The Toronto Raptors are coming off one of the best seasons in franchise history and the best part is they kept a majority of that roster together for the upcoming season. The Raptors managed to win the Kyle Lowry sweepstakes and re-sign the emerging point guard, while players like DeMar DeRozan and Terrance Ross also return. The Raptors are hoping to keep the momentum alive as the face another team coming off a surprising year, the Atlanta Hawks who came close to knocking the Indiana Pacers out of the postseason.
The Raptors won a franchise-record 48 games last season while getting the first place spot in the Atlanta Division. However, they saw an early exit in the postseason after the Brooklyn Nets ripped through them in the first round of the playoffs. That starting lineup is looking for different results this year. The first step in achieving that was keeping Lowry who signed a four-year, $48 million contract after averaging 17.9 points and 7.4 assists per game. He was the talk of free agency, but Toronto kept him on the pay roll.
The Raptors added names like Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson to the payroll after re-signing both stars to new contracts. Lou Williams is also on board after being released following a cost-cutting move. The Raptors are hoping this is the roster that takes them far.
The Atlanta Hawks are another team that enters the year with a relatively similar roster to last season. The biggest addition is a healthy Al Horford who missed all but 29 games last year after tearing his right pectoral muscle. Getting a healthy Horford is a big upgrade to roster along with Thabo Sefolosha and rookie Adreian Payne.
The Hawks are hoping that Paul Millsap can come up big in a contract year after making big strides last season. He averaged 17.9 points while making the All-Star team. Jeff Teague is also looking to capitalize off a big year where he put up 34 points against the Raptors last March.
