Editing Toronto Raptors (section)

===2002–2006: Another period of struggle<!-- Do not name this section after Chris Bosh -->===
[[File:Raptors Blazers jump ball 2004.jpg|thumb|A game between the Raptors and the [[Portland Trail Blazers]] during the [[2004–05 NBA season|2004–05 season]]. The Raptors were moved to the NBA's [[Atlantic Division (NBA)|Atlantic Division]] prior to the start of that season.]]
The [[2002–03 NBA season|2002–03 season]] began with the same optimism that the Raptors exhibited in three consecutive playoff seasons, although it faded early. Carter, while voted as a starter in the [[2003 NBA All-Star Game|2003 All-Star Game]],<ref name="vincebio" /> suffered a knee injury, while Davis expressed disinterest in Toronto and Wilkens' ''laissez-faire'' attitude created a team that lacked the motivation and spirit of the previous years' teams. The team was ravaged with injuries, losing an NBA record number of player games due to injury.<ref name="raps0203">[http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200203.html 2002–03: Injuries Halt High Hopes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220065041/http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200203.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> Furthermore, the Raptors recorded the dubious honour of being the only team in NBA history not to dress 12 players for a single game in a season.<ref name="raps0203" /> Wilkens was criticized heavily by the Toronto media for his inability to clamp down on his players when necessary, especially given this was the year that Wilkens overtook [[Bill Fitch]] for the most losses by an NBA coach,<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/raptors-wilkens-ties-futility-record-1.401844 "Raptors' Wilkens ties futility record"], cbc.ca, April 2, 2003, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> with his loss total getting dangerously close to his win total. The Raptors ended the season with a 24–58 record<ref>[http://www.nba.com/history/standings/20022003.html 2002–03 Standings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523134756/http://www.nba.com/history/standings/20022003.html |date=May 23, 2010 }}, nba.com/history, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> and Wilkens was fired. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, when the Raptors were given the fourth overall pick in the [[2003 NBA draft]] and brought another star to Toronto in [[Chris Bosh]].

Canadian [[country music|country]] singer [[Shania Twain]] helped launch the new red Raptors alternate road uniform at the start of the [[2003–04 NBA season|2003–04 season]],<ref name="raps0304">[http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200304.html 2003–04: Bosh Shines In Dark Season] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220065043/http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200304.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> and the jerseys made their debut in a 90–87 season-opening victory on October 29, 2003, against the defending Eastern Conference champions, the New Jersey Nets.<ref name="raps0304" /> Davis and Jerome Williams were traded early in the season for [[Jalen Rose]] and [[Donyell Marshall]]. After 50 games, Toronto was 25–25 and in a position to make the [[2004 NBA playoffs|playoffs]], but injuries to key players sent the Raptors plummeting down the standings. Rose, Carter and Alvin Williams all suffered injuries as the Raptors struggled to a record of 8–24 in their remaining games.<ref name="raps0304" /> The notable individual season performances were Carter's 22.5 [[points per game|ppg]], Marshall's 10.7 [[Rebound (sports)|rpg]], and rookie Bosh, a {{height|ft=6|in=10}} forward-centre, averaging 11.5&nbsp;ppg and 7.4&nbsp;rpg and being named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.<ref name="boshbio">[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/chris_bosh/bio.html Chris Bosh Info Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219144243/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/chris_bosh/bio.html |date=February 19, 2007 }}, nba.com, accessed June 16, 2007.</ref> Williams' knee injury turned out to be career-ending.

