The Toronto Raptors left Vancouver with a preseason win and a clearer picture of where a few key rotation pieces stand. Toronto beat the Los Angeles Clippers 114-106 at Rogers Arena, built a 12-point halftime lead, and then coasted through the second half after taking its foot off the gas.
The cleanest takeaway belonged to RJ Barrett, who looked like the best player on the floor for Toronto. He scored a team-high 20 points in just 23 minutes, giving the Raptors exactly the kind of burst they want to see from him as he enters the final year of his contract.
Barrett is playing for a contract extension, and there’s a chance he could get a new deal before the start of the season. If this kind of production keeps showing up, Toronto will have a harder time ignoring the need to make a long-term commitment.
Immanuel Quickley also gave the Raptors something real to build on. This is a major season for him, since Toronto needs him to keep moving forward, and he answered against the Clippers by knocking down 6 of 8 shots overall and 5 of 6 from three. He finished with a team-best plus-27, and his shooting gives the Raptors another weapon opponents have to account for.
Kyle Anderson got his first run with Toronto after sitting out the preseason game against the Miami Heat, and the team used the night to see how he fits as a small-ball center. He didn’t score in 16 minutes, but the look itself mattered.
The Raptors need help at that spot behind Jakob Poeltl, and there’s no clear answer yet for where the extra production will come from. Anderson’s 6-8, 230-pound frame makes him a logical option there, especially with Collin Murray-Boyles and Allen Graves unavailable because of injury.
Not everything went smoothly, though. Jamal Shead, listed here as Hepburn, was expected to see action against the Clippers but left with a hamstring strain.
He’s got a chance to land on the Raptors’ roster at some point this season, which makes every preseason rep valuable. With only one week of preseason left, the injury clouds that opportunity and leaves his status unclear.
In Other News...
Cam Christie Is Running Out Of Time To Make Clippers Roster
Cam Christie came into camp with a little extra runway, and the Clippers gave him one by extending his guarantee date so he could try to earn his keep in training camp and preseason. For a former second-round pick, it was a clear chance to show he belonged on the roster, especially on a team that watches every spot closely and expects young players to make a case quickly.
Instead, the preseason has made the decision harder, not easier. Christie has struggled to shoot it cleanly and has not helped himself on the defensive end, leaving the Clippers with little evidence that his development has moved forward as hoped. With the roster picture tightening, the pressure is building around whether he can still do enough in time to stick. [Read more 🡒]