My list of top 30 Raptors peaks

[Dr Positivity]

(He thought he would be higher)

15. Scottie Barnes (2024)

34.9 min, 19.9 pts, 8.2 reb, 6.1 ast, 1.5 blk, 1.3 stl, .566 TS%, .098 WS/48, 3.7 BPM

The first all-star season on the list, the key for Barnes was hitting a respectable 34% from 3 helping keep teams honest and posting his best efficiency, while having an appealing combination of defense and passing. Nevertheless Barnes is a trickier player to build around than others higher on the list hence the feeling by midseason of this year that he and Siakam needed to be split up.

[Dr Positivity]

14. Serge Ibaka (2019)

27.2 min, 15.0 pts, 8.1 reb, 1.4 blk, .582 TS%, .146 WS/48, 0.2 BPM

Ibaka's playoff stats were modest at 9/6 (but with 15+ in the last three games), however he was a key to the team's versatility by having the defense+jumpshot combo everyone wants from a big, and the ability to play both PF and C. Moreso, he was a terrific teammate embracing his 3rd big role after the Gasol trade and even connected to the fun guy one of the most on the team. The 2020 season also has a case for his peak here.

[Dr Positivity]

13. Damon Stoudamire (1997)

40.9 min, 20.2 pts, 8.8 ast, 1.5 stl, 35.5% 3pt, .516 TS%, .110 WS/48, 1.8 BPM

The team's first face had an impressive season facing a lot of defensive attention, with an especially massive 8.8 assists per game considering he didn't have much to pass to, In terms of why he's not higher, like Barnes best years it comes putting up numbers on a bad team, though winning 30 games in the team's second year shows obvious impact. He was also the beneficiary of minutes and shots to put up that statline, which dropped when he got traded to a deep Blazers team. One perspective you could have is that his role on the Blazers was around as important as Christie on the Kings, with both teams having identical results at the hands of Shaqobe, so it validates having them near each other despite doing it in different ways.

[Grew]

Either Jose isn't on here at all and I'm feeling good about it or you are about to place one of his seasons far too high

[wegotthabeet]

Cool thread OP. I’m guessing you aren’t going to use the same player twice, so it’s basically their best season as Raptors and where you rank that individual best season?

[Dr Positivity]

Cool thread OP. I’m guessing you aren’t going to use the same player twice, so it’s basically their best season as Raptors and where you rank that individual best season?

Yes, also note that this isn't a list that tries to use regular season GP difference as part of their value, since I'm judging them as much on their playoff skillsets as regular season.

[Dr Positivity]

12. Jose Calderon (2008)

30.3 min, 11.2 pts, 8.3 ast, 42.9% 3pt, .607 TS%, .197 WS/48, 4.5 BPM (Damn)

You can argue Jose's peak on offense is top 5 on this list as a half court pick and roll/pick and pop master making him the perfect compliment to Bosh, being one of the best 3pt shooting PGs and neverturning it over. Being one of the worst defensive PGs in the league however cancelled some of it and makes him an awkward fit on contending teams. Nevertheless, I believe he played at an all-star level this year and was easily the 2nd best player on a playoff team with stronger point differential than their record.

[The Duke]

I can respect the process and the list Dr.

I like reading or thinking about the conversations here and abroad, about these players/teams. We were building to something, something we didn’t think we could achieve. And I’ll leave it there...

Wondering if Yogi will make it soon, with his contract that was well before his time.

[Dr Positivity]

11. Tracy McGrady (2000)

31.2 min, 15.4 pts, 6.3 reb, 3.3 ast, 1.9 blk, 1.1 stl, .509 TS%, .129 WS/48, 3.5 BPM

Tmac played the best defense in his career as a Raptor with an impressive 2.2 blk and 1.3 stl per 36 minutes in the Pippen role beside Vince. While a developing project on offense, he scored 15ppg with his future talent in that area translating to playoffs, and had above average passing for a wing, making him the second star on a playoff team.

[Dr Positivity]

10. OG Anunoby (2023)

35.6 min, 16.8 pts, 5 reb, 1.9 stl, 0.7 blk, 38.7% 3pt, .094 WS/48, 0.4 BPM

Anunoby's game went to another level this year with a DPOY caliber season while spacing the floor, even if his PPG slightly overstates his real scoring talent in my opinion. It came on a non playoff team, but the 41 Ws could've made it in other seasons, and we know from his obvious impact as soon as he went to the Knicks how valuable this version of OG is in the modern NBA.

