The start of the regular season shows that the Toronto Raptors made the right decision by signing Kawhi Leonard in the off-season. Without the experienced forward, the Raptors immediately struggled away against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and their upcoming meeting with the Orlando Magic should provide another test for the Canadian team.
Toronto Raptors
With Kawhi Leonard in the line-up, the Toronto Raptors made a strong start to the season against relatively modest opposition in the Chicago Bulls (135:92) and the Washington Wizards (112:102), with Leonard scoring a combined 39 points across those games. The Raptors star missed the next game because of knee swelling — they were comprehensively beaten by the Minnesota Timberwolves (94:117). Even so, the Raptors need to adapt quickly to playing with a depleted squad — Leonard has struggled to stay consistently fit for a long time.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic's leading players are also frequent injury absentees. Jonathan Isaac, Paolo Banchero, Nelson and Noah Penda are currently unavailable. Despite those absences, the Magic unexpectedly beat the reigning champions away from home, but Vagner expended a great deal of energy against the New York Knicks (111:102), recording 23 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists — the German will not perform at such a high level for a second consecutive game.
Toronto Raptors vs Orlando Magic Prediction
Before their trip to the New York Knicks, the Orlando Magic lost their opening two games of the season at home, conceding at least 115 points in each. The Magic's defence is unlikely to cope with the Toronto Raptors' attack, which overwhelmed them in their meeting in Toronto in the spring (139:87).
