Editing Toronto Raptors (section)

===1999–2002<!-- The Raptors struggled starting 2002 but it is still well within the Vince Carter era -->: Success during the Vince Carter era===
[[File:Air Canada Centre and CN Tower from Bay St.jpg|thumb|The Raptors moved to [[Scotiabank Arena]] (then known as Air Canada Centre) in 1999]]
During the [[1999 NBA draft]], believing that the Raptors still lacked a strong [[frontcourt]] presence, Grunwald traded first-round draft pick [[Jonathan Bender]] for a power forward, [[Antonio Davis]] of the Indiana Pacers. Davis quickly entered the Raptors starting line-up and he would develop into an All-Star in the coming years. Conversely, Bender would only play nine seasons and would be out of the league by age 29.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/antonio_davis/ Antonio Davis Bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530002656/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/antonio_davis/ |date=May 30, 2009 }}, nba.com, accessed April 8, 2008.</ref> In the backcourt, Carter, Christie, and [[Dell Curry]] played at the [[shooting guard]] position and Alvin Williams and [[Muggsy Bogues]] at point guard. The rotation of Davis, Oakley, and Willis in the frontcourt and Carter's and McGrady's improvement helped the team make its first-ever [[2000 NBA playoffs|playoff]] appearance, fulfilling a promise Carter had made to fans in the previous season.<ref name="rap9900">[http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/199900.html 1999-00: Future Looks Bright for Raptors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220065031/http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/199900.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> Lacking significant postseason experience, Toronto was defeated 3–0 by the New York Knicks in the first round.<ref name="rap9900" /> Nonetheless, team improvements and the rise of Carter—who emphatically won the 2000 NBA [[Slam Dunk Contest]]<ref name="vincebio" />—attracted many fans around Toronto, many of whom were previously not basketball fans. The season was also the first full year played at the Air Canada Centre, after having played four years at the cavernous SkyDome, which was better suited to [[baseball]] and [[Canadian football]].<ref name="rap9900" /> Overall, the Raptors concluded the season with a 45–37 record.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/history/standings/19992000.html 1999–2000 Standings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107115734/http://www.nba.com/history/standings/19992000.html |date=January 7, 2014 }}, nba.com/history, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref>

Still, playoff failures and Butch Carter's media altercations surrounding Camby led Grunwald to replace Carter prior to the [[2000–01 NBA season|2000–01 season]] with [[Lenny Wilkens]], a [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] coach and player with more than 30 years of coaching experience.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/history/players/wilkens_bio.html Lenny Wilkens Bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503065911/http://www.nba.com/history/players/wilkens_bio.html |date=May 3, 2016 }}, nba.com/history, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> The team roster was also largely revamped, including the signing of veteran playmaker [[Mark Jackson]] on a four-year contract.<ref name="rap0001">[http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200001.html 2000–01: Raptors Taste Playoff Success] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220065045/http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200001.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> When Alvin Williams later emerged as a clutch performer,<ref>[http://www.raptorshq.com/2009/4/11/1115742/tip-in-toronto-raptors-post-game Not Just Any Williams] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323165836/http://www.raptorshq.com/2009/4/11/1115742/tip-in-toronto-raptors-post-game |date=March 23, 2012 }}, raptorshq.com, accessed May 9, 2011.</ref> Jackson was traded to allow Williams more playing time.<ref name="rap0001" /> In the 2000 off-season, free-agent McGrady opted to leave the Raptors in a sign-and-trade deal worth $67.5 million over six years, while giving a conditional draft pick as part of the agreement to the Orlando Magic for a first-round draft pick.<ref>
[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/tracy_mcgrady/bio.html Tracy McGrady Info Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419063942/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/tracy_mcgrady/bio.html |date=April 19, 2013 }}, nba.com, accessed June 16, 2007.
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[[File:Lipofsky Vince Carter.jpg|thumb|left|[[Vince Carter]], drafted fifth in the [[1998 NBA draft]], played his first six seasons in the NBA with the Raptors]]
As predicted by analysts, the team easily secured a berth in the [[2001 NBA playoffs]] with a franchise-high 47 wins. The Raptors won their first-ever playoff series as they defeated New York 3–2, advancing to the [[2001 NBA playoffs#.281.29 Philadelphia 76ers vs. .285.29 Toronto Raptors|Eastern Conference semifinals]] for the first time in franchise history.<ref name="rap0001" /><ref>[http://www.nba.com/playoffs2001/quarter/east4/?nav=SiteFragment NBA Playoffs 2001] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411000015/http://www.nba.com/playoffs2001/quarter/east4/?nav=SiteFragment |date=April 11, 2016 }}, nba.com, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> Wilkens was praised for having Williams defend shooting guard [[Allan Houston]] and Carter defend small forward [[Latrell Sprewell]], the two major Knicks offensive threats. The series with [[Philadelphia 76ers]] was a landmark for the Raptors in terms of performance and entertainment value. The Sixers relied on [[Allen Iverson]] and [[Dikembe Mutombo]] for their respective offensive and defensive abilities, along with steady help from [[Aaron McKie]]. Toronto was the more balanced team with Carter, Alvin Williams and Davis providing much of the offensive game and [[Chris Childs (basketball)|Chris Childs]] and Jerome Williams on defence. The series came down to the last few seconds of Game 7, when Carter's potential series-winning shot rolled off the rim.<ref>Associated Press. [http://www.nba.com/games/20010520/TORPHI/recap.html Philadelphia Rapts Up Series With Toronto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213043042/http://www.nba.com/games/20010520/TORPHI/recap.html |date=December 13, 2009 }}, nba.com, May 20, 2001, accessed April 20, 2007.</ref> Carter was later widely criticized for attending his graduation ceremony at the [[University of North Carolina]] on the morning of Game 7, as he scored only 20 points on 6-for-18 shooting after a 39-point performance in Game 6.<ref>Maaddi, Rob, [https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/carter-criticized-after-loss-1.284617 "Carter criticized after loss"]  cbc.ca, May 21, 2001, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref><ref>Ganguli, Tania, [https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2010/05/16/in-his-first-eastern-conference-finals-vince-carter-lets-go-of-the-past/ "In his first Eastern Conference Finals, Vince Carter lets go of the past"], articles.orlandosentinel.com, May 16, 2010, accessed May 14, 2011.</ref> Despite the loss, the season is generally considered a watermark for the franchise, given the Raptors' franchise high of 47 wins and advancing beyond the first round of the playoffs.<ref name="rap0001" /><ref>[http://www.nba.com/history/standings/20002001.html 2000–01 Standings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411000024/http://www.nba.com/history/standings/20002001.html |date=April 11, 2016 }}, nba.com/history, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref>

The relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies to [[Memphis, Tennessee]] in 2001, as the [[Memphis Grizzlies]], left Toronto as the NBA's only Canadian team.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/about/history.html Grizzlies History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123053611/http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/about/history.html |date=January 23, 2012 }}, nba.com/grizzlies, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> In the summer of 2001, long-term contracts were given to Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams and Davis, while former [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|NBA MVP]] centre [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] was signed to provide Carter with good support.<ref name="rap0102">[http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200102.html 2001–02: Raptors Face Adversity] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220065036/http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200102.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> The Raptors appeared to be on their way to another competitive season with a 29–21 record going into the [[NBA All-Star Weekend|All-Star break]]<ref name="rap0102" /> and with Carter the top vote-getter for the All-Star game for the third consecutive year.<ref name="vincebio" /> Carter then suffered a bout of [[patellar tendinitis]] (also known as "jumper's knee"),<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/vince-carter-out-four-weeks-1.327030 Vince Carter out four weeks] . cbc.ca, November 8, 2002, accessed November 15, 2011.</ref> forcing him to miss the All-Star game and the rest of the season,<ref name="rap0102" /> and without their franchise player, Toronto lost 13 consecutive games.<ref name="rap0102" /> However, they were able to win 12 of their last 14 games, clinching a [[2002 NBA playoffs|playoff]] spot on the last day of the regular season.<ref name="rap0102" /> The comeback featured some of the Raptors' best defence of the season, along with inspired performances by Davis and [[Keon Clark]].

Despite Toronto's improved defensive performances, Carter's offence was sorely missed in the first-round series against the second-seeded Detroit Pistons. In the first game, Detroit overwhelmed Toronto 83–65, largely due to [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]]'s strong performance of 19 points, 20 [[rebound (basketball)|rebounds]], 3 [[block (basketball)|blocks]] and 3 [[steal (basketball)|steals]].<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores102/102111/102111320.htm Raptors vs. Pistons] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212010609/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores102/102111/102111320.htm |date=February 12, 2011 }}, usatoday.com, April 21, 2002, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> Detroit also won Game 2, but Toronto won the next two games at home to force a deciding and tightly contested Game 5 in Detroit.<ref name="rap0102" /> With 10.7 seconds left in the game, and the Raptors down 85–82 with possession of the ball, Childs raced down the court and shot a three-pointer that missed badly, apparently trying to draw a foul on the play,<ref name="recap20020502">[http://www.nba.com/games/20020502/TORDET/recap.html Raptors vs. Pistons] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805073059/http://www.nba.com/games/20020502/TORDET/recap.html |date=August 5, 2016 }}, nba.com, May 2, 2002, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> instead of passing to a wide-open Curry. In a post-game locker room interview, Childs repeatedly insisted that the Raptors had been down four points, not three. The Raptors' late-season surge was thus marred by a disappointing playoff exit; the Olajuwon experiment was also a bust, with the 39-year-old averaging career lows in minutes, points and rebounds.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hakeem_olajuwon/index.html Hakeem Olajuwon Info Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212023525/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hakeem_olajuwon/index.html |date=February 12, 2007 }}, nba.com, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> Furthermore, Childs, Clark and Curry left the team, ensuring a new-look team for the next season.