The Toronto Raptors have closed the 2022 preseason on a strong note, beating the rival Boston Celtics in overtime for the second time in as many weeks. A 3-2 record is nothing to shake a stick at, considering how deep they had to dive on the bench for minutes.
The roster has been finalized, and all eyes are set on a home opener against the improved Cleveland Cavaliers. After getting solid performances from Scottie Barnes and O.G. Anunoby in the win against Boston, Nick Nurse has to feel much more comfortable with the state of this team.
As with any competition, however, there are losers. Some players spit the bit with their performance, and some didn’t perform well enough to make the final roster. Figuring out what went wrong in these games is more important than relishing in whatever victories came the team’s way.
The Raptors’ preseason revealed standout players who earned a hypothetical gold star for their play over the last few weeks, but a few players got the short end of the stick thanks to some less impressive showings. Which players won the preseason, and which ones lost?
Winners and Losers from the 2022 Toronto Raptors preseason
Winner: Christian Koloko
Koloko and Dalano Banton are without question the two players who benefitted the most from the preseason. The latter proved that he is worthy of getting backup point guard consideration, while the former has been so good that he may end up getting rotation time over Khem Birch.
After going a perfect 6-6 from the floor against the Celtics, a night that included him running the floor on a fast break and finishing a post hook over Al Horford, Koloko’s stock has never been higher. Koloko averaged 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game in just under 14 minutes of work during the preseason.
Christian Koloko has impressed the Toronto Raptors.
Khem Birch will likely be Koloko’s biggest competition when it comes to getting time in the rotation, but Koloko outperformed the veteran in his limited preseason action. The timeline has assuredly sped up, as Koloko was too impressive to deny minutes in his rookie season.
Even if he isn’t as dominant on the offensive end thanks to the leap in competition, the Raptors saw him show beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can defend and move at a very high level. Even at 7-1, Koloko has many of the traits that Toronto loves from their bigs.
Loser: Juancho Hernangomez
Hernangomez, who was signed to a guaranteed contract, will be used heavily in the rotation during the early parts of the season as a byproduct of Chris Boucher and Otto Porter Jr. getting hurt. His preseason was by no means terrible, but he certainly didn’t adhere himself to fans.
While Hernangomez did make 36% of his 3-point attempts, he didn’t show a very diverse offensive game beyond pulling up from deep. His interior defense hasn’t been amazing throughout his career, and it looks like he is not going to be a very positive asset in that area this year.
Juancho Hernangomez must step up for the Toronto Raptors.
Toronto signed Hernangomez with the belief that he was more like the perimeter ace that he was in Minnesota rather than the bench player who was tossed aside with regularity last year. He wasn’t awful, but he definitely didn’t do enough to set himself apart.
While Juancho is still a feel-good story after all of the Bo Cruz hullabaloo and his EuroBasket championship with the Spanish national team, that goodwill can erode very quickly if he doesn’t perform. He’ll be thrown into the fire against some elite defensive teams early in the season.
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.
Losers: Josh Jackson + D.J. Wilson
Jackson and Wilson were released after the preseason finale, giving the final spot on the roster to 2021-22 holdover Justin Champagnie. While they didn’t end up making the team one can’t accuse them of not trying their absolute best to prove themselves to Nurse.
While Jackson started the preseason white-hot, he only hit one shot from the field in the final two games. Wilson had his moments on both ends, but the emergence of Christian Koloko likely played a part in Wilson getting the axe. It’s a shame that these two now face very uncertain NBA futures.
The Toronto Raptors couldn’t keep Josh Jackson and D.J. Wilson.
While not an “unfair” situation for Jackson and Wilson, it was clear that Nick Nurse was going to bring back Banton and Champagnie unless one of these two was so show-stoppingly dominant that it would be foolish to let them go. Neither of them reached such dizzying heights.
Those ins search of a silver lining should take solace in the fact that both of them proved they should be in the NBA in some capacity. They likely will not last on the free agent market for long, given the plays they put on tape in their tenures with Toronto.