important free-professional sign language impossible. Expiring contracts experienced too been traded away, therefore unless the Raptorial bird succeeded by having their 2001-2002 lineup, it was improbable it would remain a super competitory team.

A number one half of a year ran swell by having required contributions from either a starters & the improvement Morris Peterson & Keon Clark. Around spite of an injury to Antonio Davis around January & the subsequent injury to Carter, the team manufactured the record comeback to clinch a playoff berth.

Yet, a injuries to Davis & Carter were highlighted in the Three-Two series loss to the Detroit Pistons. Ben Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse's performances overwhelmed the offensively-limited Raptorial bird.

Record: 42 Wins - 40 Losses; eliminated in the foremost spherical of the playoffs

2002-03

A 2002-03 year began by owning a equivalent optimisim that a Bird of prey furnished within tierce straight playoff appearances. Even so, perfect from either the beginning of the year that optimism was misused: Carter went across the series of injuries, Davis began to express neutrality withwithin Toronto (reportedly because his married woman may not l& a TV job in Toronto) and Wilkens' laissez-fair attitude created a team that lacked the motivation & spirit of the last years' teams. Jolly lot a entire team wwhen ravaged per injury bug, as it wasted an NBA record total of streaming video player games due to injury, & that was a second independent cause. Near perfect from either day of these, a Toronto media went straight for even the jugular whilst it come to Wilkens, chastizing him for his inability- or, possibly, unwillingness- to really clamp down in his players once he experienced to (The Toronto Star's Dave Perkins once wrote that all Wilkens could do during a game where the Raptors self-destructed was sit and stand, instead of yelling at his players like Perkins says he should have been doing). This was the year that Wilkens overtook Bill Fitch for a lead in virtually all losses by the NBA coach, by having his loss number experiencing perilously more or less his win number. At a prevent of the fateful month (a year marred by defensive attitude breakdowns that however occur now), Wilkens was unceremoniously dumped, ending a triad-year stint by owning the team that began by using such promise however ended by having as well tremendously disappointment.

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Record: Twenty-four Wins - 58 Losses

2003-04

A Raptorial bird were inconsistent throughout 03-04, part due to injuries to key players Jalen Rose, Rod Strickland, Alvin Williams and Vince Carter, with Davis traded early in the year for Rose. Fallowing L games, though, it were 25-25 & around position to produce a playoffs. the team so suffered across the nine-game losing streak around February, treating the two a good blow in the standings. Sustaining eight games to last in a regular year, the Bird of prey fired Glen Grunwald, the general manager in April One. Grunwald got been a Gram since 1997. A Raptorial bird finished higher a year Triplet games away from a eighth & final playoff spot. A star single performing artist were Carter, by having Xxii.Phoebe points by the game, Donyell Marshall, who led a team by using Decade.Septet rebounds by the game, & greenhorn Chris Bosh, a 6-10 forward-center world health organization averaged Xi.Quint ppg & Septenary.Quadruplet rpg & was known as to the cub a lot-star team.

Immediately as punishment a year, in April 17, head coach Kevin O'Neill was fired after making some remarks which were taken to question the team's commitment to winning. He was replaced sustaining Sam Mitchell, a previous NBA forward who had been an adjunct coach of the Milwaukee Bucks the previous deuce seasons. Rob Babcock was named general manager in June 7, 2004.

Record: 33 Wins - 49 Losses

2004-05
Sustaining freshly G, Rob Babcock, new adjunct general manager, hall of fame ex-general manager & streaming video player Wayne Embry, new director of streaming video player personnel, Alex English, and head coach Sam Mitchell, it was evident that restructuring of the organization was in operation. Shortly when, franchise streaming video player Vince Carter, demanded a trade in a period of the off year. So, good deal of the 2004-2005 year's action played itself retired off a court.

