The Raptors are counting on Immanuel Quickley to be their starting point guard, but it’s a role he doesn’t have much experience with, writes Michael Grange of SportsNet. Quickley only made 27 starts during his three-plus seasons in New York, and injuries limited him to 38 games after he was traded to Toronto in late December. Quickley made his preseason debut Friday night after being sidelined with a sprained thumb since the start of training camp, and he’s confident that he can handle the responsibilities that come with being in the starting lineup.
“Nobody will ever hold me to a higher standard than I hold myself,” Quickley said. “There’s always different ways you can find to get better, the best players in the world, they find ways to get better, and I want to be one of those guys.”
With Quickley unable to play, the Raptors turned to Davion Mitchell, who was acquired from Sacramento this summer. Mitchell handled the job well, according to Grange, averaging six assists and less than one turnover in the games he started while playing high-level defense.
“I think that every year you’re going to have people out,” Mitchell said. “You’re not going to have like 100% of the team every year. So, just learning now in the pre-season with some of the starters is going to help me out a lot, just building that chemistry.”
There’s more from Toronto:
- Gradey Dick had one of his best performances in this week’s win over the Celtics, Grange adds. The 2023 lottery pick scored 27 points in 25 minutes and displayed an offensive game that’s far ahead of where he was last year. “He ended the season really well last year, and he was playing really great [against Boston], just moving off the ball, cutting, shooting the ball really well,” said Scottie Barnes. “And, you know, we put our trust and faith in that he was going to get better [in the offseason]. He obviously did, just getting better at shooting, making decisions more with the ball off the dribble, getting to his pull-ups and doing things like that.”
- Dick benefitted from spending part of the summer training with Ochai Agbaji, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN. The Kansas alumni worked out near their alma mater while two Raptors assistant coaches supervised. “It was very competitive,” Agbaji said. “We were wearing ourselves out, and that was kinda setting the tone for the whole entire summer and setting the tone for now too.”
- Training camp was an all-or-nothing proposition for Bruno Fernando, notes Blake Murphy of SportsNet. Fernando wouldn’t have gotten anything if he had been cut, but his $2.4MM salary is now fully guaranteed after earning a roster spot.