Toronto Raptors give key injury updates ahead of final preseason game

The Toronto Raptors accomplished an exciting win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, despite it being preseason hoops. With one preseason game left before they officially kick off the regular season next Wednesday, there are questions about which players will be available to play.

Currently, both RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have been sitting out of games with injuries. IQ hurt his wrist during the offseason, while Barrett injured his shoulder in the team’s first preseason game against Washington.

Here are the current updates:

RJ Barrett

Barrett ran into a nasty screen during the Raptors’ Montreal game against the Wizards. He sat out the rest of the game and it was later announced he suffered the same injury that has been keeping Ja’Kobe Walter sidelined in the preseason — to the shoulder.

While it has not been formally announced, it seems RJ may have underwent a procedure on that shoulder. It does not seem to be too serious though, because Darko told the media at practice Thursday that while Barrett will not travel to Brooklyn for Friday’s game, he has not been fully ruled out for Wednesday’s opener.

The team will re-evaluate Barrett once they return from Brooklyn. I did see him doing a bit of work with assistant coaches at practice on Thursday, which is a good sign.

Immanuel Quickley

The news on Quickley is a little more positive. He sustained an injury to his wrist before training camp even started, and has not yet played in the preseason. On Thursday, he was cleared for full contact play and was seen practicing with Darko and other coaches.

When speaking to the media, he says it feels good. He has been trying out a few braces to see if he would feel more comfortable using one to start the season. He is still questionable for Friday’s preseason game against Brooklyn, and even if he does play, Darko says it won’t be too much.

He ultimately still needs a bit of conditioning — “getting his legs under him” as he told media on Thursday. He seemed optimistic and excited to finally make his debut on the court for the year.

It’s a big season for him as well, as he fully steps into his role as starting point guard for this team. While he corrected media today and said he’s been a PG his whole life, it’s the first time he will be the primary option for an NBA squad.

He spoke a little about how Jamal Shead and Davion Mitchell have been giving him a hard time (in a good way) during practices, really pushing him to be his best. He mentioned they “S—T talk” him on the court, and they have a good time being competitive in practice. Then he momentarily stressed that he was going to get fined for swearing. None of us in the scrum cared.

The practice availability ended with Darko standing over my shoulder, making funny faces and heart hands at IQ. Adorable.

Hopefully IQ will be ready to go for Wednesday’s home opener, and that there aren’t anymore injuries to this team before then.

Other than that, the vibes at practice were... really great. The players have fantastic chemistry with each other, and despite the not-so-ideal projections for placement overall, they are ready to hopefully surprise some people with their play.

The team will head to Brooklyn to play the Nets Friday night, before taking some time off this weekend. Monday will start the pre-opener practices, and is also the deadline for finalizing rosters before Wednesday’s game.