The NBA season is an 82-game labyrinth designed to be explored as a marathon. It rewards teams that effectively navigate its unpredictable twists and turns, but at a jogger’s pace.
For the Toronto Raptors, how they traverse through the opening leg of the race will matter. A season isn’t decided in the first 30 days, but how teams fare during this window can foreshadow what the playoff picture looks like in April.
After the first 30 days last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and New
York Knicks were the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference – all three teams remained there by season’s end. The Orlando Magic and Miami Heat fell to the play-in after promising starts, but both ultimately advanced to the first round of the post-season. The Detroit Pistons also started strong and made the playoffs.
The three teams that defied this narrative were the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, and Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks dropped out of the playoff race. The Pacers overcame early injuries to key rotational players and the Bucks figured out how to use Damian Lillard next to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Here’s a closer look at what lies ahead for the Toronto Raptors.
An unfamiliar start
The Raptors’ 13-game streak of starting the regular season at home comes to an end when they visit the Hawks on Oct. 22.
This is the first time the Raptors have opened the season on the road since 2011, during which they defeated the Cavaliers 104-96 on Dec. 8 in a lockout-shortened season.
The last time the Raptors started a non-lockout season with a road game was during 2008 in a 95-84 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
They’ll return to Toronto two days later to play Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Oct. 24. Both matchups should provide the Raptors with an early but sufficient Eastern Conference litmus test.
Since Scottie Barnes entered the league in 2021, the Raptors are 1-3 in their first road game of the season. They’ve fared slightly better at home with a 2-2 record.
A no-rest test
Toronto faces an interesting pair of back-to-backs in the first 30 days of the season, with the first being an early Western Conference mini-road trip to Dallas and San Antonio from Oct. 26-27. With the Houston Rockets visiting the Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 29, this scheduling quirk pits the Raptors against all three Texas-based teams in four days.
The Raptors also visit the Hawks and the 76ers on Nov. 7-8.
It was a struggle playing without rest last season, with the Raptors finishing 3-12 on the second day of back-to-backs. Playing on the road further complicated things, with Toronto going 1-8.
Life on the road
The Raptors starting the season on the road is a precursor to what awaits them in the following weeks, with 10 of their first 15 games happening away from Scotiabank Arena. This also includes six of seven on the road to close out the 30-day window.
The longest road trip is a five-game stretch that includes the Hawks, 76ers, Cavaliers, Pacers and the Brooklyn Nets.
For Scottie Barnes’ playoff proclamation to stand any chance, the Raptors must improve their play on the road. Toronto finished 12-29 in away games last season.
Getting acquainted with the East
Without a single minute played, the Eastern Conference has already been tediously labelled as ‘wide-open’. The NBA’s scheduler makers have made it possible for the Raptors to make an early claim to the space.
The Raptors will play two games each against the Cavaliers, Hawks, Bucks, and the 76ers. This group has representatives from each tier of playoff hopefuls in the East, ranging from top-seed contenders to play-in candidates.
Inciting hope or casting doubt on the Raptors’ chances in the conference based on a handful of games may seem imprudent, but the wide range of Eastern rivals on the menu should offer valuable insight. If anything, Raptors fans will get a better idea of how this team and the coaching staff adjust to the same opponent.
