In advance of the release of NBA 2K18 next month, 2K has been releasing all-time rosters for each NBA team. On Thursday, they released the roster for the Raptors, which was always going to be a difficult task given the somewhat limited history of greatness the franchise has experienced.
Here’s what 2K came up with:
| Player | Rating | Starter/Bench |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Lowry | 88 | Starter |
| DeMar DeRozan | 89 | Starter |
| Vince Carter | 95 | Starter |
| Chris Bosh | 92 | Starter |
| Antonio Davis | 85 | Starter |
| Damon Stoudamire | 86 | Bench |
| Tracy McGrady | 84 | Bench |
| Morris Peterson | 84 | Bench |
| Jose Calderon | 84 | Bench |
| Doug Christie | 84 | Bench |
| Jonas Valanciunas | 81 | Bench |
| Louis Williams | 81 | Bench |
| Amir Johnson | 80 | Bench |
| Terrence Ross | 80 | Bench |
| Alvin Williams | 80 | Bench |
Again, it’s tough, given the limited history. Terrence Ross, for example, is third in franchise history in threes, 10th in games played, 14th in points, and and 17th in win shares (to use some rough gauges). He was also a key member of the best sustained stretch in team history. Should that be enough? Or the better question: Who else should take his spot, or the spot of, say, Lou Williams, who played just one year with the team? And if that’s the bar, where’s Mike James? The only player who rank ahead of Ross in Raptors all-time scoring who didn’t make the roster is Andrea Bargnani (a funny, if understandable, omission). The same goes for games played. There are some other omissions – Charles Oakley, Anthony Parker, Jalen Rose, Donyell Marshall, and even Patrick Patterson – that you could argue for based on longevity, impact, or highest peak, but overall there’s not a lot to get worked up about here, I don’t think.
What would your roster of 15 look like, taking each player’s peak while with the Raptors?
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Tracy McGrady, by the way, will be presented at his Hall of Fame enshrinement by Isiah Thomas. Thomas, of course, drafted McGrady ninth overall in 1997 while running the Raptors, and McGrady would later call Thomas a “father figure” for his mentorship. So there will be some Raptor lore heading to the Hall shortly.
