Toronto, Ontario (My Sportsbook) - Michael Jordan begins his second season in Washington when the Wizards take on the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre Wednesday in the season opener for both teams.

The Wizards flirted with a postseason berth last season until Jordan's knee showed its age. Following surgery, Jordan's knee took longer to heal than he would have liked, but he nevertheless decided to return to action this season, greatly increasing Washington's playoff chances.

In an effort to cut down on the nightly pounding his body takes, the five-time MVP will likely be playing the shooting guard position off the bench for the Wizards.

Head coach Doug Collins will have a wealth of scoring options this season with his team's new look, as the Wizards acquired Jerry Stackhouse via trade and signed free agents Larry Hughes and Bryon Russell. Washington nabbed Stackhouse from Detroit along with forward Brian Cardinal and center Ratko Varda in exchange for guards Richard Hamilton and Hubert Davis and forward Bobby Simmons.

Along with the wave of athleticism brought into the fold, Washington added grit to its roster by signing veteran Charles Oakley from Chicago.

The Toronto Raptors had a roller coaster ride of a season in 2001-02. The team suffered through a five-week period in February and March when it dropped 19 of 22 games. Then with their best player, Vince Carter, sidelined with a knee injury, the Raptors won nine straight during a late-season push and qualified for the playoffs.

Once touted as Toronto's savior, Carter needs to come back from knee surgery with a strong 2002-03 campaign to silence his critics and calm team-chemistry concerns.

The Raptors acquired forward Lamond Murray from Cleveland in September trade. However, Murray underwent surgery Monday to repair a ligament tear in his right midfoot, which he suffered in an October 18 preseason contest versus New Jersey. He is expected to be sidelined for at least eight weeks.

The Raptors will also have to deal with the loss of shot-blocking specialist Keon Clark, who signed with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason.

Washington finished with a 5-3 mark in the preseason, while the Raptors went 3-5.

The Wizards won two of the three meetings with the Raptors last season, but the teams split a pair of matchups at Toronto. The Raptors have won six of the last eight meetings overall and six of the last seven tilts at Air Canada Centre.