Now that the Raptors’ schedule for the upcoming 2016-17 season has been released, let’s take a look at what will shape up to be some of the most critical games that could make or break their season and a repeat appearance near the top of the East standings.
Nov. 15 @ Cleveland/Nov. 16 vs. Golden State
Ok, so it’s two games, but this back-to-back will provide the Raptors with (easily) their biggest early-season test. Naturally, the Raptors will be looking for revenge against LeBron and the Cavs in their first rematch since the 2016 East Finals. Their potential reward, should they win? A game against Kevin Durant and the new(ish) look Warriors.
To have to play arguably the NBA’s best two teams on consecutive nights is clearly a tough task, but even if the Raps aren’t able to walk away with two wins their performance can help set the tone for the rest of the season. Case in point: Many Raptors will point to last season’s Nov. 17th game in Oakland—a 115-110 near-victory over the then-undefeated Warriors— as a statement game that showed the players they were good enough to compete with the best the league has to offer, a mantra that helped propel their playoff run months later.
Dec. 23 @ Utah, Dec. 26 @ Portland, Dec. 28 @ Golden State, Dec.29 @ Phoenix, Jan.1 @ L.A. Lakers, Jan.3 @ San Antonio.
Given the old narrative (and uncontested truth) that the West is best when it comes to the balance of power in the NBA, these annual West Coast road trips provide both a litmus test for the Raptors and an opportunity to make a real statement around the league.
The Raptors have improved their record against Western conference teams each of the past five seasons, posting a 17-13 record last year, and, much like that close contest vs. the Warriors, the team tends to rally around big wins over opponents from the opposite conference.
This six-game road trip could provide plenty of those opportunities, given the quality of opponents they’ll see. The Jazz, Trailblazers, Warriors, and Spurs all figure to be playoff teams, while the upstart Lakers managed to take a game off of Toronto last season. On paper, Phoenix appears to be the closest thing to a lock of a win on this trip, but even then the game will take place one night after facing Golden State. Should the Raptors escape this road trip with a winning record it’ll speak volumes about where the club stands in the NBA and, conversely, emerging out of this holiday stretch with a 1-5 or 2-4 record may temporarily derail the season.
Jan. 7 @ Chicago
It’s hardly a secret that the Raptors have struggled mightily against the Bulls in recent years. Last year they lost all four contests versus Chicago. Always a tough, physical matchup, the Bulls have re-vamped their roster, adding Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo to their backcourt after trading Derrick Rose to the Knicks. New-look roster or not, the Raptors will surely be buoyed by a win on the road against this Eastern Conference rival.
Feb. 24 vs. Boston
Shots were already fired earlier this summer, when Celtics forward Jae Crowder said that his team wasn’t “worried about Toronto” when it came to the battle for East supremacy. Boston certainly made far greater improvements to their roster than the Raptors, adding marquee free agent Al Horford, but it remains to be seen if it’s enough to usurp the Raptors in the Atlantic division standings.
It sets up what should be a heated first tilt against the division rivals (Dec.9, in Boston), but it’s this February game, the last of four meetings with Boston, that could have more than just bragging rights on the line. With potential tie-breaker implications for East standings, and, just as important, a chance to have the last laugh ahead of a potential playoff matchup.
Of course, it’s next-to-impossible to really know how things will shake out once the season tips off (for the Raptors that will be Oct. 26 at home versus an up-and-coming Detroit Pistons club). But fresh off the best season in franchise history and an off-season of marked more by inaction than the opposite when it comes to roster moves, for better or worse the games listed above should prove to be important.
What games are you most looking forward to? Check out the full 2016-17 schedule here and let us know in the comments below.