Bruce Brown has been limited by injuries since the Raptors acquired him from Indiana in January, but he feels ready to prove himself as he gets closer to making his season debut, writes Michael Grange of SportsNet. After undergoing arthroscopic surgery shortly before the start of training camp, Brown is expected to return to action sometime during the team’s four-game road trip.
“I don’t know if y’all noticed, but last year I didn’t look really engaged or (have) a lot of (the) energy I had with other teams because I was playing on one leg,” Brown said after participating in Saturday’s practice. “I want that to be addressed: I know a lot of fans didn’t think I played with a lot of energy, and I didn’t want to be here — that’s on social media — but I do want to be here, I do want to play with these guys, it’s a great bunch of guys, great coaches, great organization, but I was literally playing on one leg. It was tough for me mentally, I couldn’t move the way I wanted, play defense the way I wanted, so it was tough.”
Brown served as a versatile reserve on Denver’s 2023 title team and was one of the hottest names in free agency that summer before landing a two-year, $45MM contract with the Pacers. The Raptors picked up their $23MM team option on Brown during the offseason, hoping he would be fully recovered from the right knee issues that plagued him after he came to Toronto last season.
“I was on one leg. You could watch, first half I was pretty much fine, once the second half started and it got really stiff,” he said. “I couldn’t run, couldn’t move, (but) we had so many guys out, that’s just not how I’m built (to sit out). If I can go out there and play, I go out there and play. It was tough, obviously, it didn’t look good some of the time, I didn’t perform the way I was supposed to, but if I can do a little bit, then why not.”
There’s more from Toronto:
- The Raptors are the only remaining team without a road victory, notes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. One reason is that Scottie Barnes, who returned Thursday from an orbital bone fracture, has only played in one game away from home. Another is that RJ Barrett has been a totally different player in home games, averaging 29.3 PPG and shooting 50.8% from the floor at Scotiabank Arena and 19 PPG while shooting 37.2% everywhere else.
- The Raptors are happy with the progress of second-round pick Ulrich Chomche with their G League affiliate. Appearing on The Raptors Show with Blake Murphy (video link), Raptors 905 coach Drew Jones said the former Basketball Africa League big man is handling the adjustment well. “He’s a sponge, man, and people use that term loosely, but he really is,” Jones said. “And not only is he trying to absorb the information, he’s trying to apply it in real time.”
- As the Raptors head out on the road, rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter will remain with the G League team to work his way back from a shoulder injury, Grange tweets.