Predictions
My predictions for the Raptors’ season, unsurprisingly, fall somewhere between best and worst-case scenarios. That being said I’m definitely leaning farther toward the best-case on the scale than most NBA fans.
Raptors fans are not in a position where we need to brace ourselves for a return to the 34-win playoff missing Raptors of 2012-13. I believe the Raptors will win at least 50 games this season.
When it comes to standings, I don’t for a second believe the Raptors will be squeaking into the playoffs. Because this summer saw major changes to the landscape of the league, a lot of teams will be learning on the fly what they need to do to win throughout the regular season. The Raptors will enjoy a distinct advantage because of this.
Everything they did to win last season involved learning on the fly and it got them 58 wins. They lost only nine games on their homecourt all season long and had a 57% winning percentage on the road. And they had to do it with 22 different starting lineups.
Nick Nurse is, in my opinion, one of the most flexible head coaches in the league. I mean come on, we saw the box and one and triangle and two defensive looks in the NBA Finals last season! The core of returning players has bought into what Nurse describes as tinkering. They know it can work. They trust that it will work. And it’s going to be a huge asset when so many teams are going to be similarly mixing things up by necessity rather than by design.
I always find it difficult to try and say what I think will happen come playoff time from a point where the preseason hasn’t even kicked off yet. One of the things that we love about basketball is that it isn’t easily predictable.
But here goes anyway.
For sure the Raptors don’t get bumped in the first round of the playoffs. There’s no scenario under which I think that’s a reasonable prediction this season. I believe that the Raptors have every shot of making it to another Eastern Conference Finals.
Do I think they make the finals again? Honestly, I have to say no. The 76ers are my favourites out of the East this year.
One thing I will guarantee though, the 2019-20 season will not be as lamentable as casual Raptors fans and NBA fans, in general, would like to believe.
Will it be as epic as last season? Well, no, but how could it?
But it will be a great season of basketball. A season fans have every reason to look forward to and on in which the Raptors will do what they do best. Defy expectations.