My list of top 30 Raptors peaks

[Dr Positivity]

Hi, I felt like making a top peak seasons list for fun in honor of the Raptors 30th. I will start posting them starting tomorrow.

Regular season and playoffs are both taken into account, injuries not really a factor, same with a season like Gasol 2019 I was willing to overlook the limited regular season games.

[Dr Positivity]

Players not on the list

Lou Williams (2015) - Efficient 15ppg, 6MOY on a playoff team should be enough right? But a ballhog non-defender and I'm convinced he was the reason for the worst vibes team of the prime Lowry era.

Andrea Bargnani (2011) - It's hard to miss the top 30 scoring 21ppg, but his game outside of volume PPG is... not great. Some would argue bottom 30 is closer in impact.

Gary Trent, Jr. (2022) - On paper, 18ppg starter on the 2022 playoff team should be enough to break a weaker bottom part of the list. But, it just feels like this guy is the definition of "doesn't move the needle". Plus he was a balls disappear in the playoffs guy.

Jerome Williams (2002) - One of our finest energy guys of all time, but I put a few other role bigs from Vince's era above him.

Marcus Camby (1998) - Camby's stats look top 30 caliber with 12ppg and 3.7 blk. But while before my time, I get the feeling this is more numbers than impact at his age. Hence the insane looking trade of dealing 2nd overall pick after 2nd year for old Oakley, that worked out ok somehow.

Walt Williams (1997) - In a relatively unheralded decent season, he put up 16ppg on 40% 3pt, 2nd leading scorer on the team behind Damon.

Bismack Biyombo (2016) - The Father made his impact in the playoffs, but was backup until Valanciunas injury and it was always questionable whether the defense outweighed the 4 on 5 offense. Closer than I expected, but we'll say it's a bit short like JYD.

Jalen Rose (2005) - Rose put up a respectable enough 18ppg with 39% 3pt season on a losing team, but passed less than previous seasons.

[Dr Positivity]

30. Charles Oakley (2001)

35.5mpg, 9.6 pts, 9.5 reb, 3.4 ast, .439 TS, .065 WS/48, -1.4 BPM

You can balk at the efficiency and advanced stats, but he played the 2nd most minutes per game in the regular season on the best Vince team for a reason, due to his defense and toughness that had intangibles impact. His assist numbers are respectable.





29. Morris Peterson (2002)

31.6mpg, 14.0 pts, 3.5 reb, 2.4 ast, 1.2 stl, 39.5% 3pt, .119 WS/48, 0.7 BPM

He was ahead of his time 3 and D guy, although higher on the career Raptors list than peak. I chose 2002 where he starts on a playoff team over his high PPG season 2006 where he played a lot of minutes on a bad team.




28. Mike James (2006)


37.0 mpg, 20.3 pts, 5.8 ast, 44.2% 3pt, .125 WS/48, .583 TS%, 1.8 BPM

James chucked his way to one of the most random 20ppg seasons based on the the rest of a player's career, but the shots went in enough that the efficiency looks fine. Should he be higher or not on the list due to the same skepticism as with Lou Will? Hard to say. An iconic bad Raptors team season.

[Quattro]

That's a great pic of Mo Pete

[NinjaBro]

Mo Pete's peak was the Michael Ruffin shot.

[TheGeneral99]

Mo Pete - great guy, good player but pretty overrated. He had nice stats when we were really bad in 2004 and 2005. Once we got more competent players in Parker and Garbajosa, he instantly was out of the rotation.

[Dr Positivity]





27. Anthony Parker (2007)

33.4mpg, 12.4 pts, 3.9 reb, 2.1 ast, 44.1% 3pt, .597 TS%, .127 WS/48, 1.4 BPM



Parker was an ideal supporting starter on the feel good 2007 Raptors, shooting a superb 3P% while having a high IQ and holding his own on D. He also had a respectable 15ppg in the playoffs.





26. R.J. Barrett (2025)

32.2mpg, 21.1 pts, 6.3 reb, 5.4 ast, 35.0% 3pt, .547 TS%, .061 WS/48, 0.6 BPM



Like James it's hard to rate putting up good stats on a bad team vs quality role players and his style would be harder to fit around stars, but his 21, 6 and 5 in 32 minutes while being reasonable from 3 is a productive season, and he has a team friendly attitude.

