"A prevailing topic during the preseason has been Scottie Barnes' lackluster play and the concerns surrounding that. Barnes has not looked productive on offense, and his fit with Brandon Ingram has been rightfully questioned. All this being said, we have yet to see Barnes in a game with actual stakes this season so while the criticism is deserved for his play during preseason, it is not time to sound the alarm yet."
"There have been plenty of encouraging things during the preseason for Toronto though, such as how Ingram has looked on offense, and how their first-round draft pick Collin Murray-Boyles has been impacting the game already. Chucky Hepburn has also shown that he can potentially find his way to minutes this season as he has looked extremely stout on defense during his minutes in the preseason."
"The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of a full blown rebuild so their roster currently consists of young players, fringe players, and everything in between. They notably traded for Michael Porter Jr this off-season, a player who is famously known for being a black hole on the offensive end, which will be an interesting pairing with Cam Thomas, another shoot-first player."
The Raptors play their final preseason game before opening the regular season on October 22 against the Atlanta Hawks. Teams often use the finale to give bench players live game reps, so starters may sit, but Toronto's starters could benefit from more minutes after a shaky appearance versus Boston. Scottie Barnes has struggled offensively and his fit with Brandon Ingram has raised concerns, yet preseason form alone does not justify alarm. Brandon Ingram has shown promising offensive play. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has impacted games early, and Chucky Hepburn has displayed strong defensive instincts. Brooklyn's roster is rebuilding and may not challenge Toronto's starters.
Read at Raptors Republic
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