GAME #1 – TORONTO RAPTORS (0-0) vs. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (0-0)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2021 – 7:30 P.M. (ET) – SCOTIABANK ARENA
TV: TSN – RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN
RAPTORS NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors will tip-off their 27th season in the NBA on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto returns eight players that finished last season with the team. The Raptors played the entire 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida and have not hosted a regular season game in Toronto since Feb. 28, 2020 vs. Charlotte. Only four players — OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher, Pascal
Siakam and Fred VanVleet — remain from the team that played the Hornets that night.
• Wednesday night marks the 10th straight season and the 21st time in team history Toronto has started the regular season at home. The Raptors sport a 16-10 record in season openers, including 13-7 at home. It is
the third time Toronto has opened the season against the Wizards. The two clubs faced off to start the 2002-03 (W 74-68) and 2005-06 (L 99-96) campaigns.
• The Raptors finished their 2021 preseason schedule with a 3-2 record. Toronto averaged 113.4 points and finished with a +22 point differential (567-to-545). OG Anunoby averaged a team-high 19.3 points and shot .542 (13-for-24) from three-point range in four appearances. Newcomer Precious Achiuwa averaged a team-best 8.6 rebounds in five games, while rookie Scottie Barnes averaged 9.8 points, a team-high 5.6assists and 4.8 rebounds. Barnes tallied 28 assists compared to just nine turnovers in five games.
• The Raptors picked guard-forward Scottie Barnes fourth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Barnes averaged 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 24.7 minutes in 24 games as a freshman at Florida State last season. A native of West Palm Beach, Barnes was named ACC Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year and
was selected to the All-ACC Third Team. He was also among the 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
• DID YOU KNOW? A native of Toronto, guard Dalano Banton became the first Canadian picked by the Raptors when he was selected 46th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.
• The Raptors have exercised the third-year team option on the rookie scale contracts of Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. Both players are now signed through the 2022-23 season. Achiuwa averaged 5.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 12.1 minutes in 61 games as a rookie last season with Miami, and was named to
the World Team roster for the 2021 NBA Rising Stars. Flynn averaged 7.5 points, 2.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 19.7 minutes in 47 appearances, and was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April.
• Pascal Siakam underwent surgery in early June to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. The injury to Siakam’s shoulder occurred May 8 vs. Memphis. The expected recovery and rehabilitation time for this
procedure is approximately five months, and his condition will be updated as appropriate. Siakam appeared in 56 games last season, averaging 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and a career-high 4.5 assists.
The view from left field 