[Dr Positivity]

Mo Pete - great guy, good player but pretty overrated. He had nice stats when we were really bad in 2004 and 2005. Once we got more competent players in Parker and Garbajosa, he instantly was out of the rotation.

True, though in analytics era we probably play him more and guys like Joey Graham less.

[Dr Positivity]





25. Keon Clark (2002)

27.0 min, 11.3 pts, 7.4 rebs, 1.5 blks, .609 TS%, .132 WS/48, 0.5 BPM



It caught my eye that in 2002 playoffs where the Raptors nearly grinded their way to 1st round win over the Pistons without Vince, he was their 2nd leading scorer behind Davis at 13.4ppg, in addition to his shotblocking impact. A player who had the talent to be a longtime starter if not for the boozing.



24. Alvin Williams (2001)



29.2 min, 9.8 pts, 5.0 ast, 1.5 stl, .109 WS/48, 0.8 BPM



While one has to be wary of his popularity overstating his talent, he was a meaningful contributor to the best Vince team in 2001, the team taking off when they gave him starting minutes and then putting up a solid 13.8 pts, 4.2 ast with value that goes beyond numbers, and hitting the shot to put away their 1st series win. The next seasons have a case for his peak instead, but his stats after the all-star break suggest the lower numbers was a minutes issue.

[Dr Positivity]





23. T.J. Ford (2007)



14.0 pts, 7.9 ast, 1.3 stl, .508 TS%, 0.091 WS/48, 0.9 BPM



While in the analytics era the great Forderone debate may have been seen as more decidedly in Jose’s favour, TJ's speed and passing make him an important creator and one of the hearts of the two Bosh playoff teams. I have his best play as before the Horford injury in 2008, which for how bad it seems in my mind he somehow only missed 2 months for, but when taking his post injury play that year and being decent in 2007 playoffs that gets the edge.






22. Donyell Marshall (2004)

39.1 min, 16.2 pts, 10.7 reb, 1.6 blk, 40.3% 3pt, .181 WS/48, 3.3 BPM



A randomly awesome advanced stats year, the only Raptors to have a total win shares season higher than his 9.8 this year are Carter, Lowry, Calderon, Bosh and Vince, and he did that in 66 games. His spacing big game was also ahead of his time. But ultimately, it’s still putting up stats on a bad team.



21. Jakob Poeltl (2025)



29.6 min, 14.5 pts, 9.6 reb, 2.8 ast, 1.2 stl, 1.2 blk, .641 TS%, .158 WS/48, 2.0 BPM

We know he's impactful by the team collapsing when he's out, providing defensive positional glue, efficiency and passing, making him possibly the best 2025 Raptor after Barnes didn't have his best season. 3 players from the core that won 30 games this year including Barrett's ranking is a bit generous, but maybe it suggests with better health they could be decent.


[TheGeneral99]

Mo Pete - great guy, good player but pretty overrated. He had nice stats when we were really bad in 2004 and 2005. Once we got more competent players in Parker and Garbajosa, he instantly was out of the rotation.

True, though in analytics era we probably play him more and guys like Joey Graham less.

We did play him a ton - Mo Pete averaged 38 minutes a night in 2005-2006.

Once we got Anthony Parker and Garbajosa he fell out of the rotation in 2006-2007 because they were superior players.

[Dr Positivity]

We did play him a ton - Mo Pete averaged 38 minutes a night in 2005-2006.

Once we got Anthony Parker and Garbajosa he fell out of the rotation in 2006-2007 because they were superior players.

Yeah I remember him not being that relevant in 07 outside of his heave, though he did end up quietly averaging 30 minutes in the playoffs. He also could've genuinely just happened to decline that year. Also even if you think 2006 ppg is overrated due to minutes and offensive orientated lotto team, it could still be valid to rate a season like 2002 where he's 14ppg 3 and D starter on a playoff team.

[TheGeneral99]

We did play him a ton - Mo Pete averaged 38 minutes a night in 2005-2006.

Once we got Anthony Parker and Garbajosa he fell out of the rotation in 2006-2007 because they were superior players.

Yeah I remember him not being that relevant in 07 outside of his heave, though he did end up quietly averaging 30 minutes in the playoffs. He also could've genuinely just happened to decline that year. Also even if you think 2006 ppg is overrated due to minutes and offensive orientated lotto team, it could still be valid to rate a season like 2002 where he's 14ppg 3 and D starter on a playoff team.

