2. Feb. 5 vs. Toronto Raptors
This will be the Philadelphia 76ers’ final meeting with Toronto on Feb. 5, so they’ll need to end it on a high note. The Toronto Raptors finished the 2017-18 season with the best record in the East (59-23) and the top seed in the playoffs. After getting swept in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Cavaliers, they fired head coach Dwane Casey and traded DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard.
Head coach Nick Nurse, formerly an assistant on the staff for the past five seasons, will be tasked with righting the ship. He’s still got Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby, and the team added veteran wingman Danny Green in the Kawhi trade as well.
By February, the Raptors could be a finely tuned machine. It all depends on how Kawhi looks in his return to the hardwood. He should be just fine with other veteran talent around him. They should be playing with a chip on their shoulder, especially with so much criticism surrounding them. Philadelphia should be prepared for a quality game.