It’s their 30th anniversary! Let’s look at their projections for this season.
Arrianna Toolsie, Associate Sports Editor
The Toronto Raptors’ 30th anniversary brings a new everything! During the offseason, they debuted a new logo, jersey rotations, and newly signed players! This season has a lot going on, and it’s an honour to present such an eagerly anticipated season!
Many would call this our rebuilding season. Raptors President Masai Ujiri has openly stated that the front office intends to revolve their team around their big players, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, all of whom signed large contracts. He also emphasized that they’re not necessarily playing for playoff contention. Gradey Dick, a sophomore, has also excelled within the team and is expected to play a larger role this season. Unsurprisingly, they acquired young, high-quality players through trades, free agency, and the NBA draft, with plans to nurture them within the organisation to make a cohesive team. Ulrich Chomche and Brandon Carlson, rookies, are noteworthy examples of potential franchise players.
Though the Raptors are rebuilding, I remain optimistic that they will win a significant number of games. Many people underestimate the power that a young team can unleash when they work together effectively. Darko Rajaković, Head Coach, established rules for training to foster trust and brotherhood among teammates. We saw how those rules altered their style of play during their October 6th preseason win over the Washington Wizards. Overall, things are unfolding well for them this upcoming season!
As for exciting news within the Raptors franchise, in honour of their 30th anniversary in the league, they reintroduced their original 1995 jerseys as well as city jerseys with their older logo designs. Considering this season, the franchise has taken the initiative to make it fan-oriented by giving back to the community through social events. For example, the MLSE Foundation and the Raptors went to Dixon Park to help the community with new basketball courts in honour of Vince Carter’s career.
This brings us to big events to look forward to, most notably, Vince Carter’s jersey retirement, on November 2nd, making him the first Raptor in franchise history to get his jersey retired in the rafters. The NBA Cup League is making a return once more and the Raptors are set to play a couple of games with their new city jerseys. And a few notable teams are scheduled to play in Toronto, including the Philadelphia 76ers with former Raptor Kyle Lowry, who will visit on October 25th. The defending champion Boston Celtics are also set to play in Toronto on January 15th.
To ‘rap’ it up, the Raptors are set to have an exciting season, filled with lots of fun surprises and celebratory moments. We’re in for a treat; here’s to the new Raptors era!
