The 2023–24 NBA regular season will start for the Toronto Raptors on October 25 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Toronto will be looking to have a productive season despite losing Fred VanVleet to the Houston Rockets and letting go of Nick Nurse.
Last season, Toronto had an up-and-down year, finishing tenth in the Eastern Conference and getting eliminated from the play-in tournament by the Chicago Bulls in a particularly embarrassing way.
These three games not only show that Toronto is a better team, but they can also win despite losing VanVleet and Nurse in the offseason. With so much riding on Toronto’s success this season, this trio of contests will determine precisely how high the ceiling is for this team.
3 must-watch Toronto Raptors games in the 2023 season
Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks
Pascal Siakam was mentioned in trade rumors this summer, and the Atlanta Hawks were the team that wanted him the most. No trade between the two teams has happened yet, and Siakam appears to be off the market for the time being.
The first meeting between the Raptors and the Hawks will take place on December 13 in Toronto. If there is a trade that sends Siakam to Atlanta, then this becomes Siakam’s first game back in Toronto as a member of the Hawks.
If Siakam doesn’t get traded, this becomes a game where Siakam will try to show out and prove why the Raptors made the right choice by not trading him. He can also demonstrate why the Hawks should’ve tried to get the trade done.
Will the Toronto Raptors beat the Atlanta Hawks?
This game will also give a chance for Hawks players like A.J. Griffin and DeAndre Hunter, rumored to be the players in return for Siakam, to flex their muscles in front of a team that didn’t think they warranted a trade acquisition.
Another reason for Raptors fans to watch this at the Scotiabank Arena is to watch Trae Young in Toronto this season. Young has his faults, but his high-octane style against Toronto’s defense could make for quite a fun match.
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls
October 27 will be the first time that the Toronto Raptors are facing the Chicago Bulls since the Play-In tournament. That was the game in which the Raptors were eliminated in the postseason by the Bulls in a fashion that remains incredibly embarrassing.
One of the reasons they lost that game was due to poor free throw shots. Ironically, DeMar DeRozan’s daughter Diar was screeching every time the Raptors were at the free-throw line.
Toronto could use the loss as motivation to win the first matchup against the Bulls, where both teams will lock horns in Chicago. They will play each other two more times this season, which could make for exciting basketball due to how similarly matched both of these teams are.
Will the Toronto Raptors beat the Chicago Bulls?
This is also the first time that DeRozan plays in Toronto this season. Even in his advanced age, his scoring can put on a show. Chicago was in a similar position that Toronto was last season, as no one expects their expensive, veteran-laden roster to produce much of anything in the postseason.
Fans will have to wait two more months to see if Toronto can avenge their play-in-game loss against Chicago or not. Hopefully, Diar isn’t at the game to distract the Raptors from shooting at the line.
Toronto Raptors vs. Houston Rockets
Raptor fans know the career of VanVleet well. From signing with the team as an undrafted rookie to NBA champion to NBA All-Star, Toronto watched VanVleet’s career from the very beginning.
This is why it will be incredibly weird to watch VanVleet play on another team. On the first day of NBA free agency, VanVleet decided to leave Toronto and sign a three-year, $130 million contract with the Houston Rockets.
Raptor fans will now have to get used to not seeing VanVleet in a Toronto jersey. But they will have a chance to watch VanVleet play twice this season, including a home game on February 9.
Fred VanVleet will return to the Toronto Raptors fans.
There are some fans who loved VanVleet’s time in Toronto. They loved his game and his growth as VanVleet’s career went on. While VanVleet had fans in Toronto who supported and cheered for him, there are also some Raptor fans who weren’t too keen on how he played last season. Many thought he was the main reason why the team’s lackluster offense struggled this season.
VanVleet can prove the fans who were against him last season wrong by playing well and beating his former team in Toronto. The Raptors can also show the league that they are a winning team even though they didn’t re-sign VanVleet.