Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets: Raptors host as injury woes continue

The last time I wrote one of these game previews, the Toronto Raptors were coming off their second win in a row, and their fifth victory in their previous eight games. The team was on the verge of their first pizza party of the season and, to be transparent, I thought they were turning a corner.

Instead, they lost their next game by 37 at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder. And they lost the four games that followed. To make matters worse, Scottie Barnes sustained a sprained ankle and was stuck in a walking boot for about a week.

Granted, the RJ Barrett-led Raptors continue to have fun stretches that have made for some close finishes, like their one-point loss against the Chicago Bulls on Monday. And it’s not like the fanbase is clamoring for a play-in appearance this season.

But as injuries pile up — Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley have both been out for extended periods, and Jakob Poeltl’s status is in doubt — it becomes harder for the team to evaluate and develop its core. That being said, the injuries open up opportunities for healthy players farther down in the rotation. Will they step up against the Brooklyn Nets?

Here are the details for tonight’s game.

Where to Watch:

Sportsnet, 7:30 PM EST

Lineups:

Toronto: RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Jonathan Mogbo, Chris Boucher

Brooklyn: Ben Simmons, Keon Johnson, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton

Injuries:

Toronto: Immanuel Quickley — elbow (OUT), Jakob Poeltl — groin (OUT), Bruce Brown — knee/conditioning (OUT), Scottie Barnes — ankle (questionable), Jamison Battle — ankle (questionable)

Brooklyn: Bojan Bogdanovic — foot (OUT), De’Anthony Melton — knee (OUT), Cam Thomas — hamstring (OUT), Trendon Watford — hamstring (OUT), Ziaire Willias — knee (questionable)

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RJ Barrett: Playmaker

Losing both point guard Immanuel Quickley and point forward Scottie Barnes is overall a negative development that means fewer easy scoring chances for teammates. On the flip side, though, it means more reps for RJ Barrett, whose incredible development this season has notably included his ascension as a playmaker. His 23.5 points per game are a career high, but so are his 6.1 assists — nearly double his previous high of 3.3. The team misses Quickley and Barnes, but I’m not complaining about watching Barrett in this featured role. (Oh, and heads up: All-Star voting starts today. Just saying!)

Sell Now Mode

The Nets traded point guard (and ex-Raptor) Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors for De’Anthony Melton, who’s out for the season, Reece Beekman and a few second-round draft picks. The trade better positions the Nets to do one thing they had a tougher time doing earlier this season: Lose. Schroder, averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists with career highs in threes per game and three-point percentage, had been a major part of the Nets’ surprising success earlier this season. Another major contributor has been Cam Thomas, who’s averaging a career-high 24.7 points per game but has missed the last eight with a hamstring strain. The Nets started off 8-10 this season — since Thomas’ hamstring injury, they’ve gone 2-6. Both the Nets and Raptors would love a top draft pick, and tonight’s game will help decide the lottery ball math six months from now.

No Size to Spare

It’s tough to fully quantify Jakob Poeltl’s importance to the Raptors. Here’s an attempt: He’s only missed one game so far this season, which the Raptors lost by 37 to the Thunder. Yes, the Thunder are good, but the Raptors have also held their own against some top-level teams this season. Poeltl is the adult in the room, as well as the only real center on the roster. In his absence with a groin injury, they’ll have to really on the physicality and energy of guys like Jonathan Mogbo and Chris Boucher, who’s done an excellent job this year stepping up when he’s called on. We may also see Kelly Olynyk’s playing time rise from his current 13.5 minutes per game, as he shakes off the expected rust.