[Dr Positivity]

"I wasn't expecting to make top 9 either"

9. Fred VanVleet (2020)

35.7 min, 17.6 pts, 6.6 ast, 1.9 stl, 39% 3pt, .553 TS%, .145 WS/48, 2.7 BPM

This season was the perfect use of VanVleet rather than his all-star 2022 season, giving you 18 and 6, ability to play on or off the ball on offense, and ability to play double PG on defense, making him a huge contributor on 53-19/60 W pace season. He was also a bright spot in the playoffs as the team's leading scorer after Siakam's collapse. The value of Freddy is such that he's clearly lost something since 2020 due to the wear and tear, but even the current version is a meaningful player on 2nd seed.

[YogurtProducer]

Ibaka should be #10 ahead of OG imo.

Serge was really, really good and I would put his 2020 season ahead of 2019 TBH

[Dr Positivity]

Ibaka should be #10 ahead of OG imo.

Serge was really, really good and I would put his 2020 season ahead of 2019 TBH

It originally felt like 2020 to me, though I decided against it when seeing he was -5.0 on/off that year, though that may have more to do with the Siakam and Gasol combo being really good.

[ropjhk]

Top 8 peaks from 1 to 8:
Kawhi
Vince
Lowry
Bosh
Derozan
Siakam
Gasol
Antonio Davis

[YogurtProducer]

Ibaka should be #10 ahead of OG imo.

Serge was really, really good and I would put his 2020 season ahead of 2019 TBH

It originally felt like 2020 to me, though I decided against it when seeing he was -5.0 on/off that year, though that may have more to do with the Siakam and Gasol combo being really good.

Yeha Ibaka came off the bench with Norm, DAvis, Boucher, McCaw, RHJ. He played significantly more minutes with those guys than Gasol would have.

McCaw for example played 70 mins with Gasol and 520 with Ibaka. RHJ was 170 vs 415. ETc.

[Dr Positivity]

8. Antonio Davis (2002)


38.7 min, 14.5 pts, 9.6 reb, 2.0 ast, 1.1 blk, .497 TS%, .105 WS/48, -0.9 BPM

Davis made the all-star team in 2001 and helped the Raptors go G7 of the finals, but we'll go with 2002 as his finest moment as he led the team to 12-2 finish without Vince and almost leading them to round 1 victory including a massive game 3 of 30 pts on 14/19 shooting. He had a good midrange game which leads to efficiency that doesn't pop, but in that era with less 3pt bigs it has value. He also had intangible impact in terms of work ethic and toughness. It's a tribute to Davis that despite losing two players on the list in Tmac and Christie after 2000, they went on to have their most success with Davis as the 2nd best player.

[Dr Positivity]

7. DeMar Derozan (2017)

35.4 min, 27.3 pts, 5.2 reb, 3.9 ast, .552 TS%, .166 WS/48, 3.0 BPM

If I was just rating the 22-23ppg version of Derozan, I may have dropped him a few more spots on this list to insulting range. But he upped his volume scoring game to 27ppg, easily his highest as a Raptor, and he was fine in the playoffs leading the way against the Bucks and closing them out with definitive dunk, and had one big game against the Cavs. They also went 14-7 without Lowry during a stretch late in the season. Still, he's not higher because the midrange scoring skillset with average defense is not quite as valuable in my opinion.

[Yallbecrazy]

13 game Bargnani #1?

[Dr Positivity]

6. Marc Gasol (2019)

24.9 min, 9.9 pts, 6.6 reb, 3.9 ast, 44.2% 3pt, .565 TS%, .157 WS/48, 2.9 BPM (with Raptors)

(Yes we're counting it... don't be that guy)

This version of Gasol was incredibly valuable for the modern game, providing elite defense in the playoffs both as a one on one defender on players like Embiid and Vucevic and in help D, he hit his 3s in both the regular season and playoffs, and he was a great passer. In both defense and passing game, his impact is also intangible as a leader on the floor. Because he shots 3s better than most of his Grizzlies career and with how he turned it up on defense in the playoffs, I'd argue this is very much a prime Gasol season in impact. The skillset is valuable enough that even the 2020 season would rate around Christie and Green (16/17) in my opinion if it had been the only one eligible.

[Clay Davis]

13 game Bargnani #1?

If he does and uses the picture from The Commercial of him eating pasta, I am going to heavily petition Howard to enshrine the rizz of Dr. Positivity.