2006–07 Toronto Raptors season

The Toronto Raptors 2006–07 season was the twelfth National Basketball Association (NBA) season for the Toronto Raptors basketball franchise. Following a poor 2005–06 season, General Manager Bryan Colangelo greatly revamped the team roster during the pre-season but continued to build the team around All-Star Chris Bosh. Despite a sluggish start, the 2006–07 season transformed into a watershed year for Toronto. The Raptors captured their first division title, finished third in the Eastern Conference, made the playoffs for the first time in five years, equalled their best ever regular season record which surpassed by the 2014–15 team won 49 games and later was broken by the 2017–18 team won 59 games, and secured home court advantage for the first time in franchise history. However, the Raptors met the New Jersey Nets in the first round of the playoffs and were defeated four games to two. At the end of the regular season, head coach Sam Mitchell and Colangelo were named NBA Coach of the Year and NBA Executive of the Year respectively. The Raptors also changed their colour scheme which is still in use as of 2020.

2006–07 Toronto Raptors season
Division champions
Head coachSam Mitchell
OwnersMaple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
ArenaAir Canada Centre
Results
Record47–35 (.573)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Atlantic)
Conference: 3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finish First Round
(Lost to Nets 2–4)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionRogers Sportsnet, Raptors NBA TV, TSN, The Score
RadioCJCL

Pre-season
The Raptors used an alternate logo for the 2006–07 NBA season, seen here in the centre of the court.
Toronto's 2006–07 roster featured many players who have played in Europe.
The Raptors signed two-time Euroleague MVP Anthony Parker, who became one of the NBA's top three-point shooters and perimeter defenders.
The 2006–07 season saw a reduction in minutes for Raptors veteran Morris Peterson (right), but also an introduction of Spanish veteran Jorge Garbajosa (left) to the starting lineup.
Toronto (in red) in a game against the Boston Celtics.
Bosh led a different lineup from the 2005–06 season to a 47-35 regular season record.

NBA Draft
Main article: 2006 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club
1 1 Andrea Bargnani Forward  Italy Benetton Treviso (Italy)
2 35 P.J. Tucker Forward  United States Texas
2 56 Edin Bavčić (traded to Philadelphia) Center  Bosnia and Herzegovina ASA BH Telecom (Bosnia and Herzegovina and Adriatic League)
2006 NBA Draft

Pre-season trades

Before the season, Toronto won the NBA Draft Lottery and were awarded the 1st overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft. To prepare for their draft choice, the Raptors traded Rafael Araújo for Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley,[1] and traded Matt Bonner, Eric Williams and a second round pick for Rasho Nesterovič and cash considerations.[2] The 1st overall pick was used to select Italian Andrea Bargnani, making him the first European drafted number one overall.[3] Maurizio Gherardini was hired as the club's vice-president and assistant general manager, making him the first European elevated to an NBA executive job.[4] Promising small forward Charlie Villanueva was traded for point guard T. J. Ford and cash considerations,[5] while Chris Bosh was rewarded with a three-year extension.[6]

Roster
Roster listing
Toronto Raptors roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
PF 7 Bargnani, Andrea 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Italy
PF 4 Bosh, Chris 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Georgia Tech
PG 8 Calderón, José 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Spain
SG 3 Dixon, Juan 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Maryland
PG 11 Ford, T. J. 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Texas
SF 15 Garbajosa, Jorge 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Spain
SG 14 Graham, Joey 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Oklahoma State
C 43 Humphries, Kris 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Minnesota
SF 6 Jackson, Luke 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Oregon
PG 2 Martin, Darrick 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) UCLA
C 12 Nesterović, Rasho 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Slovenia
G/F 18 Parker, Anthony 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Bradley
SG 24 Peterson, Morris 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Michigan State
PF 10 Slokar, Uroš 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 238 lb (108 kg) Slovenia
PF 9 Sow, Pape 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Cal State Fullerton
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster

Regular season

General Manager Bryan Colangelo continued to surround Bosh with complementary players, and signed two-time Euroleague Most Valuable Player Anthony Parker.[7] Spanish international Jorge Garbajosa and former slam dunk champion Fred Jones were also signed from free agency. The Raptors concluded pre-season transactions by re-signing veteran Darrick Martin. With this new lineup, Toronto looked to maintain a team who could both pass and shoot the ball, but was also stronger defensively than the 2005–06 roster.[8] As a showcase of their new roster, on 15 October 2006, the 119 points by Toronto marked the third highest total in a pre-season game in franchise history.[9] The Raptors finished the pre-season with a 7–1 win-loss record, which was the best record in the league and a franchise record.[10]

