The Toronto Raptors will try to start their 2016-17 season on a winning note, as they play host to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday 7:30 p.m US EST at Air Canada Center in Toronto, Canada.
Game Preview:
The Raptors march into the new season with huge momentum behind them. After reaching their first ever Eastern Conference finals and pushing the heavy favorite Cleveland Cavaliers to six games in their series, Toronto is aiming big this time around.
The Raptors kept their All-Star backcourt intact after re-signing DeMar DeRozan to a five-year, $130 million deal. They have also beefed up their frontline by signing Jared Sullinger to a one-year, $5M deal and selecting seven-footer Jakob Poeltl with the 9th pick in the 2016 Draft.
More importantly, DeMarre Carroll will start the new season healthy. The Raptors will need more production from the two-way swingman this season, if they want to better their performance last year.
Meanwhile, the Pistons are a bit out of luck early this season. They have just lost starting point guard Reggie Jackson to a UCL sprain in his thumb and knee tendinitis. He's expected to miss the first 14 to 16 games, giving backup guard Ish Smith the chance to prove his worth as the lead playmaker.
The Raptors dominated the Piston in their past 10 head-to-head matches, winning seven of three contests.
Players to Watch:
Pistons Starting Lineup: Ish Smith, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tobias Harris, Marcus Morris, Andre Drummond
Like what he did last season, Drummond is going to have another dominant year in the paint. Expect this big man to record 15+ points and 15+ rebounds along with two blocks per game every single game. Value fantasy pick should go to Smith, who is going to pile up quality stats in extended playing time.
Raptors Starting Lineup: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Pat Siakam, Jonas Valanciunas
Lowry and DeRozan will once again carry the heavy load of Raptors offense. However, everybody should look out for Terrence Ross to have a better showing this season. Ross is poised to be the sixth man for this Raptors, proving double-digit points off the bench.
Prediction:
A fast-paced game will great favor the Raptors. Then again, the Piston could capitalize their advantage down low. They are going to like Drummond match-up against Valanciunas who is not known much as a shot blocker. In the end, the predicted score is: Pistons 87, Raptors 101.
Watch Pistons vs. Raptors live stream on NBA League Pass. TV Guide: Tune in on TSN and FS Detroit.