Raptors 2015-16 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
The Toronto Raptors have made the playoffs the past two seasons and won back-to-back Atlantic Division titles. Barring a big leap forward this upcoming season, Toronto can't be considered a legitimate threat to come out of the Eastern Conference.
Wednesday marked the release of the Raptors' 2015-16 schedule, which can be viewed in full at NBA.com. Odds Shark has Toronto's championship odds long at 50-1, feeding the notion this squad isn't ready to threaten for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
One major offseason addition came in the form of former Atlanta Hawks swingman DeMarre Carroll. Not only did it weaken the East's reigning regular-season champion, but it also helps the Raptors immensely on defense.
Toronto ranked fourth in scoring despite having the 11th-slowest pace in the Association in 2014-15, per NBA.com, providing an idea of how well the Raptors execute in the half court. It's not as though the team plays an uptempo style that lends itself to getting beat on defense, yet Toronto was 23rd in defensive rating.
The adage of defense winning championships is something coach Dwane Casey's bunch should take to heart in its effort to break free from the weak East.
Using that as background context, take a look at the most pivotal matchups Toronto will face this season, along with a final record prediction.
Breakdown of Top Games
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
When: November 25, 2015 and February 26, 2016 (home); January 4, 2016 (away)
Loaded as the West is, it will be interesting to see how Toronto stacks up with the beasts of the East in Cleveland. Defense helped the high-scoring Cavs go on an excellent run to the NBA Finals, and this will be the ultimate test to see where the Raptors stack up in attempting to emulate that success.
Keeping LeBron James at bay is of utmost importance. Few players at the 3 position can do that better than Carroll, but James' distributing prowess is the real X-factor.
At least Toronto has a stretch 4 in Patrick Patterson who can mark up Cleveland All-Star Kevin Love. Newly acquired Raptors power forward Luis Scola also provides depth, physicality and energy to combat the likes of Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson.
Crashing the glass is going to be key, especially against an offensive board machine like Thompson and Varejao. Rebounding wasn't a strength for last year's Raptors, as they ranked 26th in that area. Center Bismack Biyombo should help in that regard as well as serving as a rim-protecting spark.
The Raptors still match up rather well with the Cavs on paper. It's just a matter of making sure James and Kyrie Irving don't erupt—as they're fully capable of doing. A lot of that will depend on how Toronto's team defense is.
Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards
When: December 30, 2015 and January 26, 2016 (home); November 28, 2015 and January 8, 2016 (away)
Any success Toronto had in the 2014-15 regular season was all but overshadowed when the Wizards swept the Raptors in the opening round of the playoffs.
Even before the postseason, this matchup will have real meaning for Toronto. Both DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross can give Wizards 2-guard Bradley Beal problems getting into an offensive rhythm, while Kyle Lowry will be out to prove himself in a head-to-head clash with fellow All-Star John Wall.
Newly arrived hometown point guard Cory Joseph will help guard the perimeter and galvanize the second unit. Joseph's motor can give Lowry a bit of a break and allow him to be even more proficient on both ends.
Carroll can give the Raptors a huge edge on the wing against Otto Porter Jr., who still has plenty to prove for Washington as a recent top-three draft pick.
The four games between these two teams will provide an idea of who will step up to headline the second tier of the East. Paul Pierce's departure to the Los Angeles Clippers may leave a bigger void in Washington than the team realizes in terms of clutch play and veteran leadership.
Record Prediction
The weakness of the Atlantic Division provides hope that the Raptors can grab another decent playoff seed and advance to the conference semifinals this year. It's the other conference competition Toronto may have to worry about more.
Casey is nevertheless optimistic about his revamped rotation, per the Toronto Sun's Doug Smith:
"I think the trend now is smaller basketball but I've always said as long as the goal is 10 foot high, size matters. But DeMarre (Carroll) can play the four, the three. He can guard the four position with LeBron James at the four, Carmelo Anthony at the four, Paul George back and at the four. He helps us in that respect. You can play Kyle (Lowry) and Cory (Joseph) at the same time, you can play Kyle, Cory and DeMar (DeRozan) at the same time. We’ve got a lot of flexibility as far as our roster is concerned.
"
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey lays out a logical way for Casey to go about assembling his lineup:
How far the Raptors progress may depend more on other teams' circumstances. Boston and Milwaukee both made surprising playoff trips, with the Celtics leaning on brilliant coaching from Brad Stevens and the Bucks assembling one of the better young cores in the entire Association.
The Miami Heat will hopefully have a healthy Chris Bosh and have a full offseason for point guard Goran Dragic to acclimate to his new team after arriving at the most recent trade deadline. How much Dwyane Wade has in the tank may determine Miami's ceiling.
Even without Carroll, Atlanta showed it has serious depth and plays a team-oriented brand of basketball that should still allow the Hawks to accumulate wins in the East.
So it's hard to say with any conviction that the Raptors will advance any further. They bolstered their frontcourt and may have landed a breakout star in Carroll on the open market. The question is whether it will be enough to counteract the improvements other teams made.
Look for a similar win total in the 40s, even with the reinforcements other squads have brought in. Unless the defense experiences a drastic turnaround, though, an early postseason exit seems likely.
Record Prediction: 46-36
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