Long road trips are among the toughest tests for young NBA teams, especially when they span the entire continent. The Toronto Raptors have passed that test so far, going 3-1 on their Western Conference road trip with one game remaining.
So what has fueled this impressive stretch?
Immanuel Quickley is proving his worth
This is Immanuel Quickley’s third straight appearance as a focal point of the Raptors Fulcrum. In the first Fulcrum, I challenged him to prove himself as a foundational piece of this core while Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl were dealing with injuries. Then in the second, I was critical of his play, instead choosing to reward Jamal Shead for his mistake-free style of basketball.
It has taken longer than expected, but Quickley is beginning to answer the challenges.
Over the last four games, he is averaging 21.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game, while committing just 1.8 turnovers, on absurd 61.2 / 55.0 / 100 shooting splits. Those numbers are inflated somewhat by his performance against the Golden State Warriors, where he delivered one of the most efficient 40-point games in NBA history. Even setting that outlier aside, Quickley has consistently provided exactly what Toronto has needed during this stretch.
One wrinkle Darko Rajaković has leaned into more frequently is pairing Quickley with Shead in the backcourt. That alignment allows Quickley to operate with less pressure to be a traditional point guard, something he was rarely asked to do before this season. On the year, Toronto owns a +11.33 net rating in the 287 minutes where those two have shared the floor.
That is a lineup worth monitoring closely in the upcoming games.
Scottie Barnes is an All-Star
All-Star starters were announced earlier this week. It wasn’t a massive surprise that Barnes didn’t make the starting cut, but what was more striking was just how far behind he was in the voting tallies. Barnes placed 12th in the fan vote and 13th in the player vote, a result that simply does not reflect his season.
There is no reasonable argument that 11 or 12 Eastern Conference players have been more deserving of an All-Star selection than Scottie Barnes.
He is averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game — a statistical profile no other player in the league has matched this season. There is also a legitimate case that he has been the best defensive player in the Eastern Conference this season. All-Star reserves will be announced on February 1st. When they are, expect Barnes’ name to be called.
Toughest matchup of the season before heading home
The final stop on Toronto’s road trip is a date with the Oklahoma City Thunder, owners of the best record and point differential in the NBA. After that, the Raptors finally return home.
Their next two games are against two Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls: the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic.
Oklahoma City has been the most difficult matchup for any team in the league this season. While they have looked more human of late, going 13-8 in their last 21 games after a blistering 24-1 start, they remain the reigning champions and will demand a near-perfect performance to beat. The Knicks and Magic will bring different challenges, but both project as scrappy, physical games that Toronto may need to win ugly to come away successful.