3 nightmare scenarios that would ruin the Raptors’ season
By Mike Luciano
2. Injuries strike
Injuries remain the worst part of the game, and the Raptors are no strangers to having the injury bug sneak up on them a few times. Health was one of the biggest obstacles that Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet, and the rest of the Raptors had to overcome last season, and it could be a problem again.
Barnes, who himself is dealing with an ankle injury he suffered before training camp, was one of just three players (Achiuwa, Boucher) who played in more than 70 games last year. Don’t forget about OG Anunoby, either!
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, and that unfortunate fact means that Toronto will go into this season with tons of durability questions.
Will the Toronto Raptors stay healthy?
The team might not have a full rotation at the beginning of the season. Porter, who has had durability issues for half a decade, may not play, and Boucher is sitting out the preseason finale. We like Dalano Banton, but No. 45 getting opening night minutes probably was not in the plan.
Considering how no one will ever have a perfect solution that stops injuries, the Raptors’ chances for success in this area will be determined by the occasional vengeful finger of the basketball gods. Let’s hope that Toronto got all their bad mojo out of the way last season.