Scottie Barnes is the cornerstone of the Toronto Raptors. No one would dispute that. The more interesting question is who serves as the Robin to Barnes’ Batman?
The most common answer would likely be Brandon Ingram, who joined Barnes at this year’s All-Star Game. Ingram may very well be the second-best player on the roster. But the second-best player is not always the second most important.
That distinction belongs to Immanuel Quickley.
Ingram’s contributions are valuable… but not unique
There is no doubt that Brandon Ingram’s offensive creation has been a major boost for Toronto this season. His arrival is arguably the biggest difference between this year’s team, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, and last year’s squad that finished 11th.
Toronto turns to Ingram repeatedly for late-game isolation possessions for a reason.
However, many of Ingram’s strengths are replicated elsewhere on the roster. Ingram creates a lot of offense by driving the ball. He is second on the team in drives per game at 10.2. On those drives, he mostly looks to score, only passing the ball 35.2% of the time.
RJ Barrett operates in a similar fashion. He drives the ball 9.2 times per game and passes only 35.4% of the time. Ingram scores 6.3 points per game on these drives, while Barrett scores 5.6 points per game on his drives.
Isolation scoring is often considered Ingram’s bread and butter, and for good reason. When he is on the floor, 14.3% of Toronto’s possessions involve an Ingram isolation opportunity. On those possessions, Ingram scores 0.88 points per possession.
That mark gives Toronto a valuable scoring option. However, Scottie Barnes actually scores 1.04 points per possession on his isolation attempts.
None of this is meant to diminish Ingram’s value. I am simply pointing out that there is some overlap between Ingram’s skillset and other players on the roster.
Immanuel Quickley’s skillset cannot be replicated
Quickley attempts 7.1 three-pointers per game, leading the team by a wide margin. He is also second on the team in three-point percentage at 37.9%. On a team starving for reliable three-point shooting, Quickley’s ability to combine volume and efficiency is an absolute necessity.
Quickley also serves as Toronto’s primary ballhandler. He leads the team in touches per game and average seconds per touch. That means the ball is in his hands far more than anyone else’s.
Having Jakob Poeltl healthy again only increases Quickley’s importance. He has always been a guard who thrives when allowed to operate in the pick-and-roll. This season, he ranks in the 81.5 percentile in pick-and-roll efficiency as the ball handler. Scottie Barnes ranks second on the team in that category, but only in the 55.1 percentile.
With Poeltl healthy again, Quickley should have even more opportunities to operate in the pick-and-roll.
The on-off numbers support Quickley’s value to this team. He is second among Toronto’s starters in on-off rating at +2.6, while Ingram sits at -2.2.
The Raptors have several players capable of creating offense. Barnes, Ingram, and Barrett can all attack the paint and score in isolation. What they lack is Quickley’s blend of high-volume shooting, pick-and-roll creation, and ballhandling.
Quickley is the only player who possesses that combination on Toronto’s roster. And that is why he may be the team’s second most important player.