The Toronto Raptors will try to live up to their name in their 30th NBA season by playing fast, aggressive basketball.
Star forward Scottie Barnes, the heart of the Raptors’ play on both sides of the ball, summed it up well a few days before the Toronto team hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers for its season opener on Wednesday.
“Putting the pace up and playing defense,” Barnes said on the field at the OVO Athletic Centre, where the team practices. “That’s our main focus. We work on that a lot. We have a lot of young guys that can play with speed and try to be aggressive on defense.”
It’s a sentiment shared by point guard Immanuel Quickley, who will be one of the members of the Raptors’ starting lineup this season along with Barnes.
“I think the league can expect us to be one of the toughest teams to play against, for sure,” he said.
RJ Barrett missed most of training camp with a shoulder injury suffered in the Oct. 6, 2024, game against the Washington Wizards at the Bell Centre. He took part in a full practice Tuesday but will not suit up for the opener.
While it’s unclear when Barrett will return to the Raptors lineup, he agrees with Barnes and Quickley’s analysis.
“Defense, intensity, outworking other teams, running, playing together,” Barnes said of the Raptors’ identity for the new season.
Three facts have forged this philosophy.
First, the Raptors allowed 118.8 points per game in a disappointing season that they finished with a 25-57 record in 2023-24. Second, with an average age of just over 25 — they bought out 38-year-old forward Garrett Temple — they are one of the youngest teams in the league. Third, they are relatively small, particularly at power forward.
At seven feet, Jakob Poeltl is the tallest player on the team, and at 29, he’s the fourth oldest. He said a fast, defensive-minded style is what to expect.
“We’re going to be free to play, which is going to lead to a lot of learning experiences,” Poeltl said. “Maybe a little chaos at times. We’re still trying to figure each other out, but once we do, I think it’s going to be hard to play against us because we play with power, we play fast, and we play unpredictably.”
A tough schedule to start with
The Raptors averaged 10.9 offensive rebounds per game last year, good for 11th in the league. In his second year at the helm, head coach Darko Rajakovic is determined to improve that statistic.
Rajakovic said the key is being strategic about when and how to attempt an offensive rebound instead of playing a tight transition defensive game.
“What are we going to do? Are we going to be reckless and go for the rebound no matter what? That’s not our plan,” he said after practice Oct. 9. “Our plan is to do a good job of getting to the rebounding spots, but at the same time, do a good job in transition. We’re trying to combine those two things into one complex plan.”
One of the biggest problems for the Raptors is that they’ll have the toughest schedule to start the season. Twenty of the club’s first 25 games this season will be against teams that made the playoffs last spring. Eleven of those were still alive after the first round.
“I know we’re playing the Cavaliers on Wednesday and I don’t know what happens next,” Rajakovic said Monday. “I don’t want to know. Nothing will change my approach.”
The Raptors will be missing several key players on Wednesday. In addition to Barrett, Kelly Olynyk (back), Bruce Brown (knee surgery) and Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) will also be out.
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