Push for playoffs

The first half of the season produced mixed results as Toronto struggled towards the .500 mark after a dismal 2–8 start.[8] Bosh's consistent performances however ensured he was named an All-Star starter in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game on 25 January 2007. He received the most votes after LeBron James among all Eastern Conference forwards.[11] A day later, the Raptors hit the .500 mark for the first time since the 2003–04 season after defeating the Boston Celtics at the Air Canada Centre.[12] On 2 February, the Raptors went 24–23, the first time since 2001–02 that they had been over .500 this late in a season.[13] As a result, the Raptors won three NBA Eastern Conference awards for the month of January: Player of the Month (Bosh),[14] Rookie of the Month (Bargnani)[15] and Coach of the Month (Sam Mitchell).[16] On 4 February, the Raptors' 122–110 home win against the Los Angeles Clippers represented a season-high in points for the Raptors.[17] Within the same week, Bosh's career-high 41 points in a win against the Orlando Magic prompted an unheard of event at the Air Canada Centre—chants of "MVP" by the home fans.[18] This chant was repeated in a win against Vince Carter's New Jersey Nets ten days later—to the disbelief of Carter—a game which also saw the team break franchise records for the most home wins and highest home winning percentage entering the All-Star break.[19][20]

After the break, Colangelo traded Jones for Juan Dixon, a versatile guard.[21] Luke Jackson was also signed to provide depth to Toronto's bench.[22] Following a win against the Charlotte Bobcats on 1 April 2007, Toronto clinched a playoff berth for the first time in five years.[23] They then claimed their first division title when they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers five days later, winning the Atlantic Division crown.[24] Another franchise record was set when Toronto won the next game against the Bulls, this time for most home wins.[25]

The Raptors were eventually seeded third in the Eastern Conference, marking one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history in terms of league standing and defensive ranking.[26] Throughout the season, they were lauded for playing solid defense and good sharing and moving of the ball.[8][27] José Calderón, Bargnani, Dixon and Morris Peterson turned in reliable performances from the bench while Ford and Bosh ran the offence with consistent numbers.[8] And in Parker and Garbajosa, the Raptors had two very versatile players who could both defend and attack.[28][29][30] Furthermore, in contrast to previous seasons, the Raptors were able to win games despite injuries to key players such as Bosh, Bargnani, Parker, Ford and Garbajosa.[31][32] Colangelo, Gherardini and Mitchell were also largely credited for transforming Toronto's fortunes.[33]

Standings
Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Toronto Raptors 4735.573-30–1117–2411–5
x-New Jersey Nets 4141.500624–1717–2410–6
Philadelphia 76ers 3547.4271221–2014–279–7
New York Knicks 3349.4021419–2214–273–13
Boston Celtics 2458.2932312–2912–297–9
# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Detroit Pistons5329.646–
2 x-Cleveland Cavaliers5032.6103
3 y-Toronto Raptors4735.5736
4 y-Miami Heat4438.5379
5 x-Chicago Bulls4933.5984
6 x-New Jersey Nets4141.50012
7 x-Washington Wizards4141.50012
8 x-Orlando Magic4042.48813
9 Philadelphia 76ers3547.42718
10 Indiana Pacers3547.42718
11 New York Knicks3349.40220
12 Charlotte Bobcats3349.40220
13 Atlanta Hawks3052.36623
14 Milwaukee Bucks2854.34125
15 Boston Celtics2458.29329

