Fan Duel Toronto Raptors

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A Look Back at the 98 Draft – Raptors Take Antawn Jamison With the 4th Pick But End Up With Vince Carter

The Raptors drafted Antawn Jamison with the 4th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, then immediately traded him to the Warriors for Vince Carter who was taken with 5th pick and cash.

With the 2022 NBA approaching on June 23rd, we want to take a look back at the Raptors draft history; giving a bit of an accounting of the state of the Raptors, what we thought of the pick in the moment and in retrospect. Each day we will examine the Raptors significant pick(s) and additions in each draft, and frame it in the context of what was going on during that year. You can find all the pieces in this draft history project here

The State of The Raptors Heading Into The Draft

Two steps forward, one step back. The 97-98 season started with much promise: Raptors drafted Tracy McGrady; traded for an athletic scoring PF in John Wallace; Doug Christie finished second for MIP; and they had just come off the previous year in which they improved in every conceivable way from their inaugural season.

After starting the season 1-2, the team went on to lose the next 17 games in a row. Darryl Walker was an absolute trash coach, probably the worst in our history, misusing Tracy McGrady so egregiously we doubted what we saw him do in the limited minutes/role he was given, acting as the catalyst to drive McGrady out of town. Am I going crazy? What’s going on here? Give the kid some minutes! Lots of discussion and frustration there. Zarar could have coached the team better; gives me shivers thinking about it.

While Walker was destroying the on-court product, Isiah Thomas, was raining crap down from the top. After a failed shot-gun-faux-Gordon-Gecko takeover bid, Thomas was fired and replaced by Glen Grunwald. A perfect storm of incompetence, instability, and uncertainty that saw the Raptors start the season 11-38; finally firing Walker and handing the reins over to Butch Carter (who didn’t fair much better, going 5-28, but he had so much to clean up you couldn’t fault him), closing out the season with a 16-66 record. Dark times.

The tragic fall out from the Isiah Thomas situation was Damon Stoudamire. Showing loyalty to Thomas, who drafted him higher than people projected, and handing him the franchise, he wanted out. The Raptors traded him for pennies on the dollar…IT. WAS. REALLY. DARK!

From a roster perspective, notable moves included:

July 16, 1997

Sign guard Doug Christie to a seven-year contract extension worth $22-million (U.S.). 
– Christie agreed to backload the contract so the bulk of the contract came due towards end of his contract, allowing Raptors to have more money to obtain other players. Finished second in balloting for MIP and was one the only person to play defense all season.

October 10, 1997

As part of a 3-team trade, the Toronto Raptors traded a 2007 2nd round draft pick (Taurean Green was later selected) to the Portland Trail Blazers; the Toronto Raptors traded a 2000 1st round draft pick (Quentin Richardson was later selected) to the New York Knicks; the New York Knicks traded a 1998 1st round draft pick (Bryce Drew was later selected) to the Portland Trail Blazers; the New York Knicks traded John Wallace to the Toronto Raptors; and the Portland Trail Blazers traded Chris Dudley to the New York Knicks.
– John Wallace (one of my all time favourite college players from Syracuse) was one of a couple lone bright spots in the season. He had a loose leash and shot the ball at will. Couldn’t defend to save his life, but gave us some scoring highlights.

February 13, 1998

Traded Carlos Rogers, Damon Stoudamire and Walt Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers for Kenny Anderson, Gary Trent, Alvin Williams, a 1998 1st round draft pick (Bryce Drew was later selected), a 1998 1st round draft pick (Mirsad Türkcan was later selected) and a 1998 2nd round draft pick (Tyson Wheeler was later selected).
– Kenny Anderson, the bitch, refused to play for the Raptors, and didn’t show. We got Alvin Williams, who I never liked and might be one of the most overrated Raptors in history imho.

February 18, 1998

Traded Kenny Anderson, Popeye Jones and Žan Tabak to the Boston Celtics for Chauncey Billups, Dee Brown, Roy Rogers and John Thomas.
– Billups showed a lot of the promise but wasn’t a true PG and didn’t fit what Butch Carter was trying to do, which is surprising since Billups is exactly the type of player that would have thrived on the Raptors the next few seasons. Was sad to see him to go.

June 9, 1998

Traded Roy Rogers, a 1998 1st round draft pick (Bryce Drew was later selected) and a 1998 1st round draft pick (Mirsad Türkcan was later selected) to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Willis.
– There was no value placed on draft picks at the time it seemed, but Willis brought a lot of toughness and vet savvy to the Raptors. The team needed his size and strength in the block, and while he was old AF at the time, he was in tremendous shape and played hard. Respect.

The Draft

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While the Raptors drafted Antawn Jamison, Glen Grunwald always wanted Vince Carter. Rumours were circling that Milwaukee really wanted Jamison, and had a deal with the Raptors for a draft day trade. The Warriors really wanted Jamison bad, and struck a deal where the Warriors would draft Carter then send him, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars, to the Raptors for Jamison. And so it was done.

