Picking the Toronto Raptors to win it all in 2018-19 would have been a bold prediction. What bold predictions will come true in 2019-20?
For NBA teams, the arrival of autumn sparks hope for a new season and the Toronto Raptors are no exception.
There’s evidence to support that sentiment in Toronto. The team is coming off the first championship in franchise history. They return most of their core, with the major exceptions of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. The Eastern Conference remains wide open.
September is the time to be bold, however, with just a hint of honesty thrown into the mix. The Raptors will be underdogs this season. The outsized performance of Leonard gone to the LA Clippers. Green is in Hollywood too, albeit with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Toronto projects to be one of the more confounding teams to start the season, with predictions all over the place. Some believe they can repeat as champions, while others see them squarely in the lottery.
Therefore, coming up with bold predictions for the Raptors is tricky. Arguments can be made that some of these predictions feel safe, especially in light of last season. We welcome the debate.
Some bold decisions were ultimately left on the cutting room floor. Those include a massive selloff at the trade deadline, Fred VanVleet displacing Kyle Lowry in the starting lineup by the turn of the calendar and a career year from Stanley Johnson.
Now, let’s be bolder than a Pascal Siakam drive-and-kick to the hoop and make some predictions.