The Toronto Raptors will be looking to surprise the masses heading into the 2024-25 NBA season as a potential dark horse threat.
Even though the Toronto Raptors didn't make a ton of big changes during the offseason as many expected them to make, this is a team that remains one of the biggest mysteries in the Eastern Conference. They're supremely talented on paper but much of their hope heading into the start of the season falls on the shoulders of their young talent continuing to blossom.
With the regular season on the horizon, we explore two season-defining questions and one bold prediction for the Raptors for 2024-25.
Is Scottie Barnes a future superstar?
The biggest question that will likely define the Toronto Raptors season revolves around whether Scottie Barnes is ready to make the jump to superstardom. He has all the tools to do so and if the Raptors are going to make any noise in the Eastern Conference this season, much of that hope falls on the continued development of Barnes.
If he emerges as a player who can carry the Raptors to new heights this season, Toronto automatically emerges as a dangerous dark horse in the East. They may not have the talent to compete with the likes of the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, or Philadelphia 76ers, but they may have enough to break into the bottom of the second tier of playoff contenders.