Toronto Raptors announce 17-man opening night roster

Dec 22 2020, 6:10 pm

The Toronto Raptors are ready for tip off, in what promises to be another unprecedented season for a number of reasons.

They’re hosting the New Orleans Pelicans in their “home” opener at their new temporary home in Tampa on Wednesday, just two days before Christmas.

Yes, 2020 continues to be really weird.

The Raptors lost key players in Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in the offseason, but given the team’s depth and commitment to defence, they’re sure to be a strong team once again. After all, the Raps finished with the NBA’s second-best regular season record last season.

On Tuesday, the Raptors revealed the 17 players who have made their opening night roster.

  • Kyle Lowry (guard)
  • Pascal Siakam (forward)
  • Fred VanVleet (guard)
  • Norm Powell (guard)
  • OG Anunoby (forward)
  • Chris Boucher (forward-centre)
  • Matt Thomas (guard)
  • Patrick McCaw (guard)
  • Aron Baynes (centre-forward)
  • Deandre Bembry (guard-forward)
  • Alex Len (centre)
  • Stanley Johnson (forward-guard)
  • Paul Watson (guard)
  • Terence Davis (guard)
  • Malachi Flynn (guard)
  • Jalen Harris (guard)
  • Yuta Watanabe (guard-forward)

The roster features 11 returnees and six newcomers, including 2020 draft picks Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris. The Raptors also added four players with NBA experience, including Aron Baynes from the Phoenix Suns, Deandre Bembry (Atlanta Hawks), Alex Len (Sacramento Kings), and Yuta Watanabe (Memphis Grizzlies).

The team now features players from five continents, including six non-American players: Pascal Siakam (Cameroon), OG Anunoby (UK), Chris Boucher (Canada), Baynes (Australia), Len (Ukraine), and Watanabe (Japan).

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