Takeaways as Raptors Wrap Up Preseason With Victory Over Nets

The Toronto Raptors appear to have added some much needed depth this preseason as they wrapped up their schedule with a victory against the Brooklyn Nets

Oct 18, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors shooting guard Immanuel Quickley (5) dribbles the ball against Brooklyn Nets point guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Let's start with some facts:

• 30 different players suited up for the Toronto Raptors last season. (Can you name them?)

• 21 players started at least one game for Toronto last year

• Malik Williams, Jontay Porter, Jordan Nwora, Javon Freeman-Liberty, and Jalen McDaniels combined to make 15 starts last year

Yeah, it was rough.

That's what the Raptors are hoping to change this season in year one of the organization's rebuild. Last year showed not only how important depth is, but how little Toronto had. The Raptors churned and churned and churned hoping to find something and more often than not, nothing stuck.

This year that should be different.

Toronto isn't going to compete among the league's best and the chances are the Raptors will have some pretty weird lineups — especially in the second half of the year — but the organization's depth looks to be much improved. Even with RJ Barrett, Ja'Kobe Walter, Bruce Brown, and Kelly Olynyk all tending to injuries, the Raptors rolled out a crop of intriguing young players who took care of business against the Brooklyn Nets in a 116-112 victory Friday night.

Just consider the change to the point guard position since the start of last year. Toronto opened the year with the recently acquired Dennis Schröder and not much else. Malachi Flynn had shown he wasn't much of a rotation player and behind him, things were pretty bleak.

This year, though, the Raptors run three deep in point guards who look to have a future with the organization.

Immanuel Quickley slid back into the starting lineup Friday night for the first time this preseason and suddenly Toronto had a glut of point guards. It took just four minutes before the Raptors turned to its new two-point guard lineup with Davion Mitchell on the court alongside Quickley, a lineup option that was never available to the Raptors last season. When Quickley came out, Toronto went to it again with Mitchell alongside rookie second-round pick Jamal Shead.

Shead has been the biggest surprise of the preseason and looks like someone who should be able to fight for rotation minutes immediately. His playmaking is impressive for a rookie and his defense is even better. In the space on two possessions, he forced back-to-back offensive fouls from the Nets in the first quarter, taking on illegal screens and getting Toronto the extra possessions.

Ochai Agbaji looks to be among the most improved players for the Raptors and seems like he's ready to slide into the starting lineup as a placeholder for Barrett who will likely miss the start of the season. The third-year wing still has a lot of work to do with his three-point shooting, but his defense is solid and his cutting has been very good this preseason. For the second straight game, Agbaji tallied double-digits in scoring with 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting.

Gradey Dick is in a much better place starting his sophomore season compared to this time last year and looks ready to use some of that strength he added over the summer. He's shown a willingness to take it to the hoop this preseason and fight through contact to finish inside. His defense on Friday was impressive too as he blocked a pair of shots, finishing the night with 12 points and six rebounds.

This is not to say that all these players are going to stick long-term. By the time the Raptors are competing again the majority of this roster will look very different. But if the goal was to bring in new depth to see what some young faces would look like in Toronto, it appears the Raptors have taken an important step in the right direction.

Game Notes

• Bruno Fernando hasn't really shown much this preseason and hasn't really earned that final roster spot, but Toronto can't afford to enter the season with Jakob Poeltl and Olynyk as the only viable centers on the roster. At this point, it seems like Fernando will take that roster spot, beating out Jahmi'us Ramsey and Jamison Battle for a guaranteed contract.

• Immanuel Quickley had a slow scoring night, but he sparked Toronto's offense in the third quarter with a pair of assists to Shead and Dick for three-pointers to turn a seven-point lead into a 13-point lead for the Raptors. Quickely had nine points and 10 assists in nearly 24 minutes while wearing a brace on his left hand in his return.

• Scottie Barnes thew down a LeBron James-like one-handed slam after turning the corner, bumping his defender, and lifting off for a powerful dunk.

SCOTTIE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/BlKvzoLfmH

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 18, 2024

• Chris Boucher exited the game in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury.

Up Next: Cleveland Cavaliers

Now it's show time. The Raptors will have a few days off to make final roster decisions before the regular season tips off on Oct. 23 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.