The NBA released their 2025-26 schedules on Thursday, and it seems like the Toronto Raptors didn’t get any favors, to start the season at least.
For starters, let's look at October. The Raptors start the season on the road against the new-look Atlanta Hawks. Surprisingly enough, they’ve opened up every season at home since 2011. They then head home for their season opener, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks.
Sounds reasonable, right? Taking on two Eastern Conference opponents that went through some considerable transitions in the offseason. Toronto then hits the road for a quick back-to-back in Texas with the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs. They then face the third Texas team, the Houston Rockets, back at home, capping off five games in eight days to start the regular season.
And let’s not forget capping off the October start on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Halloween, who finished atop the East last year.
Raptors fans need to brace for early adversity to kick off 2025-26 season
November doesn’t exactly let up as the Raptors take on another three back-to-backs. They’ll square off against the Hawks, 76ers, Nets, Cavaliers, Hornets and Knicks, with two of the three on the road. Their Atlanta/Philadelphia back-to-back at the beginning of the month kicks off one of three five-game road trips. The other two come in the new year, including more of their Western Conference foes.
In total, the Raptors will play 15 back-to-backs with nine of them on the road and only six at home.
This is a challenging start to the season that feels similar to last year’s schedule. The Raptors found themselves in a very deep hole to start the 2024/2025 campaign. They were hit with a 5-game road trip early in November, and by the 16th, Toronto found itself with a 2-12 record.
There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect schedule,' as every other team will face tough schedules. The Raptors, however, will have to monitor minutes with their more injury-prone players. They won't find a lot of time for rest, given such crammed weeks, including multiple stretches with three games in four days.
All this being said, the schedule does somewhat balance itself out though the course of the season. February for example, only has three games on the road.
It all comes back to the start of the season. And the Raptors can’t find themselves behind the 8-ball again. With the Eastern Conference landscape looking very uncertain, it’s paramount that Toronto start the season with some statement wins.