It was almost exactly one year ago that the Toronto Raptors opened their 2021-22 season at home against the Washington Wizards. Here was a new, young team returning to Toronto after almost two seasons abroad due to the pandemic, hoping to put on a show for the eager crowd.
Instead, the Raptors trailed 57-37 at halftime and lost 98-83, shooting just 30.9 percent from the field and 20.6 percent from three. More concerning than the results, however, was the lack of effort and execution. The team looked downright shaken to be playing on that stage and were unable to execute anything they worked on all summer, turning the ball over 19 times and fouling the Wizards 21 fouls for 26 free throws.