For the [[2004–05 NBA season|2004–05 season]], the team moved into the Atlantic Division and the Raptors decided to revamp the team. Raptors' President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment [[Richard Peddie]] fired Grunwald on April 1, 2004, after the team ended the season three games short of the eighth and final playoff spot in the previous season.<ref name="raps0304" /> Head coach [[Kevin O'Neill (basketball)|Kevin O'Neill]] and his four assistant coaches were also dismissed immediately after Grunwald's termination. Toronto interim manager Jack McCloskey said: "While the blame for that certainly does not rest on O'Neill and his staff alone, we need a change."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/us_sport/3634099.stm "Toronto sack O'Neill] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040512193009/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/us_sport/3634099.stm |date=May 12, 2004 }}, bbc.co.uk, April 17, 2004, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> [[Rob Babcock]] was named general manager on June 7, 2004, alongside the appointments of [[Wayne Embry]] as senior advisor and [[Alex English]] as director of player development.<ref>{{cite news|title=Raptors Announce Basketball Operations Staff|url=http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/gm_hire_040607.html|publisher=NBA Media Ventures|website=www.nba.com|date=June 7, 2004|access-date=April 21, 2007|archive-date=November 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118081945/http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/gm_hire_040607.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Sam Mitchell (basketball)|Sam Mitchell]], a former NBA forward and assistant coach of the [[Milwaukee Bucks]], was hired as new head coach of the Raptors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sam Mitchell Named Raptors Head Coach|url=http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/sam_mitchell_named_raptors_040629.html|publisher=NBA Media Ventures|website=www.nba.com|date=June 29, 2004|access-date=April 21, 2007|archive-date=November 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118081913/http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/sam_mitchell_named_raptors_040629.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Chris Bosh.jpg|thumb|left|upright|After the trade of Vince Carter in 2004, [[Chris Bosh]] became the face of the Raptors franchise until 2010]]
Babcock's first move as general manager was drafting centre [[Rafael Araújo (basketball)|Rafael Araújo]]—selected eighth overall—in the [[2004 NBA draft]], in a move that was criticized by fans and analysts, considering highly touted swingman [[Andre Iguodala]] was drafted with the next pick.<ref>Mannix, Chris, [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/chris_mannix/09/16/raptors/index.html "The truth hurts"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213063857/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/chris_mannix/09/16/raptors/index.html |date=February 13, 2009 }}, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, September 16, 2005, accessed April 22, 2007.</ref> Babcock signed point guard [[Rafer Alston]] to a five-year deal. After Vince Carter's annual charity game, Babcock implicitly revealed to the media that Carter's agent had asked for a trade, confirming Carter's discontent. The ''[[Toronto Sun]]'' reported that Carter felt he was being misled by the Raptors' hierarchy during the general manager search and had concluded that as long as the managerial structure at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. remained intact, the Raptors would never be an elite team.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120714050322/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Basketball/NBA/Toronto/2004/07/31/564677.html "Vince speaks, but says little"]}}, slam.canoe.ca, accessed April 22, 2007.</ref> Carter was finally traded mid-season, ending his six-year tenure. Toronto received [[Alonzo Mourning]], forwards [[Eric Williams (basketball, born 1972)|Eric Williams]] and [[Aaron Williams (basketball)|Aaron Williams]] and two mid-to-late future first-round picks from the New Jersey Nets. Mourning chose not to report to Toronto, forcing Babcock to buy out the remainder of his contract<ref>[http://www.insidehoops.com/mourning-raptors-buyout-021105.shtml "Raptors, Alonzo Mourning end contract"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117105336/http://insidehoops.com/mourning-raptors-buyout-021105.shtml |date=November 17, 2011 }}, insidehoops.com, February 11, 2005, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> at a reported $10&nbsp;million, leaving him free to sign with the Miami Heat. Eric and Aaron Williams were supposed to add defensive toughness and rebounding, but were generally under-utilized for the entire season. Analysts had predicted Babcock got the bad end of the deal,<ref>Burns, Marty [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/basketball/nba/12/17/carter.trade.analysis/index.html "Trade Analysis: Carter heads south of border"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102220227/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/basketball/nba/12/17/carter.trade.analysis/index.html |date=November 2, 2012 }}, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, December 17, 2004, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> and the trade eventually cost him his job.

Carter's departure heralded a new era for Toronto. Bosh stepped up to the role of franchise player<ref name="rap0405">[http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200405.html 2004–05: End of the Carter Era] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220065033/http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200405.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> and performed well in his sophomore campaign, ranking tenth in the league in defensive rebounds.<ref name="boshbio" /> In contrast to Bosh's emergence, Araújo struggled to keep a spot in the line-up, and became unpopular with fans and local media.<ref>Associated Press. [https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2475953 "Raptors trade bust Araujo to Jazz for two"], sports.espn.go.com, June 8, 2006, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> Although the ACC was often well-attended due to the Raptors' 22–19 home record,<ref>
[http://www.nba.com/raptors/schedule/results_2004.html Raptors Schedules & Results 2004–2005] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128014052/http://www.nba.com/raptors/schedule/results_2004.html |date=January 28, 2007 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed April 21, 2007.
</ref> their inability to win on the road (11–30) and a poor defensive record made Mitchell's first year as head coach unimpressive. Additionally, Mitchell had problems dealing with Alston, who openly expressed his unhappiness with Mitchell in a post-game interview.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/mitchell-alston-feud-brews-as-toronto-heads-to-cleveland-1.494229 "Mitchell-Alston feud brews as Toronto heads to Cleveland"], cbc.ca, December 4, 2004, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> Later in the season, Alston was suspended two games for "conduct detrimental to the team" for reportedly walking out of a scrimmage during practice.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/alston-benched-in-raptors-loss-1.565407 "Alston benched in Raptors loss"], cbc.ca, February 9, 2005, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> Notwithstanding the unrest, in their first season competing in the Atlantic Division, Toronto maintained the same regular season record of 33–49 as the previous season.<ref name="rap0405" />

