LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- For many reasons -- primarily the loss of NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard in free agency -- the Toronto Raptors entered the 2019-20 season as the least-heralded league champion since the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. Bookmakers in Las Vegas set the line for Raptors wins at 46.5, the lowest for a defending champion since at least 2001, according to ESPN Stats and Information research. The ESPN Forecast panel projected the Raptors for 45 wins, closer to missing the 2020 NBA playoffs than finishing atop the Eastern Conference again.
NBA playoffs: The Raptors have been counted out before, but they're still here
