Scottie Barnes and Toronto Raptors could not have started their preseason schedule much better than they did against the rebuilding Utah Jazz in Edmonton. Toronto knew they had the chance to show off the depth this roster has to offer, and they made sure Utah knew this bench is not to be trifled with.
The Raptors pulled off a 114-82 victory despite only being ahead by one point when halftime rolled around. Even without Otto Porter Jr. due to a nagging injury, many of the team’s top bench players looked much more effective offensively than they did down the stretch last year.
The preseason is the time when players that will not get tons of time in the regular season can make their case for an enhanced role. With how productive the back end of the roster was, Nick Nurse has to be feeling much better about the completeness of his team.
The Raptors should come away from their dismantling of the Jazz with these three concepts embedded firmly in their minds. There is still a ton of preseason basketball to go, but these trends look set to continue and potentially bleed into the regular season.
3 takeaways after dominant Toronto Raptors win vs. Jazz.
3. Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa are much improved.
Achiuwa and Boucher are in much different stages of their career, but both of them will be asked to perform equally effectively off the bench. Both started off hot, with Boucher, in particular, stuffing the stat sheet and announcing his presence.
Boucher recorded a points-rebounds double-double in just 14 minutes of work, showing more evidence that he is back to the form we saw in the Tampa bubble. Achiuwa was not going to be outdone, as his stats belie the fact that his newfound aggression is here to stay.
Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa stood out for the Toronto Raptors.
Achiuwa recorded 10 points and five rebounds in this contest, going 4-8 from the field and looking like the multipositional stopper fans were promised in the Kyle Lowry trade. The aggression that helped him come alive in the second half was still there, though he still needs to work on his interior finishing.
While it’s hard to assuredly say that Achiuwa and Boucher will replicate last year’s performance based on a handful of minutes against a rebuilding team, they both managed to show that their offseason hype was warranted. Even with Otto Porter Jr, the bench looked solid.
2. Justin Champagnie might not make the final roster.
Champagnie could not make his much anticipated preseason debut, as he is still suffering from an injury. With Dalano Banton likely taking up one of Toronto’s two open roster spots, Champagnie will compete with DJ Wilson and Josh Jackson for that final vacancy.
After the Utah game, those latter two proved that they are just as capable of winning that final spot. Jackson put up 10 points in 15 minutes while showing some serious effort on the defensive side of the ball. Wilson followed his fellow former first-round pick with seven points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Raptors: Justin Champagnie must compete with Josh Jackson, DJ Wilson.
Champagnie brings familiarity with the scheme and solid offensive rebounding, but Nick Nurse could easily decide that Jackson’s scoring pop or Wilson’s quality defense will be more important for the 2022-23 squad. Champagnie may still be the favorite, but his grip on that role is tenuous.
If Champagnie returns to full health and proves that he can be more effective than either of them, those questioned will be unequivocally shut down. Until we see that happen, however, Champagnie faces a longer road to the promised land of a rotation spot than initially believed.
1. Scottie Barnes at point guard works perfectly.
Barnes was one of the best players on the floor last night, as he combined his pair of steals and blocked shot with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists. Toronto managed to tinker with Barnes as their second unit point guard, and he confirmed the notion that he’s well equipped to handle that role in the regular season.
Barnes looked relaxed and confident on the perimeter, displaying the burst needed to get to the rim and flexing the passing skill that made him such a unique prospect. Malachi Flynn and Dalano Banton both had their moments in this game, but Barnes looks like the team’s best backup point guard option.
Scottie Barnes may take over for the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors and Fred VanVleet are both in agreement that last season’s minutes workload was far too taxing on him, making the need for a viable deputy ball-handler even more important this year. Barnes is showing that he is already capable of handling that role in a limited capacity.
Part of the reason that Toronto took Barnes as high as they did was the belief that he could be the lynchpin for this utterly unique style of basketball. So far, the early returns from last year and what little we’ve seen from him in the offseason suggest he’s well on his way to assuming that role.