[[File:José Manuel Calderón in 2006.jpg|thumb|upright|[[José Calderón (basketball)|Jose Calderon]] with the Raptors during the [[2005–06 NBA season|2005–06 season]]. The Raptors signed Calderon as a [[free agent]] in the 2005 off-season as a backup for [[Mike James (basketball, born 1975)|Mike James]].]]
The Raptors continued to rebuild during the [[2005 NBA draft]], selecting [[Charlie Villanueva]], [[Joey Graham]], [[Roko Ukić]] and [[Uroš Slokar]], with Villanueva's selection being very controversial amongst basketball pundits and Raptors fans alike.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/raptors-send-villanueva-packing-1.622235 "Raptors send Villanueva packing"], cbc.ca, June 30, 2006, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref> The Raptors started their training camp by trading Alston to the Houston Rockets for [[Mike James (basketball, born 1975)|Mike James]] and signing free agent [[José Calderón (basketball)|José Calderón]] as a backup for James. Despite the infusion of new players, Toronto's overall [[2005–06 NBA season|2005–06 season]] was a disappointment; they set a franchise record by losing their first nine games<ref>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/postup_051120.html Raptors Post Up] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103054602/http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/postup_051120.html |date=January 3, 2008 }}, nba.com/raptors, November 20, 2005, accessed April 23, 2007.</ref> and 15 out of their first 16 games.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200506.html Raptors Hit Jackpot] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219055141/http://www.nba.com/raptors/history/200506.html |date=February 19, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed April 12, 2007.</ref> With losses mounting and media scrutiny intensifying, the Raptors hired ex-[[Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball|Purdue]] coach [[Gene Keady]] as an assistant off the bench to help develop the young Raptors team and establish a defensive persona for the team. On January 15, 2006, the Raptors set a franchise points record in a 129–103 win over the Knicks when Villanueva hit a three-pointer late in the game.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/postup_060115.html Raptors Post Up"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106114545/http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/postup_060115.html |date=January 6, 2009 }}, nba.com/raptors, January 15, 2006, accessed April 12, 2007.</ref> But less than a week later, the Raptors gave up an 18-point lead against the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] and allowed Lakers star [[Kobe Bryant]] to score 81 points, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history.<ref>Webb, Royce, [https://www.espn.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060123 "Kobe makes records wilt"], sports.espn.go.com, January 23, 2006, accessed April 23, 2007.</ref> With media scrutiny intensifying once more and the Raptors entrenched at the bottom of the league in defensive [[field goal percentage]],<ref>[http://www.nba.com/preview2006/tor.html 2006–07 Season Preview: Toronto Raptors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130094417/http://www.nba.com/preview2006/tor.html |date=November 30, 2006 }}, nba.com, accessed April 23, 2007.</ref> CEO Richard Peddie fired Babcock.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/announcement_PR___060126.html "Rob Babcock Relieved of Duties"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220085036/http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/announcement_PR___060126.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, January 26, 2006, accessed April 21, 2007.</ref>

The 2005–06 season was not a total disaster. Villanueva's play impressed both fans and former critics as he came in second in [[NBA Rookie of the Year Award|NBA Rookie of the Year]]<ref>[http://www.nba.com/news/awards2006_rookie.html Hornets' Paul Named the 2005–06 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202012001/http://www.nba.com/news/awards2006_rookie.html |date=February 2, 2007 }}, nba.com, May 10, 2006, accessed April 23, 2007.</ref> and recorded 48 points in an [[overtime (sports)|overtime]] loss to Milwaukee Bucks, the most points scored by any rookie in franchise history and the most by a rookie in the NBA since 1997.<ref>
[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/charlie_villanueva/bio.html Charlie Villanueva Info Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024162000/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/charlie_villanueva/bio.html |date=October 24, 2007 }}, nba.com, accessed April 12, 2007.
</ref> Bosh was also named a reserve forward for the Eastern All-Star Team in the [[2006 NBA All-Star Game|2006 game]],<ref name="boshbio" /> becoming the third Raptor after Vince Carter and Antonio Davis to appear in an All-Star Game. On February 27, 2006, the team named [[Bryan Colangelo]], the [[NBA Executive of the Year Award|2004–05 NBA Executive of the Year]], the president and general manager of the Raptors.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/pressrelease_colangelo_060228.html "Colangelo Named Raptors President and General Manager"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220083551/http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/pressrelease_colangelo_060228.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com/raptors, February 28, 2006, accessed April 23, 2007.</ref> Known for his success in transforming a lottery Phoenix team into a 62-win offensive juggernaut, his hiring gave hope to many fans. Still, Toronto ended the season weakly when Bosh suffered a season-ending thumb injury.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/CP_060327.html "Charlie Villanueva Nets 48 in OT Loss in Milwaukee"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509070552/http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/CP_060327.html |date=May 9, 2020 }}, nba.com/raptors, March 26, 2006, accessed April 23, 2007.</ref> The Raptors lost ten consecutive games after Bosh's injury<ref>
[http://www.nba.com/raptors/schedule/results_2005.html Raptors Schedules & Results 2005–2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106224427/http://www.nba.com/raptors/schedule/results_2005.html |date=January 6, 2016 }}, nba.com/raptors, accessed April 23, 2007.
</ref> and finished the season with the fifth worst record (27–55) in the NBA.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/standings/2005/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Div.html 2005–06 Standings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220221928/http://www.nba.com/standings/2005/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Div.html |date=February 20, 2010 }}, nba.com, accessed April 23, 2007.</ref>