It’s a new season with a revamped roster for Canada’s repatriated NBA team. But for all the changes and unknowns, you can get the idea we’ve seen rough sketches of this plot line before.
The last time the Raptors went into a season with expectations hovering this low, they had missed the playoffs five seasons running. Masai Ujiri, still a relatively low-profile figure in town, was in his first year as general manager. Drake had been just appointed the franchise’s global ambassador by brash CEO Tim Leiweke, who had been going around town spreading his gospel of imminent Stanley Cup parades.