NBA History: 5 best Toronto Raptors players since 2000

#5 Jonas Valanciunas

Memphis Grizzlies v Chicago Bulls

The Toronto Raptors 24-year history has been plagued by never really finding a center they could rely upon. They had some decent options at the pivot from Oliver Miller, Marcus Camby, Antonio Davis, and Andrea Bargnani.

However, there was always a flaw like, they not being in shape, injury prone, didn’t want to be in Toronto or inconsistent. The trouble at the pivot spot has not ended as current Raptors' management decided to trade Valanciunas last month for 33-year-old Marc Gasol.

Jonas Valanciunas was drafted by the Raptors in 2011. The 7-footer spent a year after he was drafted in Europe before making his way to the Raptors in 2012. While Raptors management may not have been sold on the big man’s talent, he is an absolute fan favorite in Toronto.

He has averaged 11.8ppg and 8.4rpg as a Raptor. He has always shown double-double potential but Raptors management has constantly cited concerns about his footwork, speed, and defense. It has meant in recent seasons Valanciunas was not used in the fourth quarter of games, and this season before the trade he was coming off the bench behind Serge Ibaka.

Through it all, Valanciunas has done what the team asked and never complained. What cements him as one of Toronto’s best basketball players since 2000 is the fact that his talents combined with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to form the nucleus of the Raptors team that has perennially made the playoffs from 2014 until his trade in February 2019.

At times, over the last five playoff seasons, Valanciunas was arguably the Raptors best playoff performer when healthy.

At the time of his departure for Memphis this season, Valanciunas is seventh all-time in Raptors player in scoring with 5,524, second in rebounds with 3,961, and third in blocked shots with 479.