If IQ sits, Point Scottie maybe Toronto’s only option

Immanuel Quickley’s right leg has been through a lot. After dealing with plantar fasciitis, he strained his hamstring on the same leg.

He’s day-to-day, but if IQ is sidelined or plays restricted minutes, this maybe the only option.

Point Scottie as a transition decision-maker

Scottie may not be a point guard, but maybe forced into the role as he’s a proven playmaker and could guard James Harden (and/or Donovan Mitchell). 

Towards the end of the season, we’ve seen what he’s capable of as a primary initiator, pushing the pace in transition. His supporting cast will need to play up to his pace.

“For a team that plays as much transition as the Raptors do, they’ve been horribly inefficient in doing so. They’re always playing fast, and always underperforming that aspect of their game. Across the Raptors first 70 games of the season they had one performance that would rank in the 90th percentile and above in terms of transition efficiency. Across the past 6, they’ve had 3. Barnes’ inclusion in more of the fast-paced decision making is not only a crystal clear upgrade on Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett – whoever you want on the Raptors – it’s a clear upgrade on almost all of the NBA.”
-via Samson Folk

Harden is a defensive liability and Scotti e could potentially exploit this. However, as Louis wrote, “Cleveland’s defence suffers when Harden plays alongside Mitchell, but the offence becomes better than the best offence in the league.” This means that the lineup supporting Scottie would not only have to get up and down the floor, but also play stellar defence to contain Harden and the Cavs.
 
Scottie’s limitation as a point forward – his lack of handle, not being a threat from outside – means that the floor will shrink, allowing the Cavs to help more. So, the Raptors’ only floor-spacing big, Mamu, will be vital if they roll with Scottie as floor general. Collin Murray-Boyles isn’t a floor spacer, but the Raptors will need him to shoot more 3s to prevent the offence from becoming too stagnant. CMB has shot 34% from downtown on 17-for-50 shooting, which isn’t great but far from terrible.  

I also asked George Brown assistant coach David Aboutboul, who knows a lot more about basketball than me, for his input. “In the half court, he’s been solid and increasingly comfortable as a primary initiator. You see him directing traffic and calling actions,” he observed.

“He’s looked good in Spain and 77 action, consistently making the right reads. Inverted pick-and-roll stood out most, where he can post mismatches, attack defensive gaps, or spray the ball once the defense collapses.”

But Point Scottie would also leave a noticeable absence in the front court. Toronto’s only reliable bigs are Mamu, CMB, and Poeltl, so if all three are not playing to their absolute best, Darko Rajakovic will need to get creative. Perhaps, slotting RJ at the 4 in transitional lineups or going deeper in the bench.

If Scottie runs the point, how much time he’ll spend guarding Harden/Mitchell rather than Mobley – someone he’s guarded for more than 300 possession throughout his career, according to Zulfi – remains to be seen.

The much lesser options

“One benefit of Barnes at PG is that it frees (Jamal) Shead up to stay in a second-unit role where he can defend,” Aboutboul said. Shead’s biggest issue is that he’s not a scoring threat like IQ.

Shead was part of the lineup (Shead – Walter – Ingram – Barnes – Mamu) that closed out the third quarter in their dismantling of the Cavs, and gave the Raptors a double-digit lead. But that’s not indicative as they face a different iteration on Sunday.

If Shead is rendered ineffective, Rajakovic may need to sub in A.J. Lawson, as he did in the first quarter of the Knicks game (the Raptors’ second last game of the season). 

If Lawson doesn’t perform, I foresee Rajakovic potentially running RJ as the point guard (or running the backcourt with another combo guard), and have Scottie play in his natural position. This was tried two seasons ago. Barrett had a quiet triple-double as the floor general in a December 2024 game against Miami, and played well as a primary initiator against Chicago in the same month.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Rajakovic’s creativity will be tested Sunday.