NBA Opening Week: Ranking the 5 best matchups to start the year

5. Cleveland Cavaliers @ Toronto Raptors – Wednesday, October 19

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors are two of my potential dark horse teams entering the season that could arise in the Eastern Conference. As far as the Toronto Raptors are concerned, a lot of their intrigue, at least for me, comes via second-year player Scottie Barnes.

If Barnes is able to make a star leap this season, the Raptors have a good enough roster where they could potentially be competitive on a championship level out East. The Cavs are equally as intriguing in my opinion, mostly due to the fact that this team put their neck out there and acquired Donovan Mitchell during the offseason.

The Cavs have one of the NBA’s most dynamic backcourts in the league, with Darius Garland and Mitchell. If Evan Mobley can quickly mature as a player, this is a team that will pose many issues for the top teams in the East.

What better way to start the season than with two of the more intriguing young, rising teams facing off against each other?