2001–02 Toronto Raptors season
| 2001–02 Toronto Raptors season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Lenny Wilkens |
| General manager | Glen Grunwald |
| Owners | Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment |
| Arena | Air Canada Centre |
| Results | |
| Record | 42–40 (.512) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Central) Conference: 7th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Pistons 2–3) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | |
| Radio | CJCL |
The 2001–02 NBA season was the seventh season for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Raptors acquired All-Star center, and 2-time NBA Champion Hakeem Olajuwon from the Houston Rockets. Throughout the regular season, All-Star guard and team captain Vince Carter struggled with a left knee injury, and managed to play just 60 games; despite the injury, Carter averaged 24.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and was still voted to play in the 2002 NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his third consecutive All-Star selection, but did not play due to his knee injury.
The Raptors played solid basketball with a 29–21 record at the All-Star break. However, the team then suffered a 13-game losing streak, losing 17 of their next 18 games, but would soon recover by posting a nine-game winning streak between March and April, winning 12 of their final 14 games of the regular season.
Despite losing Carter for the remainder of the season, the Raptors finished in third place in the Central Division with a 42–40 record, and earned the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference, behind the efforts of their other team captain Antonio Davis, who averaged 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. In addition, second-year forward Morris Peterson showed improvement averaging 14.0 points per game, while Alvin Williams provided the team with 11.8 points, 5.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game, Keon Clark contributed 11.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and Olajuwon provided with 7.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
However, without Carter in the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2002 NBA playoffs, the Raptors lost to the Detroit Pistons in five hard-fought games, losing Game 5 at The Palace of Auburn Hills by just three points, 85–82.
Following the season, Olajuwon retired after eighteen seasons in the NBA. Meanwhile, Chris Childs re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the New Jersey Nets, while Clark signed with the Sacramento Kings, Tracy Murray was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and three-point specialist Dell Curry also retired.