After six months of sitting around and twiddling their thumbs, Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors are officially back in action. Following a 4-0 preseason, the squad will try to start off the season on a high note at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Toronto will not be able to breeze through this game and pick up a quick victory, as the Timberwolves have one of the best defenders in the game at their disposal in Rudy Gobert alongside the always-difficult Karl-Anthony Towns and a rising superstar in Anthony Edwards.
Masai Ujiri’s bunch will be in for a very long, winding season thanks to the unusual construction of their roster. Will they begin with a victory against a star-laden team, or get off on the wrong foot?
Despite the fact Barnes suffered a foot injury during Toronto’s final preseason game against the Washington Wizards, he is going to play in this game. Head coach Darko Rajakovic didn’t seem too concerned about it, calling Barnes “completely fine” after the game.
All signs point to Towns playing in his first game of the season against Toronto. With Towns having been a dream trade target for fans back in the day before they committed to some of their ancillary pieces, fans will get a chance to rub it in Towns’ face in this game.
This game will get started at 7:30 P.M. ET (4:30 P.M. PT) and will be broadcast live on TSN. NBA League Pass will carry the game for Toronto or Chicago fans who want to watch outside of their home market, and FuboTV offers a free trial.
The only player who has been ruled out for Toronto is young center Christian Koloko, who is currently dealing with a respiratory issue that sidelined him for Summer League and the preseason. Koloko will show up on these reports indefinitely.