Could it be the quality of competition or are the Toronto Raptors finally starting to make progress? The answer may reveal itself this week as they face off against some Western Conference powerhouses, but their recent victories over Brooklyn, Atlanta, and Indiana have given fans plenty to be optimistic about. While the latter two teams are also vying for playoff spots, the Raptors have shown that they can hold their own against tough opponents.
Here’s a closer look at how the team performed:
SCOTTIE BARNES: A+
Barnes was an absolute force to be reckoned with. Although he missed both of his three-point attempts and has been struggling from beyond the arc lately, he more than made up for it with his impressive defensive skills and playmaking abilities. In fact, Barnes has been filling up the stat sheet like few others before him. His defensive prowess around the rim was reminiscent of Wemby, and his passing was nothing short of extraordinary. If he can maintain this level of play and the Raptors can continue to improve, Barnes has the potential to become an all-NBA-caliber player.
ee-time All-Star Marc Gasol in their recent matchup and has shown great improvement in his rebounding and finishing around the rim. Despite the setback with his injury, Poeltl has earned a solid A- for his recent performances.
RJ Barrett received a grade of B+. Despite concerns about his knee, he played well and made good decisions as a play-maker. However, his free-throw shooting has been inconsistent, dropping to 53% in February after being above 80% in the first three months in New York. Overall, Barrett is performing well as Toronto’s leading scorer.
Immanuel Quickley also received a grade of B+. The Raptors acquired Quickley with the belief that he could become a starting point guard, and it seems that time may have already arrived. Quickley is a fast player who scored 11 points off the fast break and 10 in the paint, and he has elite shooting skills (40% on the season, including 43% with the Raptors). While he focused more on scoring in this game, Quickley has shown that he can also be a facilitator.
