The short-handed Toronto Raptors kicked off the pre-season with a resounding win on Sunday night in Montreal, but got an injury scare.
RJ Barrett had to leave early after scoring game-high 17 points in a dominant first half of an eventual 125-98 win over the woeful Washington Wizards at the Bell Centre.
Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, rookie Ja’Kobe Walter and Bruce Brown were already sitting out, as expected, in the first of five exhibitions.
But that gave the team a better look at rookies Jamal Shead and Jonathan Mogbo, who started at power forward, sophomore Gradey Dick, who also started, and new acquisition Davion Mitchell, who replaced Quickley alongside regular starters Barrett and Jakob Poeltl.
Washington went with what could be its regular-season first unit of former Raptor Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole, 2024 No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr and 2023 No. 7 selection Bilal Coulibaly. Sarr and Coulibaly were about the only bright spots for the Wizards, who never led.
Here are some takeaways from the first of 87 (barring an unlikely run at a play-in or playoff spot) Raptors games this season:
WHO NEEDS A TUNEUP?
Barrett didn’t get as much time off as usual because he played for Team Canada in France at the Olympics, but maybe that’s a good thing. He looked to be more ready for game action than just about anyone else on the floor.
Barrett was red-hot early, even hitting his first three three-point attempts and 7-of-10 shots overall, before leaving for the locker room after getting his shoulder crunched on a screen by the physical Valanciunas.
Barrett and Kelly Olynyk will have the benefit of Olympic participation and the latter looked rather crisp as well, particularly as a play-maker.
Barrett was utilized as a pick-and-roll creator at times and looked comfortable dishing, as well as scoring. Granted, Washington’s defence was awful, but Barrett looked ready to go.
The Raptors don’t play again until Friday and held Barrett out for the second half, labelling the injury a right shoulder contusion.
GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Jamal Shead, the 45th pick of the draft, made one heck of a first impression. The point guard, who was the engine of an excellent Houston Cougars program, immediately showed why he’s the reigning NCAA defensive player of the year. He made a great steal almost instantly upon entering the game, and later added another, then ran up the court, caught a pass and made a tough layup.
Shead was all over the place defensively and a thorn in the side of the Wizards. Those Fred VanVleet comparisons (other than the jump shot) looked pretty apt. The Shead-Mitchell battle is going to be interesting to watch as both can really defend. Shead got a longer look when Mitchell slipped and tweaked his hamstring, forcing him to leave the game for a while.
WORK IN PROGRESS?
The Raptors used 30 different starting lineups in a wretched 2023-24 campaign, but that number should be far lower this time around. For one, there probably won’t be two blockbuster trades and the odds of the injuries and non-basketball-related absences piling up to the massive degree they did again are pretty slim.
Still, head coach Darko Rajakovic sounds like someone who isn’t convinced yet he has a five-man unit written in stone.
“I think this season, we don’t have a cemented five,” Rajakovic told reporters in Montreal. That’s a bit of a surprising statement, considering four players seem like iron-clad locks to start whenever healthy (Barnes, Quickley, Poeltl and Barrett), leaving shooting guard as the only real discussion, if everyone is healthy.
Dick has to be the large betting favourite, and he looked solid early on Sunday.
It’s possible Rajakovic gives Brown some time when he returns to action. But Brown isn’t a long-term Raptor so that would be merely to showcase him for a trade. Ochai Agbaji would be another option, if the team prioritizes defence, but that seems unlikely because there wouldn’t be enough spacing (unless Barrett shoots like he did in Montreal).
Rajakovic also said he would be experimenting with his bench options quite a bit “giving guys opportunities in games just to see their growth and how they can affect the game.”
MIXING IT UP
Dick was considered the best outside shooter in his draft class and the three-point shot is definitely his most dangerous weapon, but he’s trying to show he’s more than just a shooter. He’s a good cutter and athlete who doesn’t mind taking contact and getting to the rim.
On Sunday, he seemed to be making a point of finding other ways to score as his first eight points all came off the dribble.
AROUND THE RIM
This was the Raptors’ seventh pre-season game at the Bell Centre where it remains undefeated … The Wizards announced before the game that oft-injured point guard Malcolm Brogdon, a former rookie of the year and sixth man of the year, was out with an injury to his shooting hand. Washington elected to go without a traditional point guard to start, bringing highly touted rookie Bub Carrington off the bench … You can understand the reasoning by the Raptors of holding out Barnes. He’s been away from the team for personal reasons since media day last Monday, but it’s a shame he couldn’t play even a few minutes for the fans in Montreal who sold out the building again. At least the crowd got to cheer on Montreal’s own Chris Boucher and Washington rookie Kyshawn George, who had tons of friends and family on hand. His dad hails from Montreal.
@WolstatSun