RJ Barrett out for rest of Raptors pre-season with sprained right shoulder
The injury bug followed the Toronto Raptors into the new NBA season.
Canadian swingman RJ Barrett will miss the rest of Toronto's pre-season with a sprained right shoulder sustained in the Raptors' 125-98 exhibition victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said that although Barrett won't be able to play in Toronto's four remaining pre-season games, he'll still be busy.
“They're going to go week by week,” Rajakovic told reporters at OVO Athletic Center. "He will be able to do a lot of other stuff, conditioning wisely and to address his health everywhere else, with his knees and strength and all of that.
"Once he comes back, he's going to be in a great position to continue."
Barrett left Sunday's victory over the Wizards in the second quarter after he ran through a screen set by former Toronto big man Jonas Valanciunas. The Raptors said in a statement that Barrett sustained a sprain to the right acromioclavicular joint on the play.
It's the exact same injury that kept rookie forward/guard Ja'Kobe Walter out of training camp. Walter was selected 19th overall by the Raptors in the past summer's NBA Draft.
“When situations like that happen, you've got to look on what are the silver linings,” said Rajakovic. "What are some things that players can do meanwhile to address things that otherwise they may not be able to address?
"Is that strength wise, is that conditioning? Is that watching more film? Is that adding another skill? I always try to look at it from the positive side."
The 24-year-old Barrett , from Mississauga, Ont., averaged 20.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists over 58 games last season split between the Raptors and New York Knicks.
He averaged 21.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 33.5 minutes across 32 starts for Toronto after being acquired from the Knicks in a trade on Dec. 30.
Barrett and Walter will not be lonely at the end of the Raptors bench when the Raptors visit the Wizards on Friday in their second pre-season game.
Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley missed Sunday's game with an injured thumb — it was still in a brace on Tuesday — and veteran small forward Bruce Brown underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee before training camp began.
“In a perfect world, we would like all the guys always to be healthy and always available, but that's just not reality,” said Rajakovic. “We’ve got to deal with it.
"I think for me, it's more like a game-by-game process, focusing on our constant improvement."
The wave of injuries comes after Toronto's 2023-24 season was scuttled by similar woes in March. All-star forward Scottie Barnes and starting center Jakob Poeltl missed the rest of that campaign after surgeries.
Poeltl and backup forward Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, BC, both said that it was frustrating to have so many missing teammates so early in the pre-season because they were hoping to build up chemistry before the season begins on Oct. 23 against the Cleveland Cavaliers .
“The more reps you get in the better, and live reps are even better than in practice,” Poeltl said. "It might be a little bit of a coming-back phase in the beginning.
"But (Quickley) and I put in a lot of work this summer. We put in some work together where we worked on our stuff, so I imagine it's going to come back quickly."
Olynyk and Barrett played together on Canada's Olympic team, but the forward said he was hoping the entire Raptors lineup would get more time on the floor together.
“It's always good when guys are playing because you've still got to build that connection, that cohesiveness, especially for a unit like ours (which) hasn't played a lot together,” said Olynyk. “Those are important moments and times.
"Hopefully, RJ isn't too bad, and hopefully we get Quick back here pretty soon. These are just days and games to keep building on."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE Sinclair family shares heartfelt message ahead of memorial service
Murray Sinclair’s family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.
Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
Donald Trump has said he wouldn’t be a dictator — 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
Liberals to face third test in federal byelection in British Columbia next month
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale—Langley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.
King Charles III and Kate attend remembrance events as both slowly return to duty
King Charles III led the nation Sunday in a two-minute silence in remembrance of fallen service personnel in central London as the Princess of Wales looked on, a further sign the royal family is slowly returning to normal at the end of a year in which two of the most popular royals were sidelined by cancer.
Cornwall, Ont