Record vs. opponents
2006-07 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MEM MIA MIL MIN NJN NOK NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA WAS
Atlanta —3–11–30–41–30–21–11–22–01–11–32–00–22–00–41–22–01–20–21–23–11–31–11–11–10–20–22–20–21–3
Boston 1–3—2–20–31–20–21–10–40–21–11–30–20–21–11–22–21–12–20–23–11–31–30–22–00–21–11–11–30–20–3
Charlotte 3–12–2—1–22–20–21–12–21–10–21–20–22–00–22–22–21–11–21–12–22–22–20–20–21–11–10–20–31–12–2
Chicago 4–03–02–1—2–21–11–13–11–10–23–10–21–11–13–14–00–21–32–03–11–22–11–12–00–21–12–02–20–23–1
Cleveland 3–12–12–22–2—0–20–21–32–01–13–12–02–02–01–34–02–02–11–12–21–23–10–21–12–02–01–13–11–12–1
Dallas 2–02–02–01–12–0—3–11–10–33–12–02–13–14–02–02–04–02–04–02–02–02–02–23–04–03–14–02–01–21–1
Denver 1–11–11–11–12–01–3—0–23–11–22–02–13–12–22–02–02–21–12–21–11–11–11–23–12–21–23–11–11–31–1
Detroit 2–14–02–21–33–11–12–0—0–21–12–22–02–02–02–13–11–14–01–12–14–03–11–11–11–10–22–02–10–22–2
Golden State 0–22–01–11–10–23–01–32–0—2–11–12–20–43–10–20–22–11–13–11–11–12–01–32–13–11–33–11–12–21–1
Houston 1–11–12–02–01–11–32–11–11–2—1–13–12–24–02–02–02–22–01–32–02–02–01–32–23–02–23–01–11–32–0
Indiana 3–13–12–11–31–30–20–22–21–11–1—1–11–12–02–24–00–20–41–12–12–22–20–22–00–21–10–21–20–20–3
L.A. Clippers 0–22–02–02–00–21–21–20–22–21–31–1—2–23–02–02–01–21–12–21–11–12–02–23–12–20–42–20–21–31–1
L.A. Lakers 2–02–00–21–10–21–31–30–24–02–21–12–2—2–21–10–23–12–01–20–22–01–11–31–23–12–13–11–12–11–1
Memphis 0–21–12–01–10–20–42–20–21–30–40–20–32–2—0–20–22–10–21–30–21–11–10–42–21–21–31–21–11–31–1
Miami 4–02–12–21–33–10–20–21–22–00–22–20–21–12–0—2–12–03–11–11–30–41–30–22–02–01–12–02–12–03–1
Milwaukee 2–12–22–20–40–40–20–21–32–00–20–40–22–02–01–2—2–01–20–21–31–32–10–21–11–12–01–11–30–21–3
Minnesota 0–21–11–12–00–20–42–21–11–22–22–02–11–31–20–20–2—1–11–32–01–12–01–32–22–21–21–30–21–31–1
New Jersey 2–12–22–13–11–20–21–10–41–10–24–01–10–22–01–32–11–1—1–14–02–22–20–20–21–10–20–22–22–04–0
New Orleans/Oklahoma City 2–02–01–10–21–10–42–21–11–33–11–12–22–13–11–12–03–11–1—2–01–10–20–31–23–10–42–20–21–21–1
New York 2–11–32–21–32–20–21–11–21–10–21–21–12–02–03–13–10–20–40–2—2–11–30–21–11–10–21–11–31–12–2
Orlando 1–33–12–22–12–10–21–10–41–10–22–21–10–21–14–03–11–12–21–11–2—2–10–22–01–11–12–00–42–02–2
Philadelphia 3–13–12–21–21–30–21–11–30–20–22–20–21–11–13–11–20–22–22–03–11–2—1–11–11–10–22–01–31–10–3
Phoenix 1–12–02–01–12–02–22–11–13–13–12–02–23–14–02–02–03–12–03–02–02–01–1—4–03–11–22–12–01–31–1
Portland 1–10–22–00–21–10–31–31–11–22–20–21–32–12–20–21–12–22–02–11–10–21–10–4—2–20–42–21–12–22–0
Sacramento 1–12–01–12–00–20–42–21–11–30–32–02–21–32–10–21–12–21–11–31–11–11–11–32–2—0–42–11–12–10–2
San Antonio 2–01–11–11–10–21–32–12–03–12–21–14–01–23–11–10–22–12–04–02–01–12–02–14–04–0—4–02–02–22–0
Seattle 2–01–12–00–21–10–41–30–21–30–32–02–21–32–10–21–13–12–02–21–10–20–21–22–21–20–4—1–12–20–2
Toronto 2–23–13–02–21–30–21–11–21–11–12–12–01–11–11–23–12–02–22–03–14–03–10–21–11–10–21–1—0–23–1
Utah 2–02–01–12–01–12–13–12–02–23–12–03–11–23–10–22–03–10–22–11–10–21–13–12–21–22–22–22–0—1–1
Washington 3–13–02–21–31–21–11–12–21–10–23–01–11–11–11–33–11–10–41–12–22–23–01–10–22–00–22–01–31–1—

