3 standouts from Toronto’s pre-season opener

Well, my earlier piece on the three players to watch was a total miss, since none of them played. But now that we have game footage, let’s talk about which Raptors impressed in the opener in Quebec City.

1. RJ Barrett

Barrett was an inefficient 3-of-9 from the field, but he shot 2 of 4 from three-point range, an area that will be important for Toronto after struggling last year as a team from beyond the arc, and he was aggressive in attacking the rim in typical RJ style. He was able to earn 8 free throw attempts and convert on 7 of them, which is a big deal for Barrett, who’s only a 70 percent shooter from the free-throw line for his career. If he can take a leap at the free throw line, paired with his agressive playstyle that would set up Barrett for a big season.

2. Chucky Hepburn

Hepburn, unlike RJ, was very efficient from the field, shooting a good 4-for-6 from the field, 1-for-2 from three-point land and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line. You would like to see a better performance from the free-throw line, as Toronto also struggled to shoot free throws as a team last season, but it’s only one game, and it’s pre-season. Chucky was a big part of the 905’s success last season, but a season-ending right miniscus tear injury cut his season short, and he didn’t get a real shot to prove him self in the NBA level yet, performances like this will definitely earn him a shot sooner rather than later. He also came away with 3 steals, which was a huge part of Toronto’s identity last season of turning teams over and scoring on the fast break.

3. Tyreke Key

Another 905 standout as the squad was strong last season. Tyreke Key might create a logjam at the guard position with himself, Hepburn, Martin, Shead, and Quickley all being impressive during last season. Key did most his damage in the fourth quarter in this one and his three point shooting can really help Toronto in the big leagues if he’s given an oppurtunity as he shot 4 of 7 from three point land and 5 of 9 from the field in general. I know it’s just pre-season but after being a team that really struggled from beyond the arc last season Darko Rajakovic really needs to consider the likes of Key, Hepburn and Battle having some minutes with the Raptors if they can continue to shoot from beyond the arc.

Those were the three most impressive players from the opening matchup against the Miami Heat in my opinion and some honorable mentions were Collin Murray-Boyles with six points and nine rebounds, Scottie Barnes had 11 points and was very agressive at getting to the rim and Jamal Shead struggled as a scorer but had a great floor general game with 8 assists and also came away with 3 steals.