Many people take preseason performances with a grain of salt and wait till the regular season gets underway to make assumptions or come to any conclusion. While I agree with this approach for the most part, especially when looking at everyday players or stars in the league, my approach to those end-of-the-bench players is different. If you’re a team's third-string point guard, your preseason play can offer a good indication of what you’ll provide when the regular season begins.
All of this is to say that what Jaden Bradley has shown through the Raptors' first two preseason games is exactly what the coaching staff and front office should have been hoping to see. Bradley hasn’t had standout scoring performances or done anything to end up on plays of the night. He’s just been a steady presence in the backcourt and played winning basketball.
When Toronto landed Bradley at No. 50 in the 2026 NBA Draft, there was no doubt he would fit the Raptors' culture, but questions remained about how immediate his impact would be. While he isn’t a starting-caliber guard, he’s shown enough for Toronto to feel safe having him behind Jamal Shead and Immanuel Quickley.
Bradley is showing he can play a role for Toronto in year one
After a tough Summer League for Bradley, some Raptors fans were already getting concerned about the pick, but preseason should have shifted that view.
If I were a coach telling players what to do to make an NBA team, I would show them Bradley’s tape through two games. Offensively, he’s letting the game come to him, not forcing shots, getting into the rhythm of the game, making the extra pass, and trying to extend possessions whenever he can. Defensively, he’s making hustle plays, diving on the deck, fighting for rebounds, getting in a stance, and locking up.
Bradley just looks comfortable and isn’t trying to do anything that didn’t get him here. Obviously, he still has issues, like his four turnovers against the Clippers on Saturday or his low three-point volume, but you can afford those downsides coming from your third-string lead guard.
No one should expect Bradley to be a rotation piece from day one or even come close to bringing the impact Jamal Shead had in his rookie campaign. But on nights when Shead or IQ is sitting, or Toronto wants a different look at guard in spot minutes, Bradley is more than capable of holding it down, and preseason has proven that.
Preseason has left Raptors fans with a fair number of question marks. What does this team look like with Kawhi Leonard playing? Can Jakob Poeltl really hold it down as the team's starting five man? How does RJ Barrett fit into a different role when Leonard plays? But one area there shouldn’t be questions about is the guard room, because they have a point guard who can hold it down at every level of the guard rotation: starter, backup, and third stringer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google