The Toronto Raptors had a perfect preseason minus a Scottie Barnes injury that occurred in the final minutes of the third quarter in Friday night’s game against the Washington Wizards.
Barnes was having another stellar performance but then he came up limping. He was forced to leave the game with what the team called a right foot sprain.
Barnes was immediately ruled out and did not return to the game.
The postgame update on Barnes though was positive:
“He’s completely fine.”
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic provides an update on Scottie Barnes and gives his thoughts Precious Achiuwa’s game. pic.twitter.com/TMjJdmd9zt
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 21, 2023
The only confusing part about what Darko Rajakovic said is that Barnes’ injury is his foot, not his knee.
Hopefully Barnes is okay, but the only worrisome part about his injury is that Barnes has dealt with ankle injuries in the past.
Barnes missed three weeks last year heading into training camp with an ankle injury. He then sprained his ankle in the third game of the season against the Miami Heat.
It’s worth keeping an eye on how Scottie Barnes looks if he is indeed ready to go in the Raptors season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 25.
Other than the Barnes scare, Toronto ended the preseason with no injuries. Jakob Poeltl returned from an illness and looked good. Precious Achiuwa and Otto Porter Jr. both returned and were active for the preseason finale.
The only player who remains out indefinitely is Christian Koloko who’s dealing with respiratory issues.
Raptors make roster moves ahead of regular season opener
After the Raptors preseason win against the Wizards, the team waived three players including Jeff Dowtin Jr.
The Dowtin Jr. situation is unfortunate since he was never given a fair shot to prove his worth during the preseason. Malachi Flynn emerged as the Raptors backup point guard.
Dowtin Jr.’s time with the Raptors is over since Toronto doesn’t have his G league rights. They belong to the Philadelphia 76ers’ minor league affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
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