A eventual trade of Carter eventually come to fruition mid-month, ending his sevener-year tenure by having a team. Late in the month Carter admitted to half-tepid in court performances, forcing Gramme to trade him. From either that treat, a Bird of prey received previous All-Star Alonzo Mourning (who was believed to will have the bad contract), forwards Eric Williams and Aaron Williams, and ii mid-to-late 1st first spherical picks from either a New Jersey Nets. Mourning did does'nt report to Toronto, forcing Babcock to purchase out a remainder of his contract, allowing Mourning loose to sign by owning a Miami Heat, where he got spent vii years of his career prior. Them Williamses were believed to become breathe to add defensive toughness & rebounding; all the same, it saw couple minutes, & were usually under-wore for the entire year. Numbers of suppose that number 1 season GM Babcock had a badness prevent of the treat to Nets President of Basketball Operations, Rod Thorn's, and there were calls from either Raptorial bird fans for Babcock to step down.

Fallowing a Carter trade, Chris Bosh stepped up to choose a helm of franchise streaming video player, & performed praiseworthily around his second-year campaign; he ranked tenth around defensive rebounds for the year. Apart from either Boloney's emergence, the restructuring seemed to take a bit of a hit by using cub Eighth foremost around draft pick, Rafael Araújo, struggling to keep a spot in a line-higher when you took the Raptorial bird' half-halfhearted run a playoff spot when you took the survive year of the year.

Veterans Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall also shined on an otherwise lackluster team. There was tremendously speculation that Marshall would become traded prior to a trade deadline since he was higher free of charge professional in the higher coming year. Yet, Babcock held in to Marshall, the move which numerous imagine helped produce an identity crisis for even the Bird of prey, fallowing clearly existence unwilling to commit to rebuilding or winning. Marshall would sooner or later have a practiced finish to his 2004-2005 campaign, hitting 12 3-pointers versus a 76ers in March 13, 2005, ligature an NBA record.

A Bird of prey' inability to win on tour (11-30) & typically unfortunate defense manufactured Sam Mitchell's first month when head coach unimpressive. Even so, a front yard fans were usually entertained when a team managed to thrive off a typically swell tended to Air Canada Centre putting up the record of 22-19 home. Coach Mitchell was as well mired inside tilt off a court. Of note, point guard Rafer Alston in the post-game locate contemplated retiring when a hard loss, when he continued to butt heads sustaining Mitchell. Late in the year, Alston was suspended deuce games for "conduct detrimental to the team" for reportedly walking away from the scrimmage practice. Additionally, Eric Williams requested a trade, unhappy by using the deficiency of minutes he was getting. Vince Carter's mother also mass produced comments to the media just about an alleged "wrestling match" that took place in a locker room between the coach & her boy before his departure. Presently, a team's single expected Tons-Star is Chris Bosh, as he is come on to become one of a Eastern Conference's better Center/Power Forward players.

Record: 33 Wins - 49 Losses; Fourth around Atlantic Section, Eleventh within Eastern Conference

2005-06
A Bird of prey entered a 2005 NBA Draft with 2 number 1 circular picks (Seventh & Sixteenth) & two 2nd spherical picks (41th & 58th). It selected Charlie Villanueva (7th overall) away from Connecticut and Joey Graham (16th overall) away from Oklahoma State. In the 2nd spherical, it selected Roko Ukic (41th overall) out of KK Split (Croatia) and Uros Slokar (58th overall) out of Snaidero Udine (Italy). For free agents, the Raptorial bird signed point guard José Calderón, who played a preceding sise seasons inside Spain, to back up a starting Rafer Alston. It own likewise resigned Pape Sow and Matt Bonner. Along thereupon, it wasted Donyell Marshall to free professional & discharged Lamond Murray. Fallowing a quietly offseason, the Raptorial bird began their expert instruction camp by commodities trading Alston to the Houston Rockets for Mike James.

Players of note
Basketball Hall of Famers:
None

Not to be forgotten:
Zan Tabak (scored first point inside Raptorial bird history) Charles Oakley Marcus Camby Vince Carter Doug Christie Keon Clark Antonio Davis Tracy McGrady Hakeem Olajuwon Damon Stoudamire Jerome Williams

Retired numbers:
None

Current Roster:

List of Head Coaches
1995 - 1996: Brendon Malone 1996 - Feb 1998: Darrell Walker Feb 1998 - 2000: Butch Carter 2000 - 2003: Lenny Wilkens 2003 - 2004: Kevin O'Neill Todays: Sam Mitchell (hired on June 29, 2004)

List of General Managers
1995 - March 1998: Isiah Thomas March 1998 - April 2004: Glen Grunwald Todays: Rob Babcock (hired on June 7, 2004)