Winners and Losers from Toronto Raptors 2022 preseason
By Mike Luciano
Winner: Otto Porter Jr.
How could Porter be a winner when he didn’t play one iota of basketball in the preseason? Well, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Without Porter in the lineup, the flaws and limitations of this roster have been explicitly spelled out for all to see.
The Raptors went 21-103 from 3-point range between the first Boston win and the loss against the Bulls. Porter coming to town with multiple seasons well above 40% from deep in the past will lead to him getting his diet of shots the very second that he gets his hamstring healthy.
The Toronto Raptors will get a lot of use out of Otto Porter Jr.
Porter scored 8.2 points per game on a Warriors team that was loaded with scoring options. This preseason illustrated that Porter is going to get an ungodly chunk of offensive responsibility if injuries continue to impact this team, though he should be well-equipped to handle that increased load.
Porter may not have played like a No. 3 pick for most of his career, but he remains a quality defender, shooter, and rebounder that can play a role on a champion. The Raptors need Porter to be the final piece in their rotation jigsaw puzzle.