The Toronto Raptors finally return to the Scotiabank Arena for their pre-season matchup against the Celtics on Friday at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sportsnet.
Here are five storylines to pay attention to during the
game.
Jakob Poeltl: The big man on campus
The seven-foot veteran has yet to hit the court for the Raptors in the pre-season due to sore back stiffness. While that could change tonight, it’s unlikely Poeltl is rushed back against a weaker Celtics frontcourt rotation and with three exhibition games remaining. That leaves the unconventional but intriguing hodgepodge of Jonathan Mogbo, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Olivier Sarr to piece together 48 minutes. Toronto was outrebounded in its games against the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings.
Should Poeltl make his pre-season debut on a minutes restriction, it’ll be interesting to see what he does in screening actions, specifically for Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley. Spacing has been the boogeyman for the Raptors over the last few seasons, and while fans can’t expect to see what the coaching staff has planned this season to mitigate concerns, it’ll be fun to watch how Poeltl can exist with this year’s iteration of the team.
The rookie has a chance
There’s something about how Murray-Boyles moves onto the court that suggests he could one day be a part of a championship team’s rotation. The sequence, in which he blocked a shot at the top of the arc, then raced down the court, and finally dunked the ball while getting fouled, was reminiscent of something we normally see with Scottie Barnes or used to witness with OG Anunoby.
Murray-Boyles is walking into a rare opportunity. Even though the Raptors didn’t reach the post-season last year, they do have a respectable starting five that never got the chance to compete together. While top ten picks historically receive ample playing time in their rookie seasons, Murray-Boyles will come off the bench and be brought on slowly. With the lack of pressure to produce right away, Murray-Boyles can focus on his development. He flashed his versatility against the Kings, finishing with 12 points, six assists, and seven rebounds, and should continue to focus on stringing together solid performances during the remaining low-leverage exhibition games.
New-look Celtics
While Jayson Tatum continues his best Kobe Bryant impression during his rehab from an Achilles injury, the Celtics are focused on determining what their guard and frontcourt rotation might look like this season.
Neither of the reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard, nor the newly acquired Anfernee Simons played in the Celtics’ pre-season opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. How both fit next to Derrick White and Jaylen Brown could be revealed against the Raptors.
With the departure of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, the Celtics’ centre depth went from elite to being one of the biggest question marks in the NBA. Outside of Xavier Tillman, Boston also boasts a group of rangy defenders with intimidating bounce, including Neemias Queta, Josh Minott, and former Raptor Chris Boucher.
Sorting out the depth chart
The most fascinating narrative during pre-season may involve what happens with Gradey Dick, Ja’kobe Walter, and Ochai Agbaji. All three players embody a perimeter threat for a team that desperately requires it. Last season, they all finished above team average in three-point shooting percentage. There’s an opportunity for each of them to contribute, but at least two of Dick, Walter, and Agbaji will see their playing time reduced this season.
Dick was drafted for his shooting, but has struggled with consistency. He had a better showing against the Kings (14 points) which didn’t rely on his ability to shoot the ball. But with his tendency to get bullied on the defensive end, Dick must continue to get shots up as often as possible.
Walter also had a bounce-back game in Sacramento, finishing with 15 points on 57.1 per cent shooting from the field and 66.6 per cent from three. The second-year guard might be the most balanced option off the bench.
Meanwhile, it’s been Agbaji who has seemingly been most affected by the change in the starting lineup. After an elite year of shooting the ball, he’s only recorded two three-ball attempts in the opening pair of pre-season games. He doesn’t have the draft pick investment and runway that Dick and Walter have, so it’ll be interesting to see how Agbaji performs tonight against the Celtics.
The long-awaited debut
Ingram oozes confidence and a skill level that his teammates don’t. The Raptors have solid pieces in the lineup, but the 28-year-old Duke product is clearly the force that raises the team’s ceiling.
It might be his reserved demeanour but Ingram was sleepwalking through the first two pre-season games, and yet still managed to average 20 points in 22.5 minutes. He’ll finally make his Scotiabank Arena debut and Raptors fans should savour it, because it’s becoming increasingly likely we won’t see as much of him as the regular season opener draws nearer.
