We’re back! It’s been a long offseason, made all the longer by the interminable wait for the closure of the Kawhi Leonard trade. But it happened. It closed. And then Leonard extended, and Jamal Shead extended, and the Toronto Raptors are about to play basketball again.
This is a team with a number of questions to answer this preseason. The big ones will need to wait for the regular season. But this season, in which the Raptors hope to launch themselves back into contender status, will in part be defined by the context around the big pieces. And that starts here. I wrote this about this preseason:
The Raptors are stocked with athletic, young talent to a larger degree than the franchise has enjoyed for perhaps half a decade. Players like Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, and even Allen Graves are ready to contribute to winning basketball.
But are they ready to actually score on a winning basketball team? One — really, all of them — will have to improve in that regard.
In fact, scoring is in many ways the weakest element of all of their games. Murray-Boyles is a defensive juggernaut already. Shead is an elite passer and very strong defender. Walter is a solid shooter and very strong defender. Graves profiles as a heady offensive cutter and mover, as well as a …say it with me…very strong defender. But none of the four are elite at putting the ball in the basket, especially if they have to create for themselves.
Raptors Outlook
Record:Â 0-0
Offensive Rating:Â N/A
Raptors previous results: N/A
These Toronto Raptors intend to be good. If the defence is the same as last year, fifth in the league, that would be internally considered a disappointment. It is supposed to be top-three with a bullet. And with Scottie Barnes helming the ship there, Murray-Boyles blossoming into a true defensive star, and Leonard replacing Brandon Ingram, it’s hard not to see the defensive promise.
Expect this team to defend like the dickens at the start of preseason to establish that identity early.
Offensively, I imagine the team will likely be trying to start out as if it were playing a normal game, but quickly shift the load of creation to players who can use the reps more. Expect guys like Walter, Shead, Graves, and Exhibit-10 guys to get lots of initiation changes later on in the game. How they perform will be significant.
Heat Outlook
Record:Â 0-0
Offensive Rating:Â N/A
Heat Previous Results:
The Miami Heat are, much like the Raptors, trying to win a championship in 2026-27. Acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo will do that. They, like the Raptors, will need a number of unheralded contributors. Unlike the Raptors, the Heat’s contributors will largely be players who were not successful in previous NBA stops (let alone for the Heat, while the Raptors are relying on players who played pretty darn well for the Raptors last season).
So expect a lot of unheralded guys to get looks today for Miami.
Game Info
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m. ET
Television: NBA TV
Radio: I can’t seem to figure this out? If you know and post in the comment section, I’ll update here.
Venue: Videotron Center in Quebec City
Starting Lineups (Projected)
Miami Heat
PG: Davion Mitchell
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Bam Adebayo
Toronto Raptors
PG: Immanuel Quickley
SG: RJ Barrett
SF: Ja’Kobe Walter (guess, as I doubt Kawhi Leonard is ready to go as he ramps up to game speed)
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Jakob Poeltl
Injury Report
Toronto Raptors
Kawhi Leonard – ramping up to game speed, not injured, but not necessarily game ready.
Jamison Battle – day-to-day with to a lower back injury (didn’t play in Thursday’s scrimmage)
Kyle Anderson – day-to-day with a bruised knee (didn’t play in Thursday’s scrimmage)
Allen Graves – day-to-day with a tweaked groin (didn’t play in Thursday’s scrimmage)
Nate Bittle – out, in a walking boot
Mami Heat
Dru Smith – day-to-day with a strained right calf.
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