The Toronto Raptors look to build off their dominant 135-92 win on opening night in their second matchup of the 2026-27 NBA regular season. After dominating the lackluster Chicago Bulls at home in Scotiabank Arena, they will now face the new-look Washington Wizards on the road. 

Defending Norman Powell and Josh Giddey was a nice warmup for a team hoping to claim the best defense in the NBA, but Friday night brings a different beast. The Wizards acquired both four-time All-Star Trae Young and 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, as they look to give this franchise a complete turnaround. They are joined by 2026 No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, whose offensive prowess should fit seamlessly next to his new star teammates.

Unfortunately for Washington, the official injury report is not working in its favor. Dybantsa has officially been ruled out due to the left ankle sprain he suffered in the preseason. As for the Raptors, Nate Bittle is out again as he continues to nurse a right foot avulsion fracture, as well as Malachi Smith who is playing with the G-League affiliate, Raptors 905. 

It’s no secret that the biggest weakness for the Raptors is their frontcourt depth. Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles showed in Game 1 that they could be a great one-two punch this year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they should be favored against other bigs. Although the All-Rookie selection has proven to be one of the most promising young defenders in the league, his 6-foot-7 frame limits him against the bigger enforcers in the NBA. Poeltl makes up for Murray-Boyles’ lack of size, but he instead lacks the mobility for more athletic centers.

Most would assume their ability to use their strengths together would suffice with such brilliant defenders around them like two-time DPOY Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes, who finished fifth for DPOY last year. This would typically be true, but a healthy Davis has proven to be simply unstoppable. His combination of size, physicality, and athleticism along with finesse, shooting, and post work makes him a matchup nightmare for anyone in the world. He has been harshly criticized throughout his career for his poor durability, but all that matters is that he’s healthy now; he proved such by contributing 34 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in a 128-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

If the Raptors want to make the game as easy as possible, they need to blitz Young. The former Atlanta Hawk is one of the most underrated players in the NBA, averaging 25 points and 10 assists for his eight-year career, but his lack of size or athleticism will be an issue against this tenacious Toronto defense. He has struggled at times against longer defenders who don’t let him operate freely in the pick-and-roll. The more he is rushed with the basketball, the more difficult it will be for him to make quick decisions and find the open man, which may be his best attribute. 

As for Davis, defending him straight up is a death wish. It would be in the Raptors’ best interest to not only front him in the post, but also double him to limit his shot attempts and prevent him from finding a rhythm. Toronto must be on their A-game in terms of rotating and flying around the floor in order to make the role players beat them tonight, but if it can do that, it’ll have a great chance to improve to 2-0 to begin the season.