Raptors news: Scottie Barnes injury update, Nick Nurse talks Precious Achiuwa

The Toronto Raptors were staying relatively healthy following a very tough burst of injuries earlier in the season, but Scottie Barnes suffered a knock in their most recent contest that set off alarm bells. With Toronto currently in a heated battle for a play-in spot, every victory is going to be important.

Barnes left their loss against the Milwaukee Bucks (not coincidently, right before they blew a lead on the road and lost the game) due to a wrist injury. The X-Rays in the immediate aftermath appeared to come back clean, which is a very encouraging sign for a Raptors team that was teetering on the edge of insanity waiting for that scan to come back.

Head coach Nick Nurse said that Barnes’ MRI came back as “clear” and he will be listed as day-to-day. The wrist is still sore, meaning that Barnes might not be at 100% health when he does return to action. Toronto couldn’t afford too many bad brakes, and this incident certainly qualifies.

More Raptors news:

• Head coach Nick Nurse discussed what has been going on with Precious Achiuwa, pumping him up after a very substandard stretch. Nurse is well aware of the fact that Toronto needs Achiuwa to get back on track if they want a competent postseason rotation.
• “When we’ve been our best… he’s been one of our big, athletic defensive wings,” Nurse said. “We talk about being able to do so much because of having those guys, and he needs to be a part of that.”
• Fred VanVleet offered some words of encouragement for Achiuwa after the third-year big received a pointed, purposeful benching. “He’s doing good,” VanVleet said, via Aaron Rose of Sports Illustrated. “He’s gotta continue to find those pockets and just find what shots make sense for him.”

NBA news:

• The Raptors joined the rest of the collective NBA family in mourning the passing of Knicks great Willis Reed, who died at the age of 80 on Tuesday. Famous for his gutty performance in the 1970 NBA finals, Reed has two championships, seven All-Star teams, five All-NBA nominations, and the 1969-70 MVP to his name.
• Grizzlies star Ja Morant has rejoined Memphis after being suspended from the team following his brandishing a gun in a nightclub. Morant said that his issues were not alcohol-related, instead putting it an inability to “manage stress and cope with stress in a positive way.“