Toronto Raptors: 5 can’t-miss games from 2020-21 first-half schedule

4. Toronto Raptors at Brooklyn Nets – Feb. 5, 2021

The Brooklyn team that the Raptors will see in early February is a whole different animal from the team that Toronto swept in the first round of the playoffs last season.

That team was led by Caris LeVert. Today, LeVert is the third option. In a few weeks’ time, he might be the fourth, or worse, heading to Houston.

A healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are ready to make Brooklyn the new home of New York basketball. And, if the Nets can work some magic, a certain bearded baller might be joining the fold as well.

And this happy group of totally egoless players will be led by first-time coach Steve Nash. It could go off the rails, or it could win a championship, but either way, it’s going to be interesting.

The Nets aren’t even that top-heavy. They have the requisite role players in Jarrett Allen and Joe Harris to complement their superstars. It’s simply a question of if Nash can get the group to gel.

Over on the Northside, there’s no question about gelling, but do the Raptors have enough firepower to go up against a lineup riddled with All-Stars? We’ll have a solid idea of what Brooklyn is by the time the Raptors roll into town. They’ll either be a juggernaut or a tire fire, and it feels like there aren’t many possibilities in between.