This transaction served a few purposes:

  1. The Raptors got the guy they really wanted.
  2. Were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for getting the guy they wanted.
  3. Saved money on salary as Carter was drafted after Jamison.

Most of us assumed Carter, Pierce, and Jamison would go 1-2-3 in some order, but this being the 90s, size was valued at a premium, and Olowokandi, who basically put together a solid March Madness (after a mediocre college career), shot up the rankings; obviously the Clippers had to have him. The Grizzlies and Nuggets valued the wrong things, and here we had the option of Carter, Pierce, and Jamison at the 4th. My buddy Rod was the only person to value Pierce that I knew, calling him “fucking special,” but the rest of us Raptors fans were split between Carter and Jamison. I was team Carter, but only because I value athletic wings who can get to the rack and shoot.

In The Moment

An athletic wing who had mad hops and could shoot from North Carolina flashing a charismatic smile every time a camera was in his face… With the Jordan era coming to completion, the NBA was looking for the next air apparent. Carter fit the bill right down to the G.O.A.T.S. alma mater. While he never got past the Final Four or won the NCAA championship, he had all the ingredients of a star in the making.

While the 1998 season started with a lockout, we spent the summer and fall watching UNC highlights, watching Vince make the media rounds and absolutely killing, and thinking to ourselves we might have the next Jordan as he retired in January of 1999.

A complete 180 from the end of the 1997-98 season, this team had a real energy to it heading into a lockout shortened season.

What it Meant for the Raptors

With the move from Skydome to the ACC, the Raptors were starting fresh. From the very first game, Vince was fierce. Going head-to-head against Paul Pierce, and beating the C**tics on opening night. Took him a few games to find his rhythm, but Jesus Christ did he catch it. Like Stoudamire, the Raptors had their franchise player, but it was different, everyone was talking about him — and the city and league were absolutely buzzing.

The greatest in-game dunker of all time was all over ESPN with spectacular plays, and people were talking about the Raptors and Toronto (we have an inferiority complex, always have — but especially then). Vince was a star, the future of the Raptors, the catalyst for Canada Basketball; there was a lot to look forward too.

The Raptors finished the year 23-27, making the playoffs for the first time after only four years. Those playoffs were cursed with Butch Carter suing Marcus Camby, and while they got swept in the first round 3-0, we had clarity and trust in the future of the franchise.

The following season, after trading for Antonio Davis and Charles Oakley, the Raptors met the Knicks in the first round again, but this time returning the favour by grinding out a hard fought series, and clinching on the road at MSG. In the second round, the Raptors came a corner 3 away from beating the Sixers.

While there was controversy over Carter flying to North Carolina in the morning to accept his college diploma, people incorrectly attribute the loss to him when a few possession prior, Charles Oakley snagged a defensive rebound, pushed the break, and got stripped like a working girl by Allen Iverson who went back the other way and got the go ahead basket. God I hated that Philly team.

Vince went on to join the USA Olympic team for the 2000 Olympics, and had the greatest in-game dunk in the history of basketball; ending Frédéric Weis’ career in Sydney.

Later that year, in the 2001 All-Star game, he shattered the already high-bar he set by destroying the dunk competition, that till today, still stands as the greatest performance of all time.

But alas, for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The Raptors moved on from Glen Grunwald to Rob Babcock (RIP), the worst GM in Raptors and probably league history. He came to Toronto and promptly ignored Vince Carter, his star player. Signed Rafer Alston (who Vince profoundly hated) to an insane contract based on like 20 games of play from the previous season. Hired Kevin O’Neil (the second-worst coach in Raptors history) who insisted on a slow paced, grinding, brutal brand of basketball that made you sick to your stomach to watch.

The well was poisoned, and Vince responded by absolutely dogging the start of the 2004 season, bitching, complaining, turning in comically low-effort performances, ultimately forcing Babcock to trade him for fucking nothing (Ray Allen was rumoured to be on the table in a straight up swap, and he wanted to come here, but instead we got less than a bag of basketballs…we’ll go into this more for the 2005 draft history). After putting the Raptors on the map, the Vinsanity era in Toronto ended with him bitching his way out of Toronto and lighting everything on fire. Upon his arrival to New Jersey (Fuck Brooklyn!) he magically found his game and went on a tear. He was Jimmy Butler before Jimmy Butler.

There is no forgiveness or absolution for how Vince conducted himself, I can’t forgive, but I understand why he did it. Vince has been credited with a lot; the Raptors and all of Canada Basketball owe him a debt of gratitude. Kevin Durant wore his jersey as a kid, and we foolishly thought he would sign here because he was a fan. A whole slew of Canadian ballers credit him for inspiring their NBA dreams. The impact can’t be overstated, no matter how hyperbolic you want to get.

In the moment it was incredible. In retrospect we are grateful and bitter. Only someone you love can evoke such conflicting feelings, as strong as the day you met them, so many years after the fact.

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