Memory Making Raptors?

The City of Toronto has had it fair share of memorable sports teams. The Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Blue Jays and even the Toronto Argonauts have all given the city something to cheer about in the past.

However, there are many Canadians outside of Toronto that do not consider it to be a basketball city. The Toronto Raptors will be showing the rest of the country and the rest of the league that they are a force to reckon with in the coming years.

The Raptors have enjoyed very minimal success in their dozen years in the National Basketball League (NBA). Since coming into the league in 1995-96 they have totaled three hundred forty-one wins and five hundred twenty-nine losses. Currently, they are on their sixth head coach in twelve years and they have gone through players like a newborn goes through diapers.

Vince Carter being arguably the most popular and most talented of those players. He lead the Raptors, along side his cousin (you might recognize the name Tracey McGrady), to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2000-02, and their first ever post season series win. Carter became the face of basketball in Canada and could single handedly be responsible for putting the Raptors on the NBA map.

So why is it that Raptors fans hate Carter so much? Well he is a New Jersey Net now, a division rival and a playoff pain in the behind. In December of 2004, in the midst of a horrible season, Carter was traded to the Nets in exchange for Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and an injured Alonzo Mourning. Mourning, by the way never played a single game in a Raptors uniform and the other two made no impact and were of no consequence in their short lived days in Toronto. Carters attitude and questionable behavior prior to and since the trade have made him a lovely target for hecklers, fans and disgruntled journalists.

After the Carter trade the Raptors would go on to miss the playoffs four years in a row and went through what can only be described as an absolutely painful rebuilding period. However, it would appear that they might be back on track.

In the 2006-07 season the Toronto Raptors would finish with a winning record of forty-seven wins and thirty-five losses. They finished first in the Atlantic Division and third overall in the Eastern Conference. Star Forward Chris Bosh was selected to the All-Star team and Head Coach Sam Mitchell would receive the Coach of the Year Award. Despite losing to the (heeere’s Carter) Nets in the first round the Raptors have given their fans reason to cheer again and the prospect of continuing this winning trend appears to be very good.

Chris Bosh has become the new face and leader of the Raptors. The four year veteran out of Georgia Tech has become one of the elite players in the league and a perineal MVP candidate for years to come. With the support of players like Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and T.J Ford, the Raptors are building a winning team around their franchise player, Bosh.

The Raptors should enjoy another winning season this year but it certainly won’t be easy. Division rivals the Boston Celtics have gone out and purchased two of the most talented players in the league today Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Along with Paul Pierce the Celtics will be reeking havoc all over the Eastern Conference this season.

The Raptors will have a tough time improving on last years 11-5 divisional record, but it is a task that they are up for.

With the exciting fast pace game that the Raptors play and the steady growth of Chris Bosh the Toronto Raptors will be making Canadians take notice. They have the talent and experience to not only make the playoffs this season, but to make a legitimate push for the teams first NBA Championship.

Will the Raptors be making Joe Cater-Esq. memories for the city of Toronto. Will they provide the excitement and fan base that the legendary Leafs demand. In the near future, it would seem so.

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