The Raptors are going west for six games, and face stiff competition. Let’s consider each opponent, and decide what constitutes success for Toronto on this trip.
Whenever the Toronto Raptors schedule is released, I always pore over it. One of the first things I look for is an early and lengthy road trip, which can be a great bonding exercise. For a team loaded with veterans, being away from home is largely a pain. However, the Raptors’ roster is chock full of kids being asked to play important roles, so our guys need the time together.
Cliche Alert – Be careful what you wish for. After the softest pair of games to open a season in memory, the Raptors are indeed on the road. And it’s likely to be a bumpy one. Toronto is in San Antonio tomorrow night, then off to northern California for a tilt with the Warriors on Wednesday night. They head south to play the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, then have the weekend off (why the schedule maker didn’t include a Clippers game is beyond me). The Raps then drop in to Portland, Denver and Utah (Salt Lake City) before finally returning to the Big Smoke on November 5.
A successful swing West can set up our squad for an excellent season, but a 1-5 misfire puts us in a deep hole. What can we reasonably expect?
Game by game prospects
The Spurs have managed a pair of wins despite being without their best player, swingman Kawhi Leonard. Veteran point guard Tony Parker is also sidelined; oddly, both have quadriceps injuries. Dejounte Murray starts at point for them; while he’s held his own, Kyle Lowry is clearly superior. Rudy Gay has been effective off the bench, and the Spurs are getting solid minutes from a revitalized LaMarcus Aldridge. Even so, Toronto won’t get many better chances than this one to defeat the Spurs at home. The all-time record favours the Spurs by 31 wins to 11, so a Raptors victory would be most welcome.
The Golden State Warriors are off to a choppy start, with one win in three tries. While that’s hardly a cause for panicking, last season they had 16 wins before their third loss. I suspect they will be hungry and difficult to defeat.
The Lakers game should be a relatively easy W. LA fans have been blinded by the light of Lonzo Ball, and seem to believe their squad is ready to roll. Sorry – ‘t ain’t so. The second week’s opponents aren’t monsters, but all are capable of beating our guys. Portland can score, but has defensive issues. Denver is an unpredictable dark horse whom I expect to be very tough to handle later in the season. Utah, while dull to watch, can grind out the wins behind its fierce defense and just-enough offense.
The Raptors have become unwelcome guests recently, having gone 23-18 last year and 24-17 in 2015-16 on the road. If Toronto returns home after garnering a split against these nasty squads, we can pronounce ourselves satisfied. By contrast, there’s a four-game Western roadie in early December in which anything less than a sweep would be a disappointment.
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