Toronto Raptors New Starting 5 With Brandon Ingram Could Surprise Some Fans

The Toronto Raptors had a busy trade deadline, as they landed Brandon Ingram in a trade that sent Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a first-round and a second-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans. This was a trade few expected, but one that makes sense given Ingram's falling out with the Pelicans.

Ingram now becomes the second option on the team behind promising young prospect and former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. Combine this with the young stars on the team like Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick, and the Raptors have one of the most underrated starting 5s in the NBA.

Starting Lineup

Starters: Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

The Raptors have a solid backcourt that can develop into a strong force in Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick. Quickley has been a promising player ever since entering the NBA in 2020. And on the Raptors, he has a lot more autonomy as the natural point guard. Gradey Dick has shown that he can be a strong physical presence as the two-guard, and make a big impact when called upon.

Brandon Ingram brings his strong verticality and scoring to the team, as the former All-Star averages 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field, 37.4% from beyond the arc, and 85.5% from the free-throw line. He will be trusted to not only be the main scorer on the team but also mentor Scottie Barnes.

Speaking of Scottie Barnes, he has established himself as the best player on the roster, and he will be the person the Raptors build their team around.

With Bruce Brown no longer on the team, he can occupy the physical slasher role on the roster without any major competition, as Ingram is a decent slasher but prefers playing as a perimeter scorer. Add an experienced veteran presence like Jakob Poeltl into the mix, and the Raptors actually have a pretty decent starting lineup.

Reserves

Davion Mitchell, Jamal Shead, A.J. Lawson, Ja'Kobe Walter, Ochai Agbaji, RJ Barrett, Jonathan Mogbo, Eugene Omoruyi, Garrett Temple, Chris Boucher, Orlando Robinson, Jamison Battle (Two-Way), Ulrich Chomche (Two-Way)

The Raptors' strength is the fact that their roster is deep and filled with a lot of young talents. Former number three overall pick RJ Barrett has slowed down in development, but he has been playing well for the Raptors. He could earn his starting spot later in the season.

Davion Mitchell, A.J. Lawson, and JaKobe Walter have shown that they have some potential and can be developed. And on a team like the Raptors, where there aren't a lot of expectations, they might have the perfect platform to develop their game and become key players for the Raptors going forward.

Players like Chris Boucher and Garrett Temple add some much-needed veteran experience to the Raptors roster. While they can still contribute at a decent level on the court, their true value is going to be as culture setters for the rest of the young players who are just getting accustomed to NBA life.

Orlando Robinson and Ulrich Chumche are two players the Raptors desperately need to develop, as the one area they are lacking in size. However, they are going to be backup players behind Jakob Poeltl, who will be trusted as the key center on the roster.