Ochai Agbaji got the start for the Toronto Raptors as Scottie Barnes is now set to miss extended time.
Barnes is out indefinitely after he sustained a fracture to the third metacarpal bone of his left hand. He suffered this injury in the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors on March 1.
While there is no timetable yet for his return, it is safe to assume the All-Star will be out for the rest of this season. That means it is next man up mentality for Toronto and that may just be Agbaji.
In his first start for the Raptors, Agbaji put up 13 points and a career-high nine rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets on March 3. He also put up 20 shots, the most he attempted in an NBA game.
On the other side of things, he may have not shot efficiently, shooting 6-for-20 from the field and 1-for-7 from the 3-point line, but this is the time for him to build confidence.
Toronto acquired Agbaji and Kelly Olynyk from the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline. So far the trade has worked out well for the Raptors as they are seeing some upside from the 23-year-old guard and Olynyk has been a solid veteran precense.
This is good experience for Agbaji to play alongside RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley without Barnes in the picture. As time passes, the former Kansas Jayhawk will get better.
The defensive skillset is already there as Agbaji has shown the makings of being a solid perimeter defender.
During his time in Utah, Agbaji did not see much time on the floor, so simply getting more playing time will help his growth.
Agbaji’s stats with Raptors thus far
In 9 games, including 1 start, Agbaji is averaging 6.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists on 38.6 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from three-point range.
The potential is there and it is up to head coach Darko Rajakovic to put him in a position to flourish with the Raptors.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
