Toronto Raptors Articles - Page 53

If there was ever a flicker of doubt Fred VanVleet would be the heir apparent to Kyle Lowry when it comes to leadership and tenacity, Wednesday night’s game should have extinguished it. For the first time in his career, VanVleet recorded a double-double with rebounds, grabbing a career-high 10 boards against the Indiana Pacers. He […]

The last time the Toronto Raptors won at home, in Scotiabank Arena, was on Feb. 23, 2020. That changed on Wednesday when they smacked the Indiana Pacers to the tune of 118-100, garnering masterful performances from Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and rookie Scottie Barnes, who continues to exceed expectations in all facets. “When we’re playing […]

When a player has fallen out of favour with Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, he makes no concerted effort to hide it. Such is the case with Malachi Flynn, who was taken 29th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and who showed some bright spots amid a dismal year in Tampa that saw the […]

DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors killer. That’s a strange phrase to let rattle around one’s mind, but even stranger to witness in practice. And yet there it was on Monday night, with DeRozan returning to Scotiabank Arena for the first time as a member of the Chicago Bulls–drilling high-difficulty shot after high-difficulty shot down the stretch […]

The Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors will play in an Eastern Conference matchup on Monday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Bulls-Raptors prediction and pick. The Bulls and Raptors will matchup for the first time in the 2021-22 NBA season. The Bulls are 3-0, though they have had quite […]

Toronto Raptors head honcho Masai Ujiri recently got a promotion, but evidently it came with quite a bit of drama that explains why there was some mystery surrounding his future with the franchise before he finally got his new title. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment board member Edward Rogers fought the plan to give Ujiri […]

When OG Anunoby is playing to the level he’s capable, the Toronto Raptors ascend to a different stratosphere. After a magnificent preseason in which he looked primed to sprint into a star-turning year, Anunoby has struggled to find that same consistency in regular-season play. The reasons for why this is the case, of course, have […]

The Toronto Raptors just dropped to 1-2 on the season following a 103-95 defeat at the hands of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. The early returns of the season have been somewhat of a mixed bag for Toronto. Prior to their recently concluded loss to Dallas, the Raptors absolutely manhandled the Boston Celtics on […]

After Jalen Suggs led Gonzaga to an impressive college season, his draft stock immensely ascended despite losing to Baylor in the National Championship. Suggs has the impressive ball-handling skills and long-range abilities for fans to notice his all-around skillset. With that, as Toronto Raptors selected Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 overall pick in the […]

To start off their home contests against the Dallas Mavericks, the Toronto Raptors let OG Anunoby go to work on the wing. The 24-year-old forward made the most of his opportunity, scoring the game’s first basket by crossing up Luka Doncic and dunking on Kristaps Porzingis. OG Anunoby crosses over Luka Doncic and slams it […]

Former Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry was worried that he would have a DeMar DeRozan-type of divorce with the Raptors. In July 2018, Toronto sent DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard. The latter only spent one year in Toronto before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, but led the Raptors […]

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics can’t be too happy with how their season has started. The Celtics have started 0-2 this year including a tough double-overtime loss against the New York Knicks on opening night. The Celtics got blown out in a 115-83 loss against a depleted Toronto Raptors last night during their home […]

The Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors will battle in an inter-conference matchup on Saturday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Mavericks-Raptors prediction and pick. The Mavericks and Raptors will each look to gather momentum on Saturday. Dallas is looking for their first win of the season after losing their […]

Well, that was fun. After getting handled easily by the Washington Wizards on opening night, the Toronto Raptors bounced back against the Boston Celtics on Friday with a 115-83 victory that saw pretty much everything go their way. Here are three key takeaways from the game that are also simply things to keep an eye […]

In the 2019-20 season, the Toronto Raptors still finished second in the Eastern Conference despite the departure of superstar Kawhi Leonard. The following season, Toronto played all their games away from their home floor because of the COVID restrictions mandated in Canada. The Raptors dropped all the way down as they did not even contend […]

The Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics will play in an Eastern Conference matchup on Friday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Raptors-Celtics prediction and pick. The Raptors and Celtics both dropped their season openers and will be looking for their first win of the season when they face each […]

The Toronto Raptors’ opening night wasn’t without its teachable moments against the Washington Wizards. Both off the floor and on it, Toronto’s homecoming debut was filled with excitement, disappointment, and a few things in between. What follows are some things we learned, gleaned from players, coaches, and jumbotrons. Nerves existed for “The Return” Whether a […]

The Toronto Raptors had a brutal night against the Washington Wizards in their season opener, but at least rookie Dalano Banton made himself a memory. With the Raptors down 81-56 and the third-quarter clock winding down, Banton casually dribbled the ball up the court and let it fly from beyond the half-court line. It splashed […]

It was the first game back after 600 days away. In some ways, that was enough. The Toronto Raptors were playing basketball in Scotiabank Arena, on Canadian soil, and they had a crowd of true blue fans roaring for them at every given opportunity. The game itself was less satisfying—the Raptors looked disjointed and altogether […]

