One should never read too much into preseason. Key players get limited minutes; others fight for roster spots and rotational minutes; coaches tinker with lineup combinations and rotations, and the outcome matters little.
Nevertheless, it is a really good sign that Immanuel Quickley made five of his six 3-point attempts in 19 minutes against the LA Clippers—especially after he went 1-of-4 in the first preseason game against the Miami Heat. Hopefully, it means that he’s finding his rhythm for a big 3-point shooting season.
The Raptors will need him to be a reliable threat from deep to give Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes the space they need to be at their best. Darko Rajakovic is also committed to playing Collin Murray-Boyles and Jakob Poeltl together. Quickley’s floor spacing will help with that combination.
Besides knocking down 3-pointers, Quickley will also have to make plays for the Raptors. He recorded 4 assists with 0 turnovers in not even a full half of playing time, which is another great sign.
Quickley’s 3-point shooting will be key
The Raptors finished last season with three players shooting 40% from deep, but two of them were not consistently in the rotation. AJ Lawson appeared in just 24 games, and Jamison Battle averaged just 8.5 minutes per game over 61 games. Lawson is now playing in Europe, and Battle will have to prove that he can hold his own defensively to earn a bigger role.
Ja’Kobe Walter, who shot 40.9% on 3.7 attempts per game, was by far the Raptors’ best 3-point shooter and will hopefully shoot just as well in his third NBA season.
The only other three players who got close to shooting 40% were Sandro Mamukelashvili, Brandon Ingram, and Quickley. Mamukelashvili signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, and Ingram was traded to the LA Clippers to bring in Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard shot at least 37% from three on a high volume in each of his last seven seasons. Bringing in a 3-point shooter and offensive creator like Leonard will take the Raptors’ offense to the next level, but other players will have to carry their weight, too. For Quickley, that means setting up his teammates, pushing the pace, and spacing the floor, because even with the addition of Leonard and Battle maybe sliding into a bigger role, the Raptors are short on 3-point shooting.
If Quickley can shoot around 38% on a high volume for the season again, it will be an invaluable asset for this current Raptors roster. With Leonard back in Toronto, Quickley should get plenty of off-ball reps and catch-and-shoot opportunities. He could have his best scoring season as a Raptor yet.
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