The Toronto Raptors’ last preseason game ended in a loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, but the night still offered a useful look at the fringes of the roster and one big man who may be pushing his way into the conversation.
Trayce Jackson-Davis was already a name worth watching after a modest showing against New York earlier in the week. Against Detroit, he gave Toronto something more substantial - and did it in a way that wasn’t exactly flashy, but was absolutely effective.
He started, which already made the night a little more interesting, and after a relatively quiet first half with five points and one rebound, the anticipation around him kept building. What followed in the second half was the kind of surge that can change how a team looks at a player. Jackson-Davis scored 18 points in the half, and he did it without missing a shot from the field, going 3-for-3.
The real story, though, was at the line. He kept living there and kept converting, finishing 12-for-13 on free throws in the second half and 15-for-16 overall.
That stood out because this is not the kind of production that has defined his game. Jackson-Davis is a career 55.5% free-throw shooter, and in his limited run with the Raptors last season - 17 games after arriving in the trade deadline deal - he shot 40.9% from the stripe.
So this wasn’t just a matter of getting hot. It was a sign of assertiveness, of a player who looked determined to make the staff notice him.
The aggression was there. The confidence was there.
And after being more of a quiet presence last season, he looked like someone trying to force a different conversation this time around.
That doesn’t mean he’s suddenly guaranteed a role in next season’s rotation. But Toronto’s frontcourt picture still looks unsettled, and outside of Collin Murray-Boyles, who continues to flourish, the Raptors don’t have many bigs with Jackson-Davis’ motor or physicality - and even fewer true centers.
That’s where this preseason performance matters. Toronto is still searching for more variety, more youth, and more invention up front.
A trade could change that, and so could lineup experimentation. The source of help might also already be in the building.
The Raptors took another shot on Jackson-Davis for next season, and he gave them a strong case that he can provide pace, force, and some much-needed insurance if Jakob Poeltl’s starting-center concerns linger and there are minutes available.
Raptors culture has long been about rewarding players who improve, buy in, and make their mark when the chance comes. Jackson-Davis did that on Friday night. The bigger role is still up in the air, but he put himself in position to keep climbing the pecking order.
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