Playoffs

As third seed, the Raptors played sixth seed New Jersey Nets in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The series drew much media attention as Vince Carter, a former Raptor who left Toronto under acrimonious circumstances two seasons ago, was now back at the ACC as a Net.[34] In the opening game, while Carter was constantly booed by the home crowd and was not an offensive threat, Toronto's inexperience was evident as they too struggled offensively and were down 65–78 going into the fourth quarter.[34] A late rally by Toronto in the fourth quarter was not enough as they eventually lost 91–96. The Raptors won game 2 89–83 at the ACC to tie the series 1–1, as Bosh recorded 25 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.[35] The Nets won games 3 and 4 to lead 3–1, but Toronto forced a game 6 when they narrowly won 98–96 in game 5.[36] In that game, the Raptors set two post-season franchise records: most points going into halftime and biggest lead for a half.[37] The attendance for the game was also a franchise record for a playoff game.[38] In game 6, however, New Jersey won 98–97, sealing the series 4–2 and sending Toronto out of the first round.[39]

In recognition of being the chief architects of Toronto's turnaround season, on 24 April 2007, Mitchell was named 2006–07 NBA Coach of the Year, the first Raptors coach to receive this honour;[40] Colangelo was later named 2006–07 Executive of the Year.[41]

Game log
2006–07 game log
November: 5–10 (Home: 4–2; Road: 1–8)
December: 8–8 (Home: 4–2; Road: 4–6)
January: 10–5 (Home: 7–3; Road: 3–2)
February: 9–3 (Home: 5–1; Road: 4–2)
March: 8–6 (Home: 6–2; Road: 2–4)
April: 7–3 (Home: 4–1; Road: 3–2)
2006–07 season schedule

Playoffs
2007 playoff game log
First Round: 2–4 (Home: 2–1; Road: 0–3)
2007 playoff schedule

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Regular season
Toronto Raptors statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Andrea Bargnani 65125.1.427.373.8243.9.8.5.811.6
Chris Bosh 696938.5.496.343.78510.72.5.61.322.6
José Calderón 771121.0.521.333.8181.75.0.8.18.7
Juan Dixon 26526.3.425.325.9322.81.61.0.111.1
T. J. Ford 757129.9.436.304.8193.17.91.3.114.0
Jorge Garbajosa 676028.5.420.342.7314.91.91.2.28.5
Joey Graham 792116.7.495.290.8403.1.6.4.16.4
Kris Humphries 60211.2.470..6713.1.3.2.43.8
Luke Jackson 10212.2.514.308.556.9.9.5.14.5
Fred Jones 39922.3.386.317.8302.11.4.8.37.6
Darrick Martin 3107.1.351.351.714.41.4.1.03.0
Rasho Nesterovic 807321.0.546.000.6804.5.9.51.16.2
Anthony Parker 737333.4.477.441.8353.92.11.0.212.4
Morris Peterson 711221.3.429.359.6833.3.7.6.28.9
Uros Slokar 2003.6.538.500.692.7.1.1.11.9
Pape Sow 704.9.333..6671.6.3.1.11.4
P. J. Tucker 1704.9.500..5711.4.2.1.01.8

Playoffs
Toronto Raptors statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Andrea Bargnani 6330.2.478.412.7894.01.0.8.511.0
Chris Bosh 6637.0.396.200.8429.02.5.81.817.5
José Calderón 6124.3.507.250.8331.75.3.8.013.0
Juan Dixon 6010.5.381.250..7.51.2.03.0
T. J. Ford 6522.7.487.500.8101.74.01.2.316.0
Joey Graham 6318.1.286.000.8003.3.3.7.02.7
Kris Humphries 6011.5.333..3752.8.2.2.31.5
Luke Jackson 303.7..1.0001.7.3.3.02.0
Darrick Martin 204.0.000.0001.000.51.0.0.01.0
Rasho Nesterovic 5414.2.467.1.0004.6.6.0.43.4
Anthony Parker 6640.0.419.400.7955.31.01.5.315.2
Morris Peterson 6230.5.517.500.8334.5.3.3.36.8

References
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