The Washington Wizards start the season off 1-0 with a resounding win over the Toronto Raptors. But the game wasn’t without its drama. With the Raptors playing at home for the first time in over a year, there was little doubt that homegrown fan and Certified Lover Boy Drake would be in attendance. Drake made […]

The Toronto Raptors played their first real home game in over a year to open the season, so of course Drake was there sitting courtside. The Toronto-based rapper was probably miffed as the Raptors were blown out of the water by the Washington Wizards for most of the game. But despite not taking the court […]

The 2021-22 NBA season is officially underway! The Washington Wizards travel north to Canada to take on the Toronto Raptors in their season opener. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Wizards-Raptors prediction and pick based on Wizards Raptors odds. The Wizards let go of Russell Westbrook this past offseason after […]

Toronto Raptors fans are well-acquainted with the trade that netted them Kawhi Leonard. The one-year stint the Klaw had up north ended in a championship run, vindicating the decision to send DeMar DeRozan packing. While Raptors fans would do the trade a hundred times over, it was certainly bittersweet that DeRozan wasn’t a part of […]

As the NBA preseason ends, take note: Three years ago, in the midst of the playoff destruction of what was then the greatest season in Toronto Raptors history, there was a still point. The rhythmic, desperate hum of Game 2 of the 2018 series against the Cleveland Cavaliers fell away, and there within the silence […]

The Toronto Raptors are coming into the 2021 – 22 season with minimal expectations surrounding them. They traded away franchise player Kyle Lowry, one of the clear signs of a team heading into a rebuild. Now, the Raptors are trying to build a team around integral members of their championship run and some interesting young […]

In spite of the fact that he played just one season for the Toronto Raptors, there’s no denying that Kawhi Leonard has earned legendary status within the city. The fact that he led the Raptors to its very first NBA championship probably has a lot to do with it. Now with the Los Angeles Clippers, […]

With all the big free agent signings and player movement that took place this offseason, there’s bound to be a ton of teams that are re-tooled and determined for a turnaround season during the 2021-22 NBA campaign. Now that training camp is officially under way and another exciting season of professional basketball is fast approaching, […]

When the Toronto Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes fourth overall in the recent NBA draft, a lot of Raps fans were confused. “Wait, don’t we have Pascal Siakam? Aren’t the two basically just the same players?” Indeed, a lot of fans and draft insiders were pegging the Raptors to take Jalen Suggs with the fourth pick. […]

The Toronto Raptors are entering a new era. Gone are Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Kawhi Leonard, leaving the remaining members of their championship core to step up into much bigger roles. Fred VanVleet could very well lead the team in scoring next season, and looks poised to do just that in their first month […]

The Toronto Raptors are… a work in progress. After trading away long-time franchise player Kyle Lowry, the team has fully committed to a rebuild around their young core. The Raptors drafted Scottie Barnes fourth overall this, who joins Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby as the cornerstones of the team. Raptors head coach Nick […]

Toronto Raptors fans are still getting used to the fact that Kyle Lowry is no longer with the Toronto Raptors. Apparently, even those in the organization still forget that from time to time, including coach Nick Nurse. Speaking to the media before the Raptors’ pre-season tilt against the Philadelphia 76ers, Nurse was asked about his […]

A lot has definitely changed in the NBA since Klay Thompson last played a game. Kyle Lowry is has taken his talents to the Miami Heat, Russell Westbrook has gone home to the Los Angeles Lakers, and so much more. The same train of thought also applies to the hobby and how some guys are […]

A local mandate in Canada has now put unvaccinated NBA players under threat of criminal charges if quarantine protocols are breached in Toronto. This means players like Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards will have to strictly follow quarantine protocols when their respective teams visit the Toronto Raptors […]

Veteran guard Goran Dragic quickly became a fan favorite during his stint with the Miami Heat. His meek personality, devil-may-care drives, and underrated toughness made him a quintessential player for the famous Heat culture. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. Dragic was let go by the Heat in the […]

The Toronto Raptors have gotten themselves a good one in Scottie Barnes, it seems. The rookie forward has already endeared himself to the franchise with his commitment and energy. Now, fans are getting glimpses of just how good the rookie can be on the court. Toronto travelled to London for their annual open practice there. […]

DeMar DeRozan is high spirits about the next chapter of his career.  The newest Chicago Bulls star is adamant that after his productive stints with the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors, things are only getting better for him. DeRozan raved about his new team, even claiming that the Bulls roster was the most talented […]

When the Toronto Raptors dealt long-time All-Star Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat, it felt like the Raptors lost more than they have gained. Such is the nature of trades that start a rebuild. However, it seems that Lowry’s departure may have helped one particular Raptor: Pascal Siakam. Fred VanVleet, Lowry’s former backcourt partner, explained […]

Having a well-rounded and cohesive roster is one of the ingredients to winning an NBA championship. However, winning championships doesn’t just require a solid group of players. It also requires a great head coach who can initiate a system and lead the squad from the sidelines. Throughout the years, we’ve seen coaches make an impact […]

After Kyle Lowry’s departure, fans and analysts aren’t exactly sure about the direction of the Toronto Raptors. You can’t really tag them as a rebuilding team as they still have a star player in Pascal Siakam and a bunch of reliable role players. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine the Raptors competing against […]