- The Toronto Raptors have had some great players suit up for them over the years
- Undrafted Raptors rookie Markquis Nowell believes he will one day be greater than all of them
- Nowell is currently assigned to Raptors 905, their G-League affiliate team
It takes a lot of confidence and self-belief to make it to the NBA, especially if you’re of shorter stature. Toronto Raptors rookie Markquis Nowell stands at just 5’8″, but he’s bursting with confidence. The 23-year-old went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft but has boldly claimed he will be the best player in franchise history.
Markquis Nowell: “I will make history as the best Raptor to ever put on a uniform.”
Markquis Nowell:
“I will make history as the best Raptor to ever put on a uniform.” pic.twitter.com/mEOvWdtmr3
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 15, 2023
One of the big reasons why he has made it this far despite being so short would be his unwavering belief in his abilities. After playing five seasons of college basketball at Little Rock and Kansas State, Nowell performed fairly well in the Summer League for the Raptors. The guard averaged 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in his four outings.
It is unlikely he will get to play for the Raptors this upcoming season, and the team has assigned him to their G-League affiliate, Raptors 905. Nowell will get a chance there to keep working on his game, and if he impresses, he might get a shot next season.
Just because someone goes undrafted doesn’t mean they can’t make it big, and Nowell has a great example to follow in Fred VanVleet, who went undrafted in 2016. He shone for the Raptors and this offseason, VanVleet got a $130 million contract from the Rockets, the biggest in NBA history for an undrafted player.
Who Is The Best Player In Raptors History?
The Raptors aren’t the most storied franchise in NBA history by any means, but they’ve had some great players suit up for them. Vince Carter made five All-Star teams during his time there and averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game as a Raptor.
DeMar DeRozan was a four-time All-Star with the Raptors and averaged 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in his nine seasons there. DeRozan got traded for Kawhi Leonard in 2018, and he averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in his only season there.
Kawhi was also the main reason they won the title in 2019 and is probably the best NBA player to have played there, but it was just for one season. You need to be with the team a bit longer to go down as their best player, which is why the title belongs to Kyle Lowry.
Lowry was a six-time All-Star in his nine seasons with the Raptors. He averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game while winning that title alongside Leonard in 2019.
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