Raptors handed absolutely brutal start to 2022-23 season

The Toronto Raptors found out how difficult it is going to be to sustain success with a young team this season, as the 2022-23 schedule officially dropped on Wednesday afternoon. The league is throwing this Toronto team right into the deep end of the pool with some marquee matchups.

While the Raptors got lucky in that they don’t have tons of nationally televised games or back-to-backs, that doesn’t make the gauntlet that this team will have to run through any less excruciating for Scottie Barnes and company. The Raptors may be the underdog in a good chunk of these games.

The Raptors will open the season at home against the Cavaliers before going on the road to face the rival Nets. A combined six games against the 76ers, Heat, and Bulls may end up doing a number on the Raptors right out of the gate. Luka Doncic’s Mavericks are also coming up on the docket.

Of their first 11 games on the schedule, 10 of them are against teams who made it to the postseason last year. A November 2 matchup against the rebuilding San Antonio Spurs is the only reprieve that this squad will have during their opening gauntlet.

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The Toronto Raptors have a very difficult schedule.

The Raptors should be fairly well equipped to handle this stretch. Pascal Siakam is fresh off All-NBA, Fred VanVleet established himself as an elite shooter, and Scottie Barnes is going to take a giant leap forward in his second season. Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby are ready to do some damage.

Even with all of the improvements the team has made over the offseason, it would take some severe overachievement for them to move into the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference and displace one of the incumbents. A slow start could be a tough obstacle for this team to overcome.

At the very least, the schedule will ease up after this stretch. Playing the Rockets, Thunder, Pistons, and Pacers could allow them to pick up some wins that may differentiate themselves in a very crowded Eastern Conference. It’s better than playing contenders every other day!

Toronto is coming into this season with some doubters to overcome, as there is a huge chunk of NBA social media who believes that the Raptors got a bit lucky and caught fire last season. Coming out of this early stretch of the season with a few impressive wins could help silence the haters.