Ultimate 5: The best Raptors lineup since '95

While hoops remain on hiatus, theScore's NBA editors will be compiling the ultimate starting lineups for each team in the Association. The catch: Only players who have been in the league since the 1995-96 season can be included.

The first 18 years of the Toronto Raptors' existence could be charitably referred to as "difficult." From its inaugural season in 1995-96 to 2012-13, the franchise compiled a winning percentage of .385 while reaching the playoffs just five times.

Since 2013 - when Masai Ujiri came aboard as the team's top basketball executive, not coincidentally - Toronto's winning percentage is .662. The Raptors have also made the postseason every year since then, and in 2019 they became the first club based outside the United States to win an NBA championship.

There's a stark contrast between those eras. Regardless, some pretty damn good players have put on a Raptors uniform. The early-era stars departing may have added to the former "woe-is-me" attitude of Raps fans, but combining them with glory-year studs forms a pretty convincing starting unit.

Guard

Kyle Lowry

The Raptors' catalyst for the better part of a decade, Kyle Lowry may go down as the greatest player in franchise history. Beyond being Toronto's all-time leader in assists, steals, and 3-pointers, Lowry's "KLOE" mantra and propensity to do the dirty work has endeared him to a fan base that perpetually views its team as an underdog.

Getting Lowry almost didn't happen, too. Had the Raptors signed aging Canadian legend Steve Nash in summer 2012 - their first choice at the time - it's unlikely then-GM Bryan Colangelo would've traded for Lowry.

Guard

DeMar DeRozan

While DeRozan had to be traded to secure the player who delivered the team's only championship, there's no denying what he did for the Raptors over nine years.

DeRozan remains the franchise's all-time leader in six major statistical categories, including games played and points. And at a time when many questioned if All-Star-caliber players really wanted to play north of the border, he did it with gusto.

Forward

Vince Carter

Time has healed some wounds, allowing Vince Carter to come back into many Raptors fans' good graces. Regardless, he qualifies for this team based on his performance from 1999 to 2004. Carter still holds team records for most points in a season (2,107), and the highest points per game in one campaign (27.6).

Then, there's the off-court importance. Some have argued Toronto may not still be home to an NBA team if there hadn't been a Vince Carter, and the impact of his tenure with the Raptors is still being seen in just about every young Canadian who comes into the league.

Forward

Kawhi Leonard

It takes a special player to only play one season for a team and still make its all-time starting five, and Kawhi Leonard's 84 regular-season and playoff games for the Raptors will forever be ensconced in franchise lore.

DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round draft pick that became Keldon Johnson were traded to get Leonard for one season, but there isn't a Toronto fan alive who wouldn't have done the deal given how things turned out. Players on 18 NBA teams wear a gold patch on the back collar of their jerseys because those clubs have won a championship, and 2019 Finals MVP Leonard is the central reason the Raptors are in that group.

Forward-Center

Chris Bosh

Bosh may not have been a full-time center when he played with the Raptors from 2003 to 2010, but he could more than handle the five-spot. There's also no way he can't be in this starting five. Similar to Carter, his Raptors tenure may have ended on sour terms, but Bosh's impact was undeniable.

Before joining forces with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami, Bosh was the centerpiece of two playoff teams in Toronto. He remains the franchise's career leader in total rebounds (4,776) and blocks (600).

Just missed

Jonas Valanciunas

Jonas Valanciunas could be a polarizing player over his nearly seven years in Toronto, but only DeRozan and Lowry started more games for the team during that time. In 470 contests with the Raptors, the center averaged 11.8 points and 8.4 rebounds.

Pascal Siakam

Siakam is well on his way, but he just hasn't been dominant long enough. Being in this position at all is impressive for him, as he didn't start playing organized basketball until he was 17 (just nine years ago). He's already ascended from high-motor prospect to NBA All-Star.

Honorable mentions: Jose Calderon, Morris Peterson