4 Studs and 2 Duds from Raptors' absolute demolition of Wizards in Montreal

The Toronto Raptors suffered from a host of absences and injuries last season that meant their core players hardly got to play together. Wondering what Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley look like together? It's largely an unknown.

That mystery continued into the Raptors' first preseason game. Scottie Barnes missed the game due to a personal matter, while Quickley sat out nursing a wrist injury. Bruce Brown was already out for knee surgery and and Ja'Kobe Walter for a strained AC joint. Building chemistry inside of lineups remains out of reach.

Yet that didn't stop the Raptors from laying the beatdown on the Washington Wizards in a game played in Montreal. The short-handed Toronto squad still went deep in players and they beat the Wizards early, often and consistently. After a 34-16 first quarter set the tone, the Raptors maintained the margin and then added another 10 points to it in the fourth for a 125-98 final score.

Lots of Raptors saw playing time

In total, 16 players saw the court for the Raptors, and all but two played double-digit minutes. That's the nature of the preseason, but it was certainly encouraging to see how well they performed despite the details of the rotation being in flux.

Which players stood out the most in the destruction of Washington? Were they any who had a mediocre game? Let's take a closer look and highlight the best and worst parts of Sunday night's win.

RJ Barrett was a stud

With Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley missing the game, a noticeable absence from the two players who are supposed to drive the offense, RJ Barrett was the centerpiece to start the game. Rather than shrink from the task or look overwhelmed as the focus of the Wizards' defense (yes, they theoretically do play defense in Washington) Barrett was by far the best player on the court Sunday evening.

In just 14 minutes on the court he poured in 17 points, starting things off with a confident 3-pointer on the Raptors' first possessions and never looking back. He shot 7-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from deep, and chipped in a couple of rebounds and a couple of assists. The player who looked like he had hit his ceiling in New York is blossoming upon returning home to Canada, and he has parlayed a strong summer with the National Team into a strong start to the preseason.

Injuries are a dud

The reason Barrett only played 14 minutes, however, is that he was crushed on an illegal screen by Jonas Valanciunas of the Wizards and appeared to hurt his shoulder. He went back to the locker room and did not return to the game, and the Raptors said after the game they would do further testing on Monday.

The season is still weeks away and the Raptors players are dropping like flies. Bruce Brown is out for at least a few more weeks after knee surgery, while rookie Ja'Kobe Walter has not practiced yet with an AV joint sprain and Immanuel Quickley missed the preseason opener with a thumb injury. Both the thumb injury and Barrett's shoulder are expected to be short-term maladies, but for a team whose season was ravaged by injuries, it can't feel good to start this year with so many nicks and ailments.

Gradey Dick was a stud

Prior to getting injured himself in Las Vegas Summer League back in July, Gradey Dick was a fascinating player to watch. He clearly took a step forward as an on-ball creator, breaking down defenses and making plays with the ball. On the other hand, he couldn't hit a 3-pointer to save his life, which was supposedly his best skill.

The preseason opener was encouraging from a growth standpoint, as Gradey Dick was once again showing off an improved dribble game. Four times he scored by driving inside the arc, twice with a smooth midrange jumper and twice more in the paint, including a tough, arching lefty layup off the glass. He also had five assists, showing off his improvement as a playmaker.

Yet Dick was 0-for-4 from beyond the arc, his shot once again not showing up. It's probably merely a small-sample-size fluke, but if his attention to his on-ball game makes him a worse shooter this year, his value to the Raptors goes down. They need his shooting most of all, and he needs to hone that skill to be the best player he can be in the NBA.

Jamal Shead was a stud

Last season, the Raptors spun their tires down the stretch to find reliable backup point guard minutes, and most of the options were somewhat porous defensively at the point-of-attack. Lockdown perimeter defense is the new goal of the Raptors this season, and they traded for Davion Mitchell and drafted Jamal Shead to give them a defensive presence behind Immanuel Quickley.

Mitchell started in place of the injured Quickley and was solid, but Jamal Shead came in and was immediately impactful. The Defensive Player of the Year last season with Houston played his first NBA seconds and couldn't help but steal a pass on the very first possession. Moments later he had another. He was drawing charges, busting up plays, and locked up opposing players with a lot more pedigree like Bilal Coulibaly and Jordan Poole.

He was steady on offense as well, finishing the game with 10 points and four assists. It would not be surprising to see Shead overtake Mitchell early in the season and become the long-term backup to Quickley for the next half-decade or more.

Jonathan Mogbo was a dud

The Toronto Raptors are in desperate need of bodies at the 4, and Jonathan Mogbo was drafted 31st overall, ahead of players ready to contribute right now or in lieu of a trade for a win-now player. If he was ready for primetime the Raptors could certainly use the juice, but right now he's not poised to make much of an impact. There is still plenty of time for him to grow into the role, but those hoping he was good enough to contribute from the jump could not have liked what they saw on Sunday.

Mogbo started for the absent Scottie Barnes and, to his credit, looked confident with the ball or cutting offball. The problem with Mogbo is the shot, as if he can't shoot he is going to struggle to get playing time. He shot just 1-for-5 in the preseason game and scored only five points overall. His one basket was certainly a fun one to watch:

Mogbo did contribute across the box score, with five rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block. Overall, however, he was a negative presence on the court. Everyone in the starting lineup was wildly positive except for Mogbo who checked in at a -11.

Chris Boucher was a stud

Only one player remains from the beloved 2019 championship team and that is reserve big man Chris Boucher. Once an undrafted big man out of Oregeon, the Quebec native received numerous cheers and ovations as he took to the court. Nearly every time he touched the ball the crowd cried forth and cheered him on.

Boucher wasn't just a mascot, either. The Raptors will likely need him in the rotation to start the year as they bring on rookies like Branden Carlson and Jonathan Mogbo. Against the Wizards he played 18 minutes and had 13 points and six rebounds, shooting an efficient 5-for-9 from the field overall and 3-for-5 on 3-pointers. The score made the game unserious early on, so having time to celebrate Boucher made a lot of sense.

Honorable mentions go to Ochai Agbaji, who contributed nothing but scoring and defense but was decent at both; Davion Mitchell, who finished a game-best +22; and having basketball in Montreal, where the entire arena was sold out for a preseason game involving the Wizards.

Preseason action for the Raptors continues Friday in Washington in a rematch with the Wizards.