It’s the appetizer before the main course, the runway for tantalizing potential and unreasonable expectations. The Toronto Raptors opened their pre-season with a 123-107 drubbing of the Philadelphia 76ers and largely teased all that has made them an intriguing bet to surpass all expectations -- as has been custom for the better part of the past decade.
In all the tangible ways, it felt just like pre-season. You had sloppy passes and missed assignments on defence, blown calls from the officiating crew, and a Raptors house that wasn’t filled to the brim. There were players on either side who would’ve likely played with greater stakes, but also plenty of opportunity for new faces to impress.