Raptors Season Opener opens with a hard overtime win against the crippled Pelicans

Photo courtesy of Chris Young, The Canadian Press

 

By Eduardo Harari

 

TORONTO. – The anticipation before the game opener at Scotiabank Arena started days prior to the game not only by the fans but by all the personnel of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. The preparations were intense as the day approached and the whole show got ready to be performed for what was the culmination of a season of glory for the 25^th year old franchise.

 

During the past 25 years of hopes, hardships, expectations and hard work, the Toronto Raptors never expected it would culminate in a night like this one.

 

I still can remember that first season back in November of 1995 when a group of young players walked onto the floor of a basketball court in the enormous facility of the SkyDome. Neither the NBA nor the entrepreneur group that brought basketball to Canada’s largest metropolis knew if the investment would become a reality and supported by a miniscule fan base that has become the envy of many NBA centers.

 

Photo courtesy of Moe Doiron, The Canadian Press

 

That glorious day in the winter of 1995 more than 33,00 basketball aficionados packed the confines of the SkyDome to watch a team guided by a novice head coach and basketball legend Isiah Thomas against the New Jersey Nets. It was a great start for the franchise as they beat the Nets on their opening contest 97 – 79. That first season the Raptors would finish with a record of 21 – 61 which was not out of the norm for a team full of young talent with future potential.

 

As the time went along fans began to get frustrated and the team hit and all time low in the 1997 -1998 season when they finished with a 16 – 66 record. Then GM Glen Grunwald did not know how to answer to the dissatisfaction of the fans.

 

The Raptors shocked the basketball world for the first time during the draft of June in 1998 when they used a Pat Gillick type maneuver and managed the trade of a lifetime that brought Superman Vince Carter to the young team. He managed to elevate the game of the team to level never expected and placed Toronto in the eyes of the basketball world with his performance at the 2000 All-Star game in Oakland.

 

Photo courtesy of John Mabanglo, The Toronto Star

 

The team found a new source of life in their new talented star and culminated with the Raptors first post-season appearance.

 

It took almost 13 years for the team to get to that level again but since 2013, this team managed to draft players that flourished into super stars and have guided the franchise to post season appearances steadily. If it wasn’t for adversities like Lebron James who crushed their hopes with the Cleveland Cavaliers in three consecutive occasions, the Raptors would have made it further into the post season and maybe even the championships.

 

Photo courtesy of Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports

 

With Lebron James gone to soak in the California sun with the Lakers, it became obvious to the Raptors that their time was now to act and take sole control of the Eastern conference. It was when the team president Masai Ujiri went back in time and pulled another rabbit out of the hat and traded their superstar DeMar DeRozan and a couple of young prospects for the #! Player in the NBA Kwahi Leonard accompanied by a versatile three-point threat in Danny Green.

 

That was all what the robust and formidable Raptors needed to last the season, but Ujiri wasn’t done as he decided to bring late season reinforcements for the center position and sent Jonas Valanciunas to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the veteran Spaniard Marc Gasol.

 

The addition of Gasol gave the team a definite advantage in providing a shield to Leonard’s shooting attack.

 

Before the game, with championship trophy on display, a video highlight package from last spring's playoff run was shown on the arena's big screens.

 

It highlighted the important parts from the first three rounds before culminating in Toronto's six-game NBA Finals win over the Golden State Warriors, the first title in franchise history. It was hard not to remark on the thing that was missing – Kawhi Leonard.

 

Photo courtesy of Stan Behal, Postmedia Network

 

Leonard was noticeably de-emphasized in the video. There were certain unavoidable inclusions – ‘the Shot’ against Philadelphia; the moment of final victory.

 

Yes, Leonard left Toronto, but he left behind the most valuable gift this city and franchise will never forget. Rewriting history makes the Raptors look like sore losers. More to the point, it isn’t helping anyone.

 

Had they any sense, mentioning Leonard during the ceremony would have made the organization look humble. Surely the crowd wanted the chance to celebrate him, if only just this once.

 

Leave it to team owner Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to turn Leonard into Paul Revere – helped us win the battle, then gets airbrushed out of the picture.

 

Photo courtesy of Baron Championship Rings

 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver presented members of the Raptors' front office and ownership group their rings before the heroes were introduced to emphatic applause as they received their championship rings.

 

It was time for a someone to bail the Raptor’s ownership out of this unbelievable mess and Kyle Lowry grabbed the microphone and quickly started to thank the other members of the championship team that were absent or no longer with the organization.

 

After the festivities, the Raptors got back to work. It wasn't pretty in the early going.

 

On paper, the lines looked like a mismatch as the Raptors, who were 58-24 last season, faced an inferior Pelicans team without their No. 1 draft pick Zion Williamson.

 

Head coach Nick Nurse went with a starting five of OG Anunoby, Gasol, Lowry, Siakam and VanVleet.

 

The Raptors looked horrible over the first few possessions. J.J. Redick made a three-pointer that capped a 13-4 start for the Pelicans, forcing Toronto to call a quick timeout.

 

The home side rebounded after the break with Siakam and Lowry running the show. A VanVleet layup cut the deficit to one and Siakam followed with two free throws to give Toronto a 20-19 lead.

 

Photo courtesy of Vaughn Ridley, Getty Images

 

VanVleet delivered a highlight moments later with a reverse layup, switching hands under the basket and converting the free throw for a three-point play. Nickeil Alexander-Walker — a Toronto native — responded with a three-pointer for the Pelicans, who led 30-27 after one quarter.

 

Ibaka and Norm Powell were first up off the bench and Terence Davis picked up his first basket as a Raptor with 3:37 left in the second quarter to trim the New Orleans lead to 49-46.

 

The surprising New Orleans side was game and coach Alvin Gentry made frequent substitutions with 12 different players seeing the court by halftime. The Pelicans led 61-56 at the half.

 

After the halftime the Raptors picked up the pace and got the crowd excited when OG Anunoby’s surprising dunk placed the Raptors ahead 73 – 70. At the end of the third quarter the Raptors lead by two 88 – 86.

 

Photo courtesy of Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE

 

Siakam scored back-to-back three-pointers midway through the fourth quarter to give the Raptors a 103-99 advantage. The Pelicans responded with a 10-0 run before VanVleet hit a pair of free throws.

 

Siakam went back to work by converting a three-point play and adding a putback bucket to give Toronto a 110-109 lead with 2:37 left to play.

 

"I'm capable of scoring and scoring in different ways," Siakam said. "I know what's expected of me and I'm going to continue to work hard to make sure that I do my job and continue to help the team win."

 

After the game the Raptors head coach had only praises for the play of his new star.

 

"We had to go to him time and time again there for stretches," Nurse said. "He produced. He was great."