The Toronto Raptors picked up a win in their preseason opener against the Washington Wizards in Montreal 125-98.
Toronto was without Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Bruce Brown and Ja’Kobe Walter. Therefore, they rolled out a starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Jonathan Mogbo and Jakob Poeltl.
Here are some main takeaways from the game:
Gradey Dick seems ready to step into starting role
All arrows point to Dick getting the fifth starting spot for the Raptors this season. Against the Wizards he looked ready for that role. Dick was solid in Toronto’s first preseason game. He put up 10 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Even though Dick didn’t hit a three (0-4) he was impressive putting the ball on the deck on his was to a 5-9 shooting night. Dick also looked engaged on defense. If Dick can get that three ball to fall with consistency, he will be a nice addition to the Raptors starting lineup.
Jamal Shead might earn a spot in the rotation
It’s going to be tough to leave Shead out of the rotation if he continues to look this good. Shead put together a nice game of 10 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. He was strong defensively and looked comfortable setting up his teammates. He also had a nice sequence where he stole the ball and then went the length of the court and finished in traffic. He made the most out of his minutes and his effort can’t be denied.
RJ Barrett looks primed for a big year
Barrett was on fire in this one. He had 17 points on 7-10 shooting from the field and 3-4 shooting from deep in just 14 minutes of action. Unfortunately, Barrett left the game in the second quarter and did not return due to a right shoulder contusion he suffered on an illegal screen from Jonas Valanciunas. Hopefully, Barrett is okay because he looks like someone who’s ready to breakout this season.
Defense was strong
Darko Rajakovic talked about having an emphasis on defense this season, especially defending on the ball. The Raptors made defense a priority during training camp and it was on full display in this one. The Raptors defensive intensity and on ball pressure was solid. The Raptors forced the Wizards to 19 turnovers and held them to 42.1 percent shooting from the field. Toronto pressured the ball, which resulted in 8 steals. The Raptors finished last season 26th in defensive rating so it was nice to see an increased effort level on the defensive end.
Next on tap
The Toronto Raptors will have a few days off before their second preseason game on Oct. 11 in another matchup against the Wizards this time in Washington.
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