2000–01 Toronto Raptors season

The 2000–01 Toronto Raptors season was the sixth season for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association.^[1] Key departures before the season included former head coach Butch Carter, Tracy McGrady, Doug Christie, and Dee Brown. The Raptors had the 21st overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected small forward Morris Peterson out of Michigan State University.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired Corliss Williamson from the Sacramento Kings,^[5][6][7] and signed free agent Mark Jackson.^[8][9][10] Basketball Hall of Fame member Lenny Wilkens became the fourth head coach in the team's franchise history.^[11][12][13]

Under Wilkens and with the addition of Peterson, the Raptors lost their first three games of the regular season, but played above .500 in winning percentage as the season progressed, holding a 26–23 record at the All-Star break.^[14] At mid-season, Williamson was traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Jerome Williams and Eric Montross,^[15][16][17] while Jackson was traded along with Muggsy Bogues back to his former team, the New York Knicks in exchange for Chris Childs,^[18][19][20] and Kevin Willis was dealt to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Keon Clark and Tracy Murray in two other separate mid-season trades.^[21][22][23] The Raptors won 11 of their final 14 games of the season, finishing in second place in the Central Division with a 47–35 record, earning the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualifying for their second NBA playoff appearance.^[24]

Vince Carter averaged 27.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game, led the Raptors with 162 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Antonio Davis averaged 13.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. In addition, Alvin Williams provided the team with 9.8 points, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while Charles Oakley averaged 9.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, and Peterson contributed 9.3 points per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Meanwhile, Clark averaged 9.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in 46 games after the trade, three-point specialist Dell Curry contributed 6.0 points per game, Jerome Williams averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 26 games, and Childs provided with 4.5 points and 4.6 assists per game in 26 games.^[25]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Carter and Davis were both selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was Davis's first and only All-Star appearance.^[26][27][28] Meanwhile, Peterson was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team.^[29][30] Carter also finished tied in eleventh place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[31][32] while Williams finished tied in ninth place in Most Improved Player voting,^[32] and Peterson finished tied in fourth place in Rookie of the Year voting.^[33][32]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2001 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Raptors faced off against the 4th–seeded Knicks, a team that featured All-Star guard Allan Houston, All-Star forward Latrell Sprewell, and former Raptors center Marcus Camby. With the series tied at 1–1, the Raptors lost Game 3 to the Knicks at home, 97–89 at the Air Canada Centre, as the Knicks took a 2–1 series lead.^[34][35][36] However, the Raptors managed to win the next two games, which included a Game 5 win over the Knicks on the road, 93–89 at Madison Square Garden to win in a hard-fought five-game series; it was the first time that the Raptors won an NBA playoff series in franchise history.^[37][38][39]

In their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the top–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Allen Iverson, All-Star center and Defensive Player of the Year, Dikembe Mutombo, and Sixth Man of the Year, Aaron McKie. With the series tied at 1–1, the Raptors won Game 3 over the 76ers at the Air Canada Centre, 102–78 to take a 2–1 series lead; in Game 3, Carter scored 50 points and made 9 out of 13 three-point field-goal attempts.^[40][41][42] The Raptors lost the next two games, including a Game 5 loss to the 76ers on the road, 121–88 at the First Union Center,^[43] but managed to win Game 6 at the Air Canada Centre, 101–89 to even the series.^[44][45][46] However, the Raptors lost Game 7 to the 76ers at the First Union Center, 88–87, thus losing in a hard-fought seven-game series.^[47][48][49] The 76ers would advance to the 2001 NBA Finals, but would lose in five games to the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.^[50][51][52]

The Raptors finished sixth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 793,256 at the Air Canada Centre during the regular season.^[25][53] Following the season, Oakley was traded back to his former team, the Chicago Bulls.^[54][55][56] The Raptors would not win another NBA playoff series until the 2015–16 season.^[1]