Yeah he did play more because Garbajosa had a horrible injury and missed the last few games of the season and the playoffs.

Anyways, he was a good player, I just think he's overrated because he was such a loyal guy.

[Dr Positivity]

20. Amir Johnson (2013)

28.7mpg, 10.0 pts, 7.5 reb, .591 TS%, .151 WS, 1.0 BPM, +15.2 on/off.

Amir can say something a relatively few Raptors can, which is that he's been the best player on the team. In the post Bosh pre Lowry era, I don't think it was emptier ppg players like Bargnani and pre-prime Derozan, and Calderon was older and slower. I chose a weird season in 2013 because he had his greatest +/- this year, some of that is "not being Bargnani", but nonetheless. Is it unfair to Jak to put him below Amir when he's also a glue guy center who's stats are a bit better all around, maybe, but I guess the latter could have been doing some subtle things to make up for it, he also can play both PF and C.

[Dr Positivity]

19. Norman Powell (2020)

28.4 min, 16.0 pts, 3.7 reb, 1.8 ast, 39.9% 3pt, .624 TS%, .150 WS/48, 2.0 BPM

Powell's impact is largely the sum of his stats, however in his breakout year of 2020 he did a good job at that scoring 20 pts per 36 on high efficiency, and taking advantage of the extra shots on a team with no Kawhi or Derozan and helping them post a massive 53-19 record, on in my opinion the 2nd best roster the team has had. Powell was also a player you never had to worry about his skillset translating to the playoffs.

[Dr Positivity]

18. Jonas Valanciunas (2018)

22.4 min, 12.7 pts, 8.6 reb, .628 TS%, .210 WS/48, 2.4 BPM

I was surprised JV was never above 13ppg here, but it's largely minutes driven, in 2018 his per 36 was 20.4 pts, 13.8 reb, 1.4 blks great efficiency and was the starting C on a #1 seed. While there is some downside to building around a low post center with average D, his ability to score allowed him to step up in playoff runs when most other players in the pre Kawhi era wilted. There is a world where this JV could be starting C on a champion team, though with a stacked lineup and good fit at PF beside him.

[Clay Davis]

20. Amir Johnson (2013)

28.7mpg, 10.0 pts, 7.5 reb, .591 TS%, .151 WS, 1.0 BPM, +15.2 on/off.

Amir can say something a relatively few Raptors can, which is that he's been the best player on the team. In the post Bosh pre Lowry era, I don't think it was emptier ppg players like Bargnani and pre-prime Derozan, and Calderon was older and slower. I chose a weird season in 2013 because he had his greatest +/- this year, some of that is "not being Bargnani", but nonetheless. Is it unfair to Jak to put him below Amir when he's also a glue guy center who's stats are a bit better all around, maybe, but I guess the latter could have been doing some subtle things to make up for it, he also can play both PF and C.

I loved the big man duo of Amir and Speshal Ed! High rizz chaps. #WeRollWithAmir 8)

[Dr Positivity]

17. Danny Green (2019)

27.7 min, 10.3 pts, 4.0 reb, 45.5% 3pt, .128 WS/48, 2.0 BPM

You can argue to put Green lower as after a great shooting regular season he shot 32% from 3 and didn't have a 20 point game in the playoff run, but he is one of the most successful role players of all time for a reason as he is able to play great team defense and space the floor allowing him to impact the game when he's not in, plus he is a good lockerroom guy. Green may have been our 5th best starter, but if you built a champion team around other players on this list below him, they would probably be in similar supporting position. You want this guy on your contending team.

[Dr Positivity]

16. Doug Christie (2000)

12.4 pts, 3.9 reb, 4.4 ast, 1.4 stl, 36% 3pt, .526 TS%, .108 WS/48, 1.4 BPM

Like Green, there are other players below him with flashier stats, but Christie fits in perfectly to winning teams with defending, shooting and underrated passing, enough that he was the PG on the team with Vince and Tmac this year. At his peak he scored 16ppg on a 16 W team but minutes and shots account for that, this is also his only season of his prime with below 2 steals, nonetheless we'll go with it as his most valuable anyway. He didn't get to play on the title team like Green, but I suspect they'd have won with Christe in his place too.

[Basketball_Jones]

Doug Christie’s shooting was abysmal but I really liked him. Same with Alvin. Donyell was incredible. Really talented starting 5 with Rose/Carter/Bosh as well.