The Raptor effect: four former players who found playoff glory somewhere else
Call us self-loathing Toronto sports fans, but this year’s otherwise spectacular NBA playoffs have been marred by the success of recent Raptors castoffs. A quick glance around the league reveals a whole host of players who were exiled from Raptorland only to be granted a new lease on their basketball lives elsewhere (and by elsewhere, we mostly mean Dallas). In the first round, we cringed as Jarret Jack and Marco Belinelli helped the New Orleans Hornets nearly upset the heavily favoured Los Angeles Lakers. Then, in the next round, we watched as more and more former Raps played the elevated brand of playoff basketball they never had the chance to during their Toronto tenure. We take a look at four such players after the jump.
1. Peja Stojakovic, Dallas Mavericks
In January, Stojakovic was sitting on the Raptors bench, wearing a $3,000 suit and feigning excitement. Three months and one trade later, he scored 21 points, shooting a perfect 13 for 13, as his new squad completed a four-game sweep of the defending champs. Once believed to be a shell of his former all-star self, Stojakovic is all of a sudden a key piece in a legitimate title contender.
2. Shawn Marion, Dallas Mavericks
Marion’s prime is far behind him and by all accounts he was miserable in Toronto. The Raps dealt him to Dallas to create some cap room to bring in Hedo Turkoglu—everybody knows how that turned out—and now he’s a starter on a team in the midst of a championship run.
3. Jermaine O’Neal, Boston Celtics
Okay, so O’Neal hasn’t exactly been lighting it up since he left the Raptors (and his team bowed out of the playoffs earlier this week). But he averaged 22 minutes a game for the Celtics in the first two rounds, which is none too shabby considering his injury-plagued days in Toronto. But, hey, at least Raps fan don’t have to be subjected to plays like this any longer.
4. Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks
Sure, Chandler was never actually a Raptor. But he almost was. We imagine he breathed a big sigh of relief when he heard the Toronto deal was nixed, then took a good look in the mirror. He must have liked what he saw because this week he was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team.
Peja wasn’t traded. Raptors bought him out.
The Rap’s traded Jack/DAndersen for Peja then bought him out all the while wondering where their 3 pt shooting went.
BC has helped out Dallas (Peja,Marion) more than the Rap’s.smh
Keeping Peja wouldn’t have made any sense. Even though BC won’t say it, we are rebuilding and developing our young guys. Keeping Peja would just take away minutes from guys like James Johnson and possibly even Demar. Peja wasn’t going to help us get into the playoffs or improve our dismisal defence. Buying him out and letting him go to a championship team was fine by me.
As for Tyson Chandler, man if that deal went down, it would’ve helped us out so much. Allows Bargs to move to that PF position and you also think about the possiblity of pairing Chandler with Ed Davis or Amir Johnson (at the PF) and James Johnson at 3 and we would have one hell of a defense force protecting the paint.
Chandler was never a Raptor, Peja would not play due to his original deal, and Oneal is a back up who is an aging second stringer on an aging team. These three are non issues so unless this article is about Shawn Marion I really don’t know what this is about.
Yes it would have or you don’t trade for a player that you won’t use especially one that filled a roster weakness- 3 point shooting. Peja would have helped to spread the floor more & open it up for Bayless, Weems, Bosa, DD and company to slash to the hoop more easily.
The Rap’s would have been better off keeping Jack & Andersen especially with all the pg problems near the end of the season due to Jose aka The Spanish X Ray getting injured again while Jack played in all 82 games for his 3rd year straight.
Peja wouldn’t have taken any of DD minutes- get real.lol
& JJ was handed a starting spot he didn’t earn anything.
If we were developing our young guys then why was Reggie playing over Ed and Jose playing over Bayless post All Star break? Actions speak louder than words.
You drank that “rebuild” kool aid not I. Rebuild is another BC pr media spin on losing with a purpose. BC is a liar straight up & down.
The Tyson Chandler deal didn’t happen just like the Barnes free agent signing didn’t happen- point blank.
And Andrea as a PF is just another lame excuse as he played PF most nights as Ed/Reggie/Amir guarded the other teams center while Barg’s just floated on both ends of the court- did you not watch the games?
Plus Barg’s quit on the Rap’s post London ie I got the flu again coach- while Amir is out there battling on one good ankle.
you realize that they are all role players on those playoff teams right?
we lack a legitimate all-star…not role players….