The Toronto Raptors saw their season crumble when Scottie Barnes suffered a hand injury against the Golden State Warriors.
Barnes suffered a fracture to the third metacarpal bone of his left hand and needed surgery. As a result he is out indefinitely which means his season is over.
The Raptors have struggled without Barnes, losing three games in a row and five of their last six.
With Toronto all but eliminated from postseason contention, the final 18 games of the season will be about player development.
One player who has been stepping up recently in the absence of Barnes is Immanuel Quickley.
He continues to develop his game and has turned it up a notch.
With the Raptors shorthanded, Quickley is coming off back-to-back 20+ point games.
He put up 21 points and a career-high 18 assists against the Phoenix Suns on March 7. Then he had 29 points and 7 assists against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 9.
Since the All-Star break Quickley has been finding his groove with the Raptors:
Immanuel Quickley in his last 9 games:
24/6/3 on 50% FG
24/7/5 on 45% FG
19/6/2 on 50% FG
28/5/9 on 56% FG
22/7/11 on 43% FG
12/5/11 with 1 steal and 1 block
17/7/7 on 57% 3PT
21/9/18 on 53% FG
29/3/7 on 47% FGINCREDIBLE. pic.twitter.com/uEx88FSaBo
— . (@GTJGotNext) March 10, 2024
The main things that stick out about Quickley’s production is the efficiency and the assists.
He has been able to get out of a mini shooting slump and has hit the three ball with more consistency.
He has also been able to operate as a true point guard. The 18 assists he had against Phoenix proves that he can be an impactful floor general.
Quickley showing off his brilliance
In 29 games with the Raptors, Quickley is averaging 17.9 points, 6.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 33.5 minutes per contest. He is shooting it 42.5 percent from the field and a respectable 41.5 percent from three.
Quickley has already shown in a short period of time that he is ready to be the Raptors franchise point guard.
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