The last time that the Toronto Raptors played was game seven in the second round of the 2020 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics on Sept. 11. The Raptors lost the game 92-87 and were eliminated from the playoffs thus ending their 2019-20 season.
The Toronto Raptors are set to play their first game of the 2020-21 NBA season on Dec. 23 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
This NBA season is quite different than any other season in the league’s 75-year history. Usually, there would be fans attending the games in Toronto or the 29 teams in the league. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, that will not be the case as there would be limited to no fans in games during the first half of the NBA’s 75th season.
What’s different for the Raptors than the other teams in the league is that due to the Canada–United States border closure. The Raptors are not allowed to play their home games in Toronto at the Scotiabank Arena. Instead, they would have to currently play their home games at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Despite losing Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in free agency, Toronto still has their core members of Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Norman Powell, and Pascal Siakam. This team can finish the season anywhere between the third seed to the sixth seed in the eastern conference despite the American media not putting enough attention on the Raptors.
But first, they have to play this season and win games before they prove to everyone that they are still good.
With that being said, here are five games to look forward to during the first half of the season. This list is not necessarily about the five best games to watch. It is about the importance of the game and how entertaining, storyline-wise, the game could be whether they win or lose.
5. The Milwaukee Bucks
This has more to do with 2021 offseason implications than the regular season. Bucks franchise player Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to be a free agent this offseason unless he signs the supermax extension to stay with the Bucks before the Dec.21 deadline.
It is no secret that the Raptors are interested in Antetokounmpo. They are saving up cap space for a chance to sign him in 2021. Both teams are set to face each other three times during the first half of the season. The game that should be important for the Raptors and their fans is the Feb. 18 game in Milwaukee.
This game is the last meeting of the two teams unless they play each other during the second half of the season which is unlikely.
This is a recruiting process for the Raptors to lure Antetokounmpo away from the Bucks. If Toronto plays well, Antetokounmpo might be so impressed that would like to join the team.
4. The New Orleans Pelicans
The Raptors have two games against the New Orleans Pelicans this. Only one of the games will be on this list and that game is the opening night game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 23.
The Raptors have always been great opening night for the past seven years. They have not lost an opening night game since Oct. 31, 2012, against the Indiana Pacers 88-90.
Since that game, The Raptors have won seven straight season openers. So, this time they should be looking to extend the streak to eight. But that is not the main reason why this game is important. Opening games should be the game that sets the tone for the team’s season.
It does not determine if your team is going to the playoffs because they still have to play the other 81 games, 71 games for this season, to determine if you’re in the playoffs.
This was also a rematch from last year’s opener where the Raptors beat the Pelicans 130-122 overtime game. The Pelicans should be looking to avenge the game from last year which will make the game entertaining.
This will be the first time that Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson will be facing the Raptors. It was supposed to happen last year, but Williamson did not play due to an injury.
If it’s closed to what we saw from last year’s opener, then we got ourselves a game.
3. The Miami Heat
The Miami Heat had a great season last year. Even though they did not win the NBA championship, the Heat did make It to the NBA finals for the first time since 2014. Miami is looking to take the next step and improve from what they did last season.
But there are four or five teams that want to a case that they are better than Miami and that they can go to the finals. One of those teams who has a case to make is the Raptors.
The Raptors and The Heat had a couple of battles during the regular season last year. They play each other three times. Miami got the first game by beating Toronto in a 110-121 overtime victory on Dec. 3, 2019. On Jan.2, The Heat once again beat the Raptors 76-84.
Eight months later during the restart, the Raptors finally beat the Heat 107-103. Both teams would have been facing each other during Eastern Conference Finals if it were not for the Boston Celtics.
Their first meeting of the season will take place on Jan. 20, 2021. They will face each other two more times during the first half of the season.
Since no one in the American media isn’t talking about the Raptors that much, they once again have to prove that they’re good enough to be a top team in the east. And facing the Heat should show that Toronto is still good.
2. The Brooklyn Nets
This is the first time that the Raptors are facing the two-headed monsters of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
The last time Irving played against the Raptors was on Feb. 26, 2019, when he was still a member of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics lost the game 118-95 where Irving finished the game with seven points, five assists, and four rebounds.
The Raptors had played against Irving’s current team the Brooklyn Nets eight times last season. They played four times in the regular season and four times in the playoffs with Toronto winning all but one game this season.
Irving did not play in any of those games due to an injury. His teammate Kevin Durant also did not play in any of those games due to a torn Achilles injury.
For Durant, this is somewhat of a revenge game because it was game five of the NBA Finals where he tore his Achilles. So, he should look forward to playing the Raptors in their first meeting of the season.
Their first matchup is set to take place on Feb. 6, 2021. This is their only game of this season right now because the NBA only released the first half of the NBA schedule.
they should be playing each other at least two more times during the second half.
Also, this game is a great opportunity for the Raptors to face a Brooklyn Nets team that could be going to the finals in 2021.
1. The Boston Celtics
The Toronto Raptors had a chance to go back to the NBA finals for the second straight year. However, the Boston Celtics had other plans.
Boston eliminated Toronto from the playoffs last year. If the Raptors won game seven against the Celtics, I believe that they would have beat the Heat in six or seven games and advance to the finals.
When the Raptors were in the bubble at the NBA restart, the only team that beat Toronto was Boston. The Celtics beat the Raptors five out of eight games in the bubble, eight out of 12 games this season, and playoffs combine.
The Raptors beat all their opponents, including the Eastern Conference Champions the Miami Heat, and the NBA Champions the Los Angeles Lakers.
I’m not saying that Toronto will beat LA because I don’t think that will happened. I’m saying that there is a chance for Toronto to be in the Finals in back-to-back years if it weren’t for Boston for ruining that.
The first meeting with both teams is taking place on Jan. 4, 2021. The Raptors should be looking to avenge their game seven loss on that Jan.4 game.