The Toronto Raptors are not about to win big (again) anytime soon. Even starting center Jakob Poeltl has admitted as much. Regardless, what the Raptors excel at is in listening to their fans. Their fans have been clamoring for a return of one of the franchise's most iconic jerseys, and the Raptors organization basically said, ask and you shall receive.
On Tuesday morning, the Raptors official account on X posted a hype video about the impending re-release of the team's iconic purple/black jersey. As one would recall, that is the design of the jersey that franchise legend Vince Carter wore during his memorable display of athleticism during the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
The Raptors first wore this jersey design back at the start of the 1999-2000 season. That was the first of three consecutive seasons in which Toronto made the playoffs with Vince Carter leading the way. The 2001 Raptors nearly made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but they ended up losing a Game 7 heartbreaker to the Philadelphia 76ers. They wore the purple/black jersey during that gut-wrenching defeat, and they would have to wait 18 years to avenge their defeat to the 76ers. (Thank you, Kawhi Leonard.)
The Raptors wore a lighter shade of purple from 1999 to 2003; at the start of the 2003-04 season, the purple the team used became darker. The darker version of the jersey remained in the team's jersey rotation until the 2005-06 campaign. From 2006 to 2019, the Raptors used red as their primary road color. It wasn't until 2021 when the Raptors brought back the purple with their earned jersey.
Purple has simply been phased out of the Raptors' color scheme, but it seems like the team is bringing it back slowly. And there may not have been a better season for them to do so, especially with Carter's jersey set to be retired on November 2 in a game against the Sacramento Kings.
Raptors brace for year of development
It was stunning, to say the least, to hear Jakob Poeltl be upfront with how he envisions the Raptors' 2024-25 season would go. Given how stacked the Eastern Conference is, especially at the top, it will be difficult for the Raptors to contend for a playoff spot. Regardless, they have a few pieces who look like they have a long-term future with the franchise.
Scottie Barnes is the team's franchise cornerstone; he is a two-way monster with an improving offensive game. His shooting improved by leaps and bounds last season, and at only 23 years of age, there could very well be an impending superstar leap coming from him.
The OG Anunoby trade netted the Raptors Immanuel Quickley, a point guard who broke out in a starting role following his move from the New York Knicks. In 38 games as a starter for Toronto last season, Quickley averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on 42/40/84 shooting splits — solid numbers.
RJ Barrett also became very efficient from the field during his short stint with the Raptors thus far. He still averaged over 20 points (21.8), but he did so on 55.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.2 percent from deep. That may be the product of a small sample size, but given his youth, there is plenty of room for him to improve.
The developments of Gradey Dick, Ja'Kobe Walter, Ochai Agbaji, and Davion Mitchell are also interesting things to monitor for the Raptors.
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