TORONTO – It’s a step forward when it comes to injuries for the Toronto Raptors.
All-Star Scottie Barnes was upgraded to questionable status by the Raptors on Wednesday after participating in a full-contact practice at the OVO Athletic Center. However, starting center Jakob Poeltl has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.
Barnes missed two games after spraining his right ankle after blocking a shot in a 113-108 loss to the New York Knicks on December 9. It turned out that the fall due to the ankle injury was much worse than it seemed.
“After the first couple of days, everything started to calm down a little bit and I started feeling a lot better,” Barnes told the media after practice. “I can now walk more. So I started feeling better as the days went by.
“It took some time, but I’m so glad it wasn’t as serious as I thought.”
Barnes is averaging 20.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in 14 games this season. Those numbers are better than last season, when he averaged 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, earning his first NBA All-Star Game appearance.
Related videos
He’s also good defensively, recording 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game this season.
Get local breaking news
For news affecting Canada and around the world, sign up to have breaking news alerts delivered straight to you as they happen.
But injuries have plagued him over the past 12 months, including breaking his finger when a team-mate accidentally kicked his hand last season and breaking his orbital bone when he was elbowed in the face earlier this season.
“To be honest, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Barnes said of the freak accident. “You know, everything happens for a reason. “You’re hurt, so take a break and come back and learn your lesson.”
Poeltl, forward Bruce Brown (recovering from surgery) and guard Emmanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL) were ruled out for the game against the Nets.
Poeltl suffered a bilateral groin strain in the Raptors’ 122-121 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday and is considered day-to-day. There is no timetable for the return of Brown or Quickley.
“Jak has been playing at a really high level all season. This has to be the mindset of the next player. There has to be a joint effort,” said coach Darko Rajkovic. “It’s very difficult to replace his size and destructiveness on the offensive and defensive rebounds and defensive end.
“Others have to work a little harder.”
Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, BC will be one of the players likely to receive more playing time in Poeltl’s absence. The Canadian forward is still recovering from back spasms that kept him out of Toronto’s lineup for the first 23 games of the season.
Olynyk said he is still working to get into shape with just four games into the 2024-25 season.
“I’m trying to get back into the flow,” Olynyk said. “Even after being away for six or seven weeks, your body isn’t conditioned to play basketball.
“But my back definitely hurts a little bit, but I’m just trying to get back into the rhythm and the flow of running down the floor, full speed, full contact.”
Poeltl has been outstanding for the Raptors this season, averaging 15.5 points, 11 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 26 games. His Player Efficiency Rating, a statistic that measures production per minute, is well above average at 19.4.
In limited minutes, Olynyk averaged 6.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists over four games and posted a Player Efficiency Rating of 15, which is average for the NBA.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
