Since the release of the 2013-2014 NBA regular season schedule, spectators from far and wide have been flocking to their keyboards to offer predictions relating to their respective teams. North of the border, many basketball fans who follow Canada’s team are growing excited as the regular season is now only a bit over two months away.
With an 82 game format, the NBA schedule can be predicted by most (in terms of teams played more than twice), but the order of games is not so easily mapped out. This is significant because as we all know too well, timing and momentum can make or break a team in the association. Here are some notable components of the Raptors schedule this season:
18 back-to-back pairings.
Longest home stand takes place Nov. 22 – Dec. 1 (four games: vs. WAS, vs. BKN, vs. MIA, vs. DEN).
Longest road trip takes place Jan. 31 – Feb. 7 (five games: @DEN, @POR, @UTA, @SAC, @LAC).
January is the busiest month with 17 games (nine at home, eight away).
Looking deeper into Toronto’s schedule, it is apparent that this year’s campaign starts with some tough opponents, but eases as the season progresses. What does this mean for the Raptors, you ask? This means that the team must avoid stumbling out of the gate in a fashion reminiscent of last season’s 4-19 start. Otherwise, we should not be surprised by a mid-season fire sale courtesy of Masai Ujiri.
After opening the season at home on Oct. 30 against the Boston Celtics, November looks to be a interesting month on paper. The Raptors play against a couple rebuilding teams (Philadelphia and Utah) clearly partaking in the event known by many as “tankapalooza”, while they also take the court against the defending NBA champion Miami Heat twice in Toronto (Nov. 5 and Nov. 29), along with a flurry of playoff tested teams who look to be contending for the title (Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets).
December brings more of the same difficulties with its timetable in the form of two road trips of three and four games which put Toronto against respected teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. As if that’s not challenging enough, the Raps will also head to the Windy City to play against the Bulls on Dec. 14 and Dec. 31.
Many Raptor supporters hold the belief that the acquisition of Rudy Gay would have gotten the team into the post-season back in April had it been made earlier than late-January last season. If there’s a time to confirm or disprove that statement, it will over the first two (full) months of the 2013 NBA calendar. 
No need for panic though— there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The second half of the upcoming regular season holds many matchups which can swing in Toronto’s favour. January contains more home games than any other month, and February, March and April are riddled with games that will have Canada’s team fighting with other franchises hoping to grab on to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference (such as the Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons). If the Raptors can win a decent portion of the significant games versus their direct competition for the 6-8 seeds, a playoff spot is not out of reach.
Here are the 10 Raptors games you can’t afford miss this season:
– Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs. Boston (home openers are always fun).
– Tuesday, Nov. 5 vs. Miami (first of two Heat appearances in Toronto, the crowd should be electric).
– Friday, Nov. 15 vs. Chicago (Derrick Rose, anyone?).
– Tuesday, Nov. 26 vs. Brooklyn (look at that new starting lineup).
– Saturday, Dec. 28 vs. New York (Il Mago makes his controversial return to the ACC!).
– Sunday, Jan. 19 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (Kobe’s visits up north are ALWAYS interesting).
– Saturday, Jan. 25 vs. Los Angeles Clippers (almost a full year after Rudy Gay’s first game as a Raptor, we suit up against Lob City again).
– Friday, Feb. 21 vs. Cleveland (crucial game with playoff implications, and not one, but two high Canadian draft picks coming home).
– Sunday, Mar. 2 vs. Golden State (look for the highest scoring game of the Raptors’ season here).
– Sunday, Apr. 13 @ Detroit (this game could end up deciding where the Raptors will seed in the playoffs, or if they will make the post-season at all).
Buckle up, folks. We’re in for a wild ride.
