That tied the franchise record for wins. For the first time, the Raptors won
the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. “When Chris first got
here, he was a kid, but we needed him to play like a man,” said forward
Morris Peterson. “Now Chris is a man. He’s worked hard to develop his
game, and this is his team now.” Toronto saw a familiar face in the first
round of the playoffs. Carter now played for the New Jersey Nets. He
averaged 25 points a game. New Jersey won the series, 4–2. Four games
were decided by six points or fewer. “They were definitely more poised
than we were,” Bosh said. “The things we didn’t do well they took
advantage of.” Another early playoff exit came the following season. This
time, the loss was at the hands of the Orlando Magic. Toronto managed a
single victory.
Toronto made some questionable trades. The Raptors slid to 33–49
in 2008–09. The low finish gave them a favorable draft position. They
chose shooting guard DeMar DeRozan with the ninth overall pick.
DeRozan had completed his first season at the University of Southern
California. He entered the Draft to earn money. He wanted to help his
mother deal with a serious disease called lupus. Toronto fans embraced
him. “I came in, 19, everything was completely new for me. I appreciated
the support, the love,” he said. He helped spark the team to 40 wins. But
the Raptors missed the playoffs.
“WHEN CHRIS FIRST GOT HERE, HE WAS
A KID, BUT WE NEEDED HIM TO PLAY
LIKE A MAN. NOW CHRIS IS A MAN.
HE’S WORKED HARD TO DEVELOP HIS
GAME, AND THIS IS HIS TEAM NOW.”
THE NBA: A HISTORY OF HOOPS
TORONTO’S NEW HERO
37
