Five games of note for Toronto Raptors fans this season

Should mark the first time since Jan. 14, 2012 that the Raptors have faced Derrick Rose in a Bulls uniform. The Bulls point guard played just 10 games last season after missing the entire 2012-13 season due to injuries. Chicago, with Rose in the lineup and the off-season addition of Pao Gasol, will be one of the team's the Raptors will have to overcome if they are to contend for the Eastern Conference title this year.

This being the 20th anniversary of NBA basketball in Canada, this match-up features the last two expansion franchises to join the NBA in the last two decades. The Grizzlies originally began life in Vancouver in 1995 before moving to Memphis in 2001, leaving Toronto as the lone Canadian NBA representative.

The last time LeBron James played in Toronto as a member of the Cavaliers was in February of the 2009-10 season. In that game, James scored 36 points to lead Cleveland to an eight point win over the Raptors. Only DeMar DeRozen and Amir Johnson remain from that Raptors squad. That was the last year the Cavaliers made the playoffs, advancing all the way to the Eastern Conference semi-finals before losing to the Boston Celtics. James would eventually announce his"decision" to join the Miami Heat in the off-season.

Rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference first round playoff series against the Nets, which came down to a seventh and deciding game in Toronto which the Raptors lost 104-103 when Kyle Lowry had his last second attempt blocked by Paul Pierce at the buzzer. A couple of the antagonists from that series have moved on; Pierce joined the Washington Wizards in the off-season and coach Jason Kidd left to coach the Milwaukee Bucks.

If you're going to be the best, you have to beat the best. Something the Raptors have managed to do only nine times in 36 career meetings against the reigning NBA champions, who will make their one and only visit to Toronto on this date. Of those nine wins, five have come at home. Going into this season, Toronto had lost the last seven meetings against San Antonio.

The return of NBA No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins to his home town of Toronto. There was a lot of Wiggins talk last year in Toronto with many fans suggesting the Raptors tank it in order to secure the No. 1 pick in the draft and have a chance at selecting the highly rated home town phenom. Wiggins was eventually chosen first overall by the Cavaliers but later traded to the Timberwolves as part of the Kevin Love deal. The game will also mark the return of Sam Mitchell, the former outspoken coach of the Raptors who is now an assistant with the T-Wolves.