My oh my, last night sure was a far cry from last year's season opener against the almighty Cavs, eh?
After the regular season schedules came out this past August, I was very excited to see the Hawks as Toronto's first opponent to kick off the new year. Atlanta, much like Toronto, is an East team that tweaked its roster a bit, adding quality vets like Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil-Alexander Walker, and Luke Kennard, to go along with their already solid young core featuring Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, and Dyson Daniels. Despite being a Raptors devotee, I think it's fair to root for some other teams around the league, and the Hawks stood out to me as a squad that could jumpstart a revival in the East standings, just as the Raptors are hopeful for.
But unfortunately for the Hawks, they were met with a Raptors team that looked like men on a mission. It was evident in the strong, balanced play of their starters and the impressive contributions from their bench pieces like Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Toronto clearly took advantage of the Hawks' weak transition defense and interior struggles, scoring 86 points in the paint compared to Atlanta's 56. The Raptors also employed a pace and aggression that the Hawks just couldn't keep up with, evident in the fast break points discrepancy — Toronto had 34 while Atlanta managed only 11.
Raptors showed they should not be taken lightly after dominant Hawks win
With much of the focus and anticipation surrounding Brandon Ingram's regular season Raptors debut (he had a solid debut nonetheless, nearly recording a double-double), it was truly a sight to see that Toronto was able to operate not like a one-man show, but a well-oiled machine that Atlanta just couldn't figure out. In the third quarter, things got quite gritty, as the Raptors got into the bonus relatively early, and both sides were just going at it, attacking and creating contact. What started as a 7-0 run quickly became a 9-0 run, then a 12-0 run, then a 16-2 run to end the third quarter.
Toronto played scrappy and showed impressive chemistry even in their first game of the year, culminating in a dominant 138-118 victory. Quinn Everts of Raptors Rapture just highlighted how Toronto’s 'problem' of a well-balanced roster, (without a clear number one star) is a unique strength that no other team in the East can match. This isn’t just a team of role players or average talent; players like Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick, and especially newcomer Brandon Ingram can all explode for 20, 25, or even 30+ points on any given night. Against Atlanta, everyone was able to get their two cents in, and it paid off tenfold.
While we can't expect Toronto to replicate the excitement of this opening night over a full 82-game season, it still sets an important tone for what lies ahead for the 2025-26 Raptors, if all things go to plan. To emphasize this point, I think Kendrick Perkins' recent post on X captures the mood perfectly, even if he’s a polarizing NBA analyst: "Please don’t sleep on the Raptors!!! I’m not saying that they’re title contenders but I am saying that when it’s all said and done that they will be a Top 6 seed in the East"