One game or not, I think for many Raptors fans, they've been waiting for an inevitable breakthrough to finally take shape in the years since Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and the rest of Toronto's past core moved on in their respective NBA journeys.
By no means did I think the Atlanta Hawks were going to be a cakewalk for Toronto in their season opener, but boy oh boy, did the Raptors have other plans on October 22. The Raps absolutely decimated their competition, winning 138-118, which marked the franchise record for most points scored in a season opener and the largest margin of victory in an opening game in team history.
Even though Toronto struggled to find its rhythm from long range (going 6-for-25 as a team, just 24%), it clearly didn't faze the Raptors. They were able to outpace and out grind the Hawks by a wide margin. Toronto won the rebounding battle, scored more points off the fast break, and dominated in the paint.
Despite being the opening game, which other NBA team does that relatively resemble to you based on those defining qualities? The reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, perhaps? On the latest edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast, guest Joe House and Simmons discussed how the Raps surprised them in their stunning first night out. House went on to add that Toronto seems to be employing the Oklahoma City strategy, saying (YouTube link here):
Are the Raptors mirroring the Oklahoma City Thunder recipe for success?
"... They want to try that kind of blueprint, which is get out in transition, try and force turnovers, try and and be a defensive presence and they won fast break points by like 20 and they had 86 points in the paint and 138 points they scored. 86 of them were points in the paint cuz [sic] they kept going to the goddamn rim. Impressive. That's awesome. "Joe House, Oct 24, 2025
Simmons went on to add:
"This was my overreaction game because Toronto kills Atlanta. And Toronto, I'm with you. What I liked about what I saw from Toronto, they clearly know what they want to be and what they wanted to be was athletic and they want to push and they want to go and they want to go and they want to go. Now, I don't know if it was just cuz they were playing Atlanta or that's who they are, but there was an identity they had that I wasn't expecting."Bill Simmons, Oct 24, 2025
We still have a lot of Raptors basketball to get through before fans, commentators, and analysts can draw firm conclusions about where their team fits in the overall NBA landscape. But as Simmons mentioned, sometimes it’s a matter of overreacting — at least for the right reasons. Not too long ago, Oklahoma City was simply a team still figuring things out. They had the right blueprint, with plenty of draft picks to build on, but it took time. Eventually, fortune favored the Thunder, and now we see the potential for a years-long dynasty. Additionally, their two thrilling double-overtime wins to start the 2025-26 season clearly demonstrate their footing atop the NBA hierarchy.
Is that to say that Toronto is bound to become the OKC of the East? Maybe that's being too ambitious at this exact moment, but it's definitely a storyline to keep track of as the 2025-26 campaign rolls on.