| The Top-10 Moments Of 2006 Authored by Nick Obergan - January 3, 2007 - 3:28 pm
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The Raptors reached the top of the Atlantic Division for the first time since November 2003. Though the division is woeful at best, it is not a feat that the fans, the city, or the organization takes lightly. This feat speaks volumes as it forces the league and its “experts” to take notice of a team with playoff aspirations. The funny thing is, they were doing it without their franchise player, Chris Bosh. The team actually has a winning record with him sidelined with a banged up knee. The 9 new players had a chance to gel, a chance to become more familiar with each other’s playing styles, and more importantly a chance to trust one another. The team has learned that it does not have to sit back and rely on Bosh to do all the work, that this is a well balanced team and anyone can be a contributing factor.
9. “CARTER SUCKS!”
The day was Friday, December 15, 2006. Vince Carter and his Nets were in the Air Canada Centre for the first time since last season’s controversial game that saw Morris Peterson ejected and Carter drain a last second three-pointer to win the game. Emotions always run high when the ex-Raptor is in town and this game was no different. The Raptors were trying to string together back-to-back wins without Bosh and the Nets were aiming at the division lead. As always, Carter was booed every time he touched the ball – an act that he denies having any effect on him to this day. Being guarded tough by Anthony Parker, Carter never got going. He forced up bad shot after bad shot and the Raptors kept an uncomfortable lead pretty much all game. Carter went 4-for-17 from the field including 0-for-6 from downtown and missed three straight free throws in crunch time to seal the loss. It was during those free throws that the ACC erupted into a frenzy, screaming “Carter Sucks!” as loud as they could – a moment that sent shivers down every fan’s spine. It was electric.
8. Charlie V’s 48-point night
General Manager Rob Babcock was the punch line of many jokes throughout the sports media during his brief stay with the Raptors. But if you could pick one night where he had the last laugh, it would be March 26, 2006 in Milwaukee. That was the night Chris Bosh went down with a season-ending injury and Charlie Villanueva proved himself to be one of the better young talents in the NBA. Charlie poured in 48 points, the most by a rookie since Iverson in ’97, on a sizzling 20-for-32 shooting spree against what would be his new team at the start of the 2006-2007 season. Unfortunately for Rob, he was no longer with the team to see it live.
7. T.J. Ford’s buzzer-beater vs. the Clippers
On the road, where the Raptors had struggled mightily this season, T.J. Ford had his (at that point) biggest moment as a Raptor. After getting blown out the previous night in Phoenix, no one expected much out of the Bosh-less Raptors. After giving up a 4th quarter lead, Toronto managed to stay within striking distance. After some clutch free throws by Ford and a Cuttino Mobley airball, the Raptors had the ball in a tie game with around 15 seconds left. Ford dribbled out the clock and as Quinton Ross slipped, Ford threw up a jumper from the foul-line to win the game 98-96. The celebrations caught on video were just as exciting – TV play-by-play announcer Chuck Swirsky jumping up and down shouting “Raptors win!” right at T.J. and head coach Sam Mitchell jumping and spinning in circles by the Raptors bench as if his team won the Championship.
6. Andrea Bargnani’s coming out party
On December 13th and 17th, the NBA was officially introduced to the 1st overall pick in the 2006 draft: Andrea Bargnani from Italy. On the 13th in Orlando, Bargnani hit five three’s, four of which were in the 2nd half and two in back-to-back possessions with another European lottery pick, Darko Milicic, guarding him. The Raptors won the game, sans Bosh, thanks in large part to Bargnani’s best game to date as a pro: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks. A few days later, Golden State was in Toronto and Bargnani showed that he is not a one-trick pony. Coming off the bench for 24 minutes he shot 6-for-10 from the floor, including 2-for-4 from downtown, for 18 points. But the impressive part was his 10 rebounds and 6, count ‘em, 6 blocked shots. These two games let everyone know that this kid is for real.
5. Bosh’s rainbow over Webber
The season was a week old and the Atlantic Division rivals were in a close game for all 48 minutes. In the final 10 seconds of the game, Chris Webber deflected an entry pass intended for Chris Bosh. Bosh looked as though he would let it roll out of bounds, but instead decided to pick the ball up near half court and dribble it in. Without hesitation Bosh stopped at the three-point line with mere seconds on the shot clock and hoisted a three over Webber that seemed to graze the roof of the ACC. And wouldn’t you know it, the darn thing went in and broke the tie game with six seconds left. The ACC erupted in glee as Bosh walked backwards toward the team bench, flexing his arms and sticking his jaw out with a scowl, reminiscent of a young-KG.
4. Bosh’s All-Star selection
The Raptors’ bright star got his due this past February when the coaches selected him to play in the All-Star game alongside some of the game’s finest talents. It enabled Toronto to get out from under the shell that Carter left them in, establishing a new All-Star talent to attract fans. He did not disappoint either – throwing a nice alley-oop to Carter and finishing an oop nicely himself.
3. “THE” Offseason
This past offseason was an enjoyable time for Raptor fans. New G.M. Bryan Colangelo was taking a team that won 27 games last season and blowing it up. Swapping 2004 1st round picks with Utah that saw Toronto’s other punch line, Rafael Araujo, leave town. Then, fan favourite Matt Bonner and not-so-fan favourite Eric Williams were shipped to the Spurs for veteran big man Rasho Nesterovic – Toronto’s first true center in the Chris Bosh-era. Days after the draft, B.C. sent promising youngster Charlie Villanueva to Milwaukee for promising young point guard T.J. Ford – a move that filled big holes for both teams. Ample amounts of cap room were used to shore up the team’s depth issues. Enter the new faces of 2-time Euroleague MVP Anthony Parker, a veteran Euroleague champion Jorge Garbajosa and 2004 Dunk Champ Fred Jones. When he was finished, Colangelo brought in 9 new players to Toronto. However the most important part of the offseason was locking up franchise player Chris Bosh with a long-term extension. This was Bosh telling the world he wanted to stay in Toronto, and the world took notice.
2. Raptors win the lottery
Excitement poured to the boards of RealGM when it was announced that the Raptors would have the #1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft. It was the first time the Raptors won the lottery in franchise history, and though the draft had no consensus #1, it seemed that the possibilities were endless. It felt like things were finally swinging in Toronto’s favour, and that this would help the team finally turn that proverbial corner. And the reason they had the confidence in that? Well that brings me to our final point.
1. The mother of all front-office moves
In a move never seen before in professional sports, a General Manager leaves his team mid-season to accept an offer from another. And this wasn’t just a move – this was moving from a title contender, to an annual disappointment. The Toronto Raptors fired General Manager Rob Babcock in January and interim G.M. Wayne Embry managed to convince the reigning Executive of the Year, Bryan Colangelo of Phoenix, to come to an organization in dire need of credibility. Prior to his signing, the Raptors’ future was in doubt. They had failed to show All-Star Chris Bosh they were serious about winning and no one knew if he would stay. But the positive energy that surrounded the arrival of Colangelo was nothing short of contagious. He was young, smart, well spoken, savvy, and proactive in his work and everyone loved him for it. Then, in the summer, the new President and G.M. signed himself an assistant: the much-heralded Maurizio Gherardini. Gherardini was known as the greatest basketball mind outside of the NBA and his knack for the game, especially in Europe. He, along with Colangelo and advisor Wayne Emery surely gives Toronto one of the best front-office combinations in the NBA – one that greatly protrudes with credibility, confidence and a bright future for the organization. |
