Report: Immanuel Quickley OUT vs. Bucks, Ochai Agbaji quesionable
The third time isn’t the charm as lead guard Immanuel Quickley will miss his third consecutive game against the Milwaukee Bucks, per Michael Grange. Head coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned that he’s been dealing with a left hip injury for some time now. He was reportedly playing through it until it got worse. He completed some light shooting but nothing more than that as he hasn’t been involved in team drills.
The injury bug has been Quickley’s arch-nemesis this season. He had a pelvic issue and then a UCL sprain, which all combined to result in only nine games played this season. In the small sample size he’s played he’s averaging 16.2 points, 6.1 assists with shooting splits of 38 percent from the field and 34.5 from three alongside a free throw percentage of 94. The numbers aren’t pretty but it’s tough to stay consistent when dealing with injuries.
His absence creates the difficulty of meshing the core together to build the chemistry they need to lead this young Raptors team. The projected starting lineup of Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick and Jakob Poeltl have only played four games together this season.
The starting guard’s absence will mean Davion Mitchell gets another start making it his 17th of the season. As a starter, he’s averaged 8.2 points, 5.8 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc. Not to mention his impact beyond the numbers, Mitchell is a pest and a very skilled perimeter defender. The Raptors are 5-11 this season when Mitchell starts, which is far better than their overall mark on the season.
For the organization and fans, it’s been a harsh season so far, to say the least. With less than a month until the trade deadline fans are curious to know where the team is headed. There has been no real sample to go off of to truly know if this core should be kept together or not.
Barnes and Barrett have shown promise as a potentially threatening duo, just not consistently enough yet. Dick has truly taken a big step, but he has seemed to hit a sophomore slump recently. Poeltl and Ochai Agbaji have been excellent role players — though Agbaji is questionable for Toronto’s upcoming contest. Undoubtedly, Quickley is a starter-worthy player because of his high-level shooting and playmaking. However, it’s tough to integrate him into the rest of the system when he can’t get on the court. By Feb. 6, Toronto might be looking at a different Raptors’ squad.
Toronto’s next matchup is against the Milwaukee Bucks Jan. 17 at 8 PM in Fiserv Forum.
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