Raptors Guard Shares Message to Skeptics As Season Debut Approaches

Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown says he was playing on one leg last season and will look much better this year after offseason knee surgery

Apr 7, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown (11) goes to shoot a basket during warm up before a game against the Washington Wizards at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Bruce Brown knows how it looked.

He saw all the criticism on social media that accompanied his disappointing play over his 34 games with the Toronto Raptors last season. It was bad, and at times it looked like Brown wasn’t really trying all that hard.

“I don't know if y'all noticed, but last year I didn't look really engaged or not a lot of energy like I was in previous teams,” Brown told reporters Saturday following practice at the OVO Athletic Centre.

It was hard not to notice.

After helping to lead the Denver Nuggets to a championship two years ago, Brown looked like a shell of himself with the Raptors. He’d been a solid contributor with the Indiana Pacers for the first part of last season, but when Toronto acquired him in January things quickly went sideways. Brown never looked right, and Toronto could not move him at the trade deadline despite efforts from the organization to find a deal.

But it wasn't a lack of effort that had made Brown look so bad, the Raptors guard said. The 28-year-old was playing on an injured right knee that limited what he could do on the court.

“I want that to be addressed because I know a lot of fans didn't think I played with a lot of energy and I didn't want to be here,” Brown told reporters. “But I do want to be here. I want to play with these guys. I got a great group of guys, great coaches, great organization, but I was literally playing on one leg.”

Initially, the plan had been to rest over the offseason and let Brown’s ailing right knee improve on its own. But as the season approached, Brown’s knee injury flared up again, and he and the organization decided it was time for surgery.

Brown suffered a setback a few weeks ago but has now returned to practice for the Raptors and is expected to make his season debut at some point during Toronto’s upcoming four-game road trip.

The Raptors are going to need him too.

The 6-foot-4 guard is exactly the type of role player Toronto wants its offense to emulate. He’s not a ball-stopper, or isolation player, but rather the kind of player who makes quick decisions, cuts hard, and plays team basketball.

“Couple years ago, I was studying the best cutters in the league and Bruce was on the top of that list, just the way he cuts his offensive IQ, defensive disruption, active hands,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković told reporters Saturday. “I think there is a lot that he can bring to the team when he's fully healthy.”

It’s a style of play Brown has grown accustomed to after years of playing alongside some of the league’s best. He spent two years in Brooklyn playing alongside Kevin Durant and then joined Nikola Jokic in Denver before a brief stint alongside Tyrese Haliburton with the Pacers.

How long he’ll be in Toronto is a bit of a mystery.

The Raptors picked up his team option this past summer meaning Brown will earn $23 million this season in what’ll be the final year of his contract. Considering his track record with other playoff teams, he looks like an ideal trade target for anyone looking to add one more valuable rotation piece ahead of the post-season.

But if Toronto is going to get value for Brown later this year, it starts with proving to the league he’s healthy.

Will he be?

“Just wait and see,” he said. “I’m ready to hoop.”