Media Day is almost here, meaning that the Toronto Raptors are just a few days away from kicking off what is expected to be a very pivotal 2022 preseason. Fresh off 48 victories in a season that surprised many, Toronto is gearing up for a more serious push towards championship glory.
With an All-Star point guard in Fred VanVleet, reigning Rookie of the Year in Scottie Barnes, and an All-NBA power forward in Pascal Siakam, Toronto has the firepower to once again be one of the most interesting and exciting teams in the league. Were you worried about losing Chris Boucher and Thad Young? Both of them were brought back.
There are so many interesting tidbits to check in on, as the Raptors are taking their star-laden group into a collection of scrums against a much-improved Eastern Conference. There will be no easy games in this conference, especially for a Toronto team with a brutal start to the season.
Those willing to get up early to watch the Media Day madness unfold at 7:00 a.m. should keep an eye out for these three names. Two of them will set the tone for the entire season, and one of them is a human interest story that simply needs to be explored more.
3 Toronto Raptors to watch on Media Day.
3. Nick Nurse
Everything the Raptors do on the floor starts and ends with the experienced sergeant at arms on the bench. Nurse has helped navigate this team back into the playoff waters after their sabbatical in the lottery, but he’ll really need to light a fire under this team to do it again.
Nurse has been willing to speak his mind in the offseason, as he addressed both OG Anunoby wanting a more significant role in the offense and Precious Achiuwa going into the season with a “different mindset.” Nurse is surprisingly quotable, which could make for some interesting moments.
Nick Nurse should give the Toronto Raptors balance.
While Nurse and Masai Ujiri tried to keep everything as similar as possible when compared to last year, he did manage to bring in a few new faces in Otto Porter Jr. and Christian Koloko. Expect Nurse to offer some clarity about how these two additions will be used.
The fact that Nurse didn’t receive any coach of the Year attention for what a damn fine job of getting that squad to perform well last season blows my mind. Nurse can easily set the stage for another COTY campaign in 2022.