The Toronto Raptors are hoping to build off of their 46-win campaign last season, and there's reason to believe they can reach the 50-win threshold.
The Raptors improved over the offseason, acquiring Kawhi Leonard in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that sent Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick to Tinseltown. It remains to be seen how much the Raptors will improve, but the hope is that Toronto becomes one of the best teams in the East.
Some members of Toronto Raptors On SI staff predicted how well the team will do in the upcoming season.
Not living up to the hype: 44-38
"The Raptors do look better on paper, but it comes with a couple of asterisks. They need Kawhi Leonard to be healthy and play for at least 60 or so games this season. On top of that, they need to find some solution at the center position.
"Jakob Poeltl is only going to get them so far in the starting lineup, so the Raptors are going to need some kind of upgrade to improve. On top of that, the East is as good as it has ever been, and there is going to be more competition for wins. Therefore, it wouldn't surprise me if the Raptors took a slight step back this season." — Jeremy Brener
Slight improvement: 48-34
"This Toronto Raptors team is built for the playoffs, but they will have some adjustments battling through a highly competitive eastern conference. Very few easy nights, and I don't believe any Eastern Conference team wins 55 games. The ascension of Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles will continue, Kawhi Leonard seems motivated to fit in. The Raptors are going to be excellent." — Marc Nolan
Best case scenario: 54-28
"In the idealistic world where the Raptors stay healthy through most of the season, I find them as difficult a matchup as any team will face. With a strong defensive identity already established under Darko Rajakovic and Kawhi Leonard adding a needed jolt to the offense, I can see Toronto easily improving on last season's record and beginning the postseason with homecourt advantage." — Sahal Arwo
The Raptors begin the season on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET inside Scotiabank Arena. Fans can watch the game on Sportsnet or stream it on the SN Plus app.
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