Raptors Culminate Summer League as Roster Competitions Begin
Summer League has officially come to an end for the Toronto Raptors.
It was, for the most part, a pretty successful trip for the Raptors down in Vegas. Scottie Barnes, Malachi Flynn, and Precious Achiuwa all looked solid in their games and were at the very least good enough to get the evening off Tuesday in a 86-72 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Flynn led all Raptors scorers with 16.8 points per game, followed closely by Achiuwa who averaged 16.7 in three games, and Barnes who averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and a team-high 3.2 assists. That last number for Barnes was maybe the most impressive as he showed off ambidextrous and a high basketball IQ on numerous occasions.
Tuesday evening was about seeing who else could impress heading into what's expected to be a tough competition for some end-of-the-bench spots with the Raptors. Assuming Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Goran Dragic, Khem Birch, Chris Boucher, Barnes, Flynn, Achiuwa, Yuta Watanabe, and Toronto's two second-round picks, Dalano Banton and David Johnson, are all locks for the roster, there aren't very many spots still up for grabs.
Freddie Gillespie certainly didn't do himself any favors during Summer League. After contributing for Toronto toward the end of last season, the former Baylor Bear struggled mightily during his Vegas stretch and scored just two points on Tuesday night. That may leave the Raptors with a bit of a hole when it comes to a third-string center that will certainly need to be addressed.
Matt Morgan, a Raptors 905 veteran, was the big winner against Brooklyn. He led all scorers with 24 points on 4-for-6 three-point shooting. He was followed in scoring by Jalen Adams and Justin Champagnie who scored 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Up Next: Training Camp