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1997–98 Toronto Raptors season

NBA professional basketball team season

Field	Value
team	Toronto Raptors
end_year	1998
wins	16
losses	66
division	Central
division_place	8
conf_place	15
owner	Allan Slaight
playoffs	Did not qualify
bbr_team	TOR
radio	CFRB

Darrell Walker (resigned)
Butch Carter (interim)
Isiah Thomas (through November 20, 1997)
Glen Grunwald (after November 20, 1997)
SkyDome
Maple Leaf Gardens
TSN
The Score
CKVR

The 1997–98 Toronto Raptors season was the third season for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association. The Raptors received the ninth overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected small forward, and high school basketball star Tracy McGrady, and acquired second-year forward John Wallace from the New York Knicks in a three-team trade during the off-season. In November, Isiah Thomas resigned as General Manager, and later took up a job as color analyst for the NBA on NBC.

After a 1–2 start to the regular season, the Raptors struggled posting a 17-game losing streak, leading to a dreadful 1–19 start to the season. The team later on improved in January with a 6–8 record, including a four-game winning streak, and held an 11–36 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Damon Stoudamire along with Walt Williams, and Carlos Rogers to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Kenny Anderson, Gary Trent and rookie point guard Alvin Williams, as head coach Darrell Walker resigned after 49 games; however, Anderson refused to play for the Raptors, and was then dealt along with Popeye Jones, and Žan Tabak to the Boston Celtics in exchange for rookie point guard, and top draft pick Chauncey Billups and Dee Brown. The team also released Shawn Respert to free agency, where he later on signed as a free agent with the Dallas Mavericks.

Under interim Butch Carter, the Raptors continued to struggle posting a 5–28 record for the remainder of the season, which included a 13-game losing streak between March and April, and losing 16 of their final 17 games. The Raptors finished in last place in the Central Division with a franchise worst record of 16–66; this was also the first, and only season in which the Raptors finished with a worse record than their Canadian rival, the Vancouver Grizzlies, who finished with a 19–63 record.

Doug Christie averaged 16.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game, and led the Raptors with 100 three-point field goals, while Wallace averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and second-year star Marcus Camby provided the team with 12.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and led the league with 3.7 blocks per game. In addition, Trent provided with 12.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in 13 games after the trade, while Brown contributed 12.2 points, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 31 games, and Billups averaged 11.3 points and 3.3 assists per game in 31 games, but only shot .349 in field-goal percentage. Meanwhile, Reggie Slater contributed 8.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, while McGrady provided with 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game off the bench, and Oliver Miller averaged 6.3 points and rebounds per game each.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, McGrady was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team; before the mid-season trade, Billups also participated in the Rookie Game as a member of the Eastern Conference, while playing for the Celtics. Wallace finished tied in eighth place in Most Improved Player voting.

The Raptors finished 16th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 674,685 at the SkyDome during the regular season; this was also their final full season playing at the SkyDome. Following the season, Camby was traded to the New York Knicks, while Billups was traded to the Denver Nuggets, Trent signed as a free agent with the Dallas Mavericks, Miller was released to free agency, and Sharone Wright, who only played just seven games this season due to an off-season car accident, retired after four seasons in the NBA.

Draft picks

Main article: 1997 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	9	Tracy McGrady	SG/SF	United States

Roster

Butch Carter
Bob Kloppenburg
John Shumate
Brendan Suhr
Jim Thomas
Bob Zuffelato

Regular season

In February 1998, Damon Stoudamire was traded by the Raptors along with Walt Williams and Carlos Rogers to the Portland Trail Blazers, for Kenny Anderson, Alvin Williams, Gary Trent, two first-round draft choices, a second-round draft choice and an amount of money. Anderson refused to report to the team, because he did not want to play in Canada. He was then sent along with Popeye Jones and Žan Tabak to the Boston Celtics for Chauncey Billups, Dee Brown, John Thomas and Roy Rogers.

Highs

In his second year Marcus Camby lead the league in blocks with 3.7 per game

Lows

A seventeen-game losing streak at the start of the season. Their season was over before it even started.

