The NBA’s unconventional 2020-21 season is all set to begin Tuesday night. As the Toronto Raptors gear up to play their first game Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans (7:30 p.m., TSN), the sports media in the U.S. seem cautiously optimistic of the Raptors’ success this season.
Here are some opinions from the experts down south:
ESPN has the Raptors ranked No. 11 heading into the season, predicting a 42-30 record in the shortened 72-game season.
It is remarkable to think back to how Toronto was perceived before winning the title — back when it was jokingly referred to as “LeBronto” after numerous losses to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs,” Tim Bontemps writes. “Now, Toronto is seen as one of the league’s most mentally tough and resilient teams. To remain in the mix atop the East, they’ll need all that, and then some.
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today gave the Raptors’ chances a solid B, hinting at a possible Lowry trade in the near future if the team stumbles:
Toronto was intent, for the most part, on running it back with Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and (Fred) VanVleet while adding on the edges. The Raptors will see how the season starts and then determine what moves are necessary — try to make another deep run in the playoffs or look to trade assets such as Lowry, who is entering the final season of his (contract).
If we shouldn’t have written off the Raptors after losing Kawhi Leonard, then we definitely shouldn’t write them off after losing Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol. Let’s not forget their best lineups in the playoffs were with Anunoby at the 5 . . . he’s finally playing at his natural position in the modern game. Sounds like a breakout season to me.
Pascal Siakam’s stock took a dive after his performance in the playoffs, and replacing Ibaka with the combination of (Aron) Baynes and (Alex) Len might not be enough. Kyle Lowry turns 35 this season. Toronto was knocked out of the playoffs in the second round and didn’t upgrade much in talent. Even so, the Raptors are never to be counted out.
Danny Leroux of The Athletic pegged the Raptors’ over/under win total at 41.5 wins in this shortened season, or about 47 wins in a regular year:
The Raptors were one of the league’s best regular-season teams a year ago, and while losing Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol hurts, they are still talented and well coached. Expect the Raptors to handle the bottom-feeders and take their fair share against strong teams too, so this over is my favorite on the East board. Toronto’s offensive shortcomings make a Finals run less likely, so hammering the over is likely better than shifting some resources in other directions.
Yes, the losses of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka hurt the interior defense. Yes, Kyle Lowry is another year older. Yes, the Raptors are the only team not playing in their home city this season, and yes, their bench is full of players you’ve never heard of. But do you really want to be the person to bet against the Raptors? Again? Toronto has hit its over nine years in a row. Vegas has never properly appreciated Lowry. It has no way of properly appreciating Nick Nurse.
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Nick Crain of SlamOnline raised big questions about Raptors’ centre rotation and Siakam’s ability to pull through:
The Toronto Raptors are only one season removed from winning an NBA championship. While the roster looks a bit different now, they still have the talent to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The big questions are:
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How productive will the center rotation be? After losing Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, that rotation will be completely new.
Can Pascal Siakam shake off the rust we saw in the bubble? As good of a player as he has the chance to be, that wasn’t his best stretch of basketball. How close is he to his ceiling?
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GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
BRUSSELS – Canadian shot putter Sarah Mitton rebounded from a disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics by capturing Diamond League gold on Friday.
Mitton, of Brooklyn, N.S., won the competition, the final Diamond League event of the season, with a heave of 20.25 metres on her third throw.
Chase Jackson of the U.S. placed second with a throw of 19.90, while German’s Yemisi Ogunleye, the Olympic gold medallist, claimed bronze with a toss of 19.72.
Mitton, the runner-up of last year’s world championship, failed to qualify for the top eight in Paris.
Edmonton runner Marco Arop, who won silver for Canada in the men’s 800 metres at the Paris Games, was scheduled to race in the 800 on Saturday.
Olympic bronze-medallist Alysha Newman, of London, Ont., also competes Saturday in the women’s pole vault.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
