It feels like it’s been a long time coming, but the wait is over.
The 2014-15 Toronto Raptors season is finally here.
After one of the strongest campaigns in years, culminating in a thrilling seven-game series that saw fan support across the country turned up to eleven, there is a buzz around this franchise unmatched by any past home opener. And re-signing Kyle Lowry and returning more or less the same team that captured a division title last season means that expectations, too, are higher than ever.
In an improved Eastern Conference, it will be a full 82-game challenge for the Raptors to repeat their regular season success from last year. And it all begins on opening night against a very good Atlanta Hawks squad.
Major Storyline No.1: Minutes distribution in Raptors backcourt. For the first time in his tenure with the team, Dwane Casey is playing chess with a full set of pieces this season. A deep roster is a luxury for any coach, but he’ll have to get creative to find minutes for everyone. Nowhere is that as evident as in the backcourt, where the addition of Lou Williams means the Raptors have four guards (Williams, Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Greivis Vasquez) deserving of a good chunk of floor time. Williams is probably the odd man out tonight, but following a season in which Lowry and DeRozan combined to log more minutes than any other starting backcourt in the NBA (and it wasn’t close), look for Casey to establish his rotation and manage minutes early in the season.
Major Storyline No. 2: Who’ll stop the rain? This Atlanta Hawks team loves to shoot the three (only the Houston Rockets attempted more deep balls last season), and with players like Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carrol and Mike Scott all given the green light from deep and an offensive system based on effective cross-court ball movement, the Hawks will do serious damage if the Raptors fail to find a way to limit Atlanta’s open looks. Last season Toronto was a ho-hum 16th in opponents’ three-point field-goal percentage, a number that will have to get better starting tonight.
Major Storyline No. 3: How close to 100 percent is Al Horford? Until their all-star centre went down with a torn pectoral muscle 29 games into last season, the Hawks were one of the best teams in basketball. Horford’s steady play and versatility on both ends was a big reason for that success. While the team admits he’s not quite all the way there yet, it will be interesting to see how quickly Horford can return to form.
Lesser Storyline, Still Worth Watching Out For: Lou Williams Rides Again. The Raptors’ biggest off-season acquisition certainly didn’t have to wait long to get a shot at vengeance against the team that traded him this off-season. Williams’ tenure in Atlanta was mostly a disaster and ended with the Hawks shipping him off for next to nothing (sorry John Salmons), so you can expect a fired up LouWill in game one.
Marquee Player to Watch, Toronto: Kyle Lowry, who now has his hefty long-term contract and has finally found a home in the NBA. While Lowry does mostly play in one gear (“extremely hard”), he’ll need to bring the same moxie we saw throughout last season if the Raptors are going to stand a chance—tonight and throughout the year.
Marquee Player to Watch, Atlanta: Paul Millsap, who has a history of playing the Raptors strong and last season averaged a tidy 17/8/4 versus Toronto.
Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Toronto: Patrick Patterson, the Raptors big man most comfortable with stepping out and guarding Atlanta’s horde of floor-stretching forwards.
Role Player Who Will Make a Difference, Atlanta: DeMarre Carrol, who can play multiple positions and quietly established himself as one of the NBA’s most crucial reserves last season.
If tonight’s game were an episode of Friends it would be… “The One After Ross Says ‘Rachel'” (s5 ep1). After the cliffhanger ending in 2013-14—Lowry’s would-be buzzer-beater in Game 7 against Brooklyn—the anticipation regarding what’s next for this team has been off the charts.
If tonight’s game were a Bill Murray movie it would be… Stripes, which is essentially two movies in one. In the first half, Murray, Harold Ramis, John Candy and the rest of the gang surprise all by not just surviving, but thriving through basic training (kind of like the Raptors’ unexpected success last season). In the second half, the boys take their experience out onto the battlefield on a mission that suddenly takes on far more weight than basic training ever could (kind of like how, starting tonight, the Raptors need to take what they learned last season and tackle a new, bigger mission—making the second round of the playoffs).
Last season vs. Hawks: 2-2.
Raptors Stats leaders (’13-14)
Points: DeMar DeRozan (22.7)
Rebounds: Jonas Valanciunas (8.8)
Assists: Kyle Lowry (7.4).
Hawks Stats leaders (’13-14)
Points: Al Horford (18.6)
Rebounds: Paul Millsap (8.5)
Assists: Jeff Teague (6.7).
Verdict: The crowd should be a major factor tonight, rowdy enough to propel the Raptors to victory in what projects to be a very close contest.