Season standings

Game log

Player statistics

Ragular season

Player	POS	GP	GS	MP	REB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS	MPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
	SF	82	36	2,361	373	110	62	101	1,147	28.8	4.5	1.3	.8	1.2	14.0
	SG	78	78	2,939	404	282	190	57	1,287	37.7	5.2	3.6	2.4	.7	16.5
	PF	78	28	1,662	305	74	45	30	625	21.3	3.9	.9	.6	.4	8.0
	C	64	53	1,628	400	196	58	72	401	25.4	6.3	3.1	.9	1.1	6.3
	SF	64	17	1,179	269	98	49	61	451	18.4	4.2	1.5	.8	1.0	7.0
	C	63	58	2,002	466	111	68	230	765	31.8	7.4	1.8	1.1	3.7	12.1
†	PG	49	49	2,033	217	399	80	5	952	41.5	4.4	8.1	1.6	.1	19.4
†	SG	47	4	696	73	44	29	1	257	14.8	1.6	.9	.6	.0	5.5
†	C	39	29	752	154	36	15	27	248	19.3	3.9	.9	.4	.7	6.4
	PG	38	0	293	24	45	21	4	53	7.7	.6	1.2	.6	.1	1.4
†	SG	31	2	908	90	101	38	17	378	29.3	2.9	3.3	1.2	.5	12.2
†	PG	29	26	920	77	97	30	2	328	31.7	2.7	3.3	1.0	.1	11.3
†	SF	28	16	876	118	69	40	23	348	31.3	4.2	2.5	1.4	.8	12.4
†	PF	21	0	167	36	4	3	3	43	8.0	1.7	.2	.1	.1	2.0
†	PF	18	0	351	65	16	9	8	108	19.5	3.6	.9	.5	.4	6.0
	PF	14	4	352	102	18	10	3	120	25.1	7.3	1.3	.7	.2	8.6
†	PF	13	7	355	104	14	8	8	159	27.3	8.0	1.1	.6	.6	12.2
†	SG	13	3	207	21	20	8	1	41	15.9	1.6	1.5	.6	.1	3.2
	C	7	0	44	9	4	0	0	16	6.3	1.3	.6	.0	.0	2.3
	SG	6	0	82	7	4	3	2	34	13.7	1.2	.7	.5	.3	5.7
†	PF	6	0	69	12	1	1	4	13	11.5	2.0	.2	.2	.7	2.2
†	PF	5	0	32	5	2	1	2	4	6.4	1.0	.4	.2	.4	.8
	C	4	0	17	4	1	1	2	3	4.3	1.0	.3	.3	.5	.8
	SF	1	0	5	1	0	0	0	0	5.0	1.0	.0	.0	.0	.0

† Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Raptors only.

References

[https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/TOR/1998.html 1997–98 Toronto Raptors]
Wise, Mike. (June 26, 1997). "After Duncan, Utah Forward Steals Show". The New York Times.
Heisler, Mark. (June 26, 1997). "Draft Over, But Not Finished". Los Angeles Times.
"1997 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.
Shapiro, Mark. (September 8, 1997). "Dudley's Trade to Knicks Approved". Chicago Tribune.
Sheridan, Chris. (October 9, 1997). "Appeals Panel Clears Dudley Trade". Associated Press.
Roberts, Selena. (October 10, 1997). "PRO BASKETBALL; Knicks Finally Get Wish: Dudley". The New York Times.
(November 21, 1997). "N.B.A.; Thomas Resigns as G.M.". The New York Times.
(November 21, 1997). "Thomas Cuts Raptor Ties". Los Angeles Times.
Sandomir, Richard. (November 21, 1997). "BASKETBALL; Thomas Is Teamed with Costas on NBC". The New York Times.
"NBA Games Played on February 5, 1998". Basketball-Reference.
Popper, Steve. (February 14, 1998). "PRO BASKETBALL; The Trade Comes, to Stoudamire's Relief". The New York Times.
(February 14, 1998). "Stoudamire Finally Traded to Portland". Los Angeles Times.
(February 14, 1998). "Raptors Deal Stoudamire for Blazers' Anderson". The Washington Post.
Wise, Mike. (February 19, 1998). "BASKETBALL; Kenny Anderson Is Traded to Celtics in 7-Player Deal". The New York Times.
(February 19, 1998). "Celtics Land Anderson in Deal with Raptors". Los Angeles Times.
(February 19, 1998). "In Seven-Player Swap, Raptors Trade Anderson to the Celtics". The Washington Post.
"1997-98 Misc News". Eskimo.com.
"1997–98 Toronto Raptors Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
"1997–98 Toronto Raptors Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
Popper, Steve. (February 8, 1998). "N.B.A. ALL-STAR WEEKEND: Kids Slam and Ham, But a Grown-Up Shoots for Dough; Houston Pair Win in 2Ball". The New York Times.
"1998 NBA Rising Stars: East 85, West 80". Basketball-Reference.
"1997–98 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
"1997–98 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
Roberts, Selena. (June 25, 1998). "PRO BASKETBALL; Knicks Part with Oakley to Get Toronto's Camby". The New York Times.
(June 26, 1998). "Knicks Exchange Oakley for Camby". Los Angeles Times.
(June 26, 1998). "Knicks Deal Oakley to Raptors for Camby". The Washington Post.
Gardner, Kris. (January 21, 1999). "Knicks Acquiring Sprewell Highlights Six-Deal Day". The Houston Roundball Review.
(January 22, 1999). "Bucks: Signed F Robert Traylor to Three-Year...". The Baltimore Sun.
Wise, Mike. (February 4, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title". The New York Times.
(January 23, 1999). "Mavericks Sign Trent to 1-Year Deal". United Press International.
(January 24, 1999). "PLUS: PRO BASKETBALL -- DALLAS; Mavericks Sign Forward Trent". The New York Times.
Evans, Richard. (January 24, 1999). "NBA Free Agent Frenzy". Deseret News.
(July 26, 1997). "Raptors' Sharone Wright Injured in Car Wreck". Associated Press.
(July 27, 1997). "Raptors' Center Injured in Car Crash". Tampa Bay Times.
(July 30, 1997). "Wright to Miss 3 Months". The New York Times.

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