Toronto Raptors face exciting December with a Christmas game and Kawhi Leonard’s return

After an impressive start to the season, the Toronto Raptors will look to continue their early season success in the month of December.

The Toronto Raptors have shown little or no signs of a championship hangover to start the season. They have come out the gates strong and are currently sitting as the two-seed in the Eastern Conference.

In November, they proved to the league that they still are the defending champs. Toronto was expected to have an impressive defense. However, their top-tier offense has surprised many fans and analysts alike. The Raptors are one of three teams to rank in the top-seven in both offense and defense, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks serving as the other two.

However, an NBA season is a long one and we’re only one month complete. It’s important for the Raptors to continue their hot start this season in order to keep up with a surprisingly competitive Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers are all nipping at Toronto’s heels, looking to surpass them in the standings.

December is also a month where the Raptors could be getting back some of their players from injury. The team could be back to full strength and give them the opportunity to regain the chemistry they displayed at the beginning part of the year.

An eagle’s eye view shows December as incredibly front loaded. They start with some tough opponents, but as the month goes on, their schedule will get considerably easier. The phrase “Home for the Holidays” seems very fitting for the Toronto Raptors as well. 11 of the Raptors 16 games will be played North of the Border.

So what do we have to look forward to this month? Well, there’s quite a lot.