Raptors' Point Guard-Less Lineup Struggles But Third Unit Rallies Late vs. Celtics

The Toronto Raptors could find a groove offensively while Scottie Barnes showed room for growth in Wednesday's preseason victory over the Boston Celtics

Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Scottie Barnes might not be ready to take over the point guard spot for the Toronto Raptors quite yet.

It's early, of course, but Wednesday night's outing against the Boston Celtics showed just how far the sophomore wing has to go before he can truly lay claim to Toronto's offensive initiator.

Even in a 125-119 victory over the Celtics, the Raptors came out of the gate sputtering offensively but things slowed to a crawl once Fred VanVleet checked out. With Barnes running the point, Toronto couldn't muster anything offensively. A squandered two-for-one opportunity at the end of the first quarter resulted in an ill-advised long two-point jumper from Barnes and it wasn't long before a 22-20 Raptors lead turned into a 37-24 deficit.

For now, those learning experiences are OK. Barnes likely won't see much playing as the primary initiator without either a point guard or Pascal Siakam when the regular season rolls around. Eventually, though, that time will come and Barnes is going to have to prove he can keep the offense ticking even without VanVleet on the court.

3rd Unit Battles Back

As for the actual game, the Raptors overcame a sloppy start thanks to a huge comeback from the team's third unit. Dalano Banton, Jeff Dowtin Jr., Josh Jackson, D.J. Wilson, Khem Birch, and eventually Gabe Brown, led Toronto to a 51-26 run in the fourth quarter and overtime courtest of some big-time buckets from Dowtin and a pair of three-pointers from Jackson and Brown.

Shooting Remains a Struggle

With Malachi Flynn and Otto Porter Jr. sidelined Wednesday night, Toronto's regulars couldn't seem to get anything going behind the arc. VanVleet finished just 1-for-6 in his 19 minutes of action while Precious Achiuwa and Gary Trent Jr. combined to shoot 2-for-10 from three-point range.

The regulars finished the first three quarters 3-for-23 from three-point range before the back-of-the-bench turned things around late.

Koloko's Offense Comes Along

All those flip shots Christian Koloko has been practicing this summer appear to be paying off. The Raptors rookie showed a ton of progress Wednesday night, showing some refined post-moves, faking to his left before spinning around and nailing a floater over Derrick White. He followed it up with another flip shot, this time off an inside pass from Juancho Hernangomez, and a 15-foot jumper to start the fourth.

Considering Koloko had almost no offensive repertoire to speak in August at the Las Vegas Summer League, his 3-for-4 outing with 6 points, three rebounds, and a block against the Celtics was extremely encouraging.

Rotation Notes

• Hernangomez once again saw early action, well ahead of Banton and Birch. He's become a lock to make the roster.
• Banton checked in quite late but had possibly the best game of any Raptors player. He finished the night with eight points on 4-for-8 shooting with a trio of assists.
• Jackson seems to have taken a notable lead over Wilson as the two duke it out for the final roster spot. It'll likely come down to Jackson or Justin Champagnie for the final roster spot.
• Brown won't make the roster for Toronto but his three-point shooting is a skill to keep an eye on. He'll likely spend the year on the Raptors 905 and could find himself with the big club if injuries pile up throughout the year.

Up Next: Houston Rockets

The Raptors will hit the road again for a Friday night tilt against the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m. ET.