Gameday: Cavaliers @ Raptors, October 23

The wait is finally over, Toronto Raptors basketball is back!

It’s been 192 days since the Dinos last played in an NBA regular season game, 199 days since their last win, and a whopping 235 days since the face of the franchise, Scottie Barnes, competed in a regular season contest.

A lot has happened in those 200 or so days, including a couple of massive extensions. The 23-year-old Barnes signed a five-year deal worth up to $270-million, and Immanuel Quickley was also extended on a five-year deal, with his being worth $162-million.

The Raptors also acquired a bunch of fresh faces, seven to be exact. The team made four draft picks that featured Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, and Ulrich Chomche, they traded for Davion Mitchell, and signed Bruno Fernando and Jamison Battle this offseason.

If that wasn’t enough, Canucks RJ Barrett and Kelly Olynyk also crossed the pond for the Olympics in France, helping Canada put together one of its best showings ever, with Barrett playing well in particular.

Toronto’s busy summer led them to tonight, where they will open the season at home against Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs’ offseason was much quieter, extending Mitchell and Jarrett Allen was about the only thing they did player-wise, but the biggest change came to the coaching staff. J.B. Bickerstaff is out, and Kenny Atkinson is in as the 57-year-old takes the reins of a team for the first time since 2020.

Atkinson makes his debut as Cleveland’s bench boss tonight after going 118-190 over four seasons as the head coach for the Brooklyn Nets, before spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.

It will be interesting to see what Atkinson does with a largely returning group that includes Mitchell, Allen, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland. It’s a team that defended well last season, posting the seventh-best defensive rating (112.1) but only the 16th-best offensive rating (114.7). It got clunky offensively for the Cavs in the playoffs, as that is a major part of what Atkinson has to figure out going forward.

It will also be a great defensive test for the Dinos’ guards to face the tandem of Garland and Mitchell. Davion Mitchell and Shead have been at the forefront of the upped play on defence throughout camp, as it has been one of the main focuses of second-year head coach Darko Rajakovic.

The Raptors won’t be fully healthy, however, with Barrett, Olynyk, Walter, and Bruce Brown Jr. all ruled out. It’s unfortunate that a third of “BBQ” in Barrett will be out, as seeing him with Quickley and Barnes should be one of the main goals this season.

Across 439 minutes last year, that three-man lineup won their minutes with a 2.9 net rating. That was the sixth-best net rating out of three-man lineups on Toronto that played 300-plus minutes. “BBQ” playing more and more together this season and ultimately seeing how well they fit together will determine the ceiling for this Raptors team in 2024-2025 and beyond.

Seeing how Gradey Dick fits with the core should be another goal, as he is projected to slide in as a starter for this season. The offence and 3-point shooting have looked great for the second-year sharpshooter throughout the preseason, but the defence has been concerning.

He still gets beat off the dribble consistently, will have questionable off-ball defensive moments, and was targeted in a ton of actions throughout the exhibition matchups. It will be fascinating to see Dick’s growth on that end of the floor throughout the year, as it is clearly a priority for the Raptors.

Enjoy the home opener tonight, and make sure to check back immediately following the contest on Raptors Republic for the quick react, and the recap tomorrow morning.

Game Info

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. ET

Television: Sportsnet 360

Radio: Sportsnet 590 The Fan