All those players and all those years, some good and some bad, with 16-66 records, 49-33 records and everything in between.
Now, finally, 50.
Reaching a plateau that for years seemed unimaginable, this group of Toronto Raptors got to the 50-win level Wednesday night, setting a franchise for victories in a season by beating the Atlanta Hawks 105-97 at the Air Canada Centre.
Fifty wins in a season doesn’t get you anything except a level of self-satisfaction and the growing respect of rivals throughout the league. And given Toronto had never been at this level — the only one of 30 NBA teams never to have posted a 50-win season — there is an internal appreciation for the accomplishment that runs deep.