3 Raptors who earned untouchable status this season
By Will Eudy
The Toronto Raptors are in the middle of a transition from one era to the next. After making the playoffs eight times in nine seasons from 2014 until 2022, Toronto is in the early stages of a rebuild that will end up defining the next generation of Raptors basketball.
Dealing away their core pieces in OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam after losing Fred VanVleet last summer, Toronto is now in the process of figuring out which players on their roster are must-have pieces moving forward. Thankfully, the current season has given the front office a lot of clues as to who should be around-long term.
These are three Raptors that earned untouchable status with their play this season.
Immanuel Quickley
Coming to Toronto in the trade that sent OG Anunoby to New York, Immanuel Quickley has become one of the Raptors' most important players in short order. Many were surprised the Knicks were willing to part ways with him, and his sharp shooting elevated him to the starting lineup in Toronto from the jump.
A lethal scoring guard that changes the way defenses operate, IQ has been putting up a career-best 17.7 points and career-high 39.7% shooting from behind the arc with the Raptors. His talents work extremely well next to a do-it-all player like Scottie Barnes, and he is already being utilized extremely efficiently.
As the Raptors begin drafting players and making trades to begin building a playoff contender once again, Quickley is one of the guys they will look at as a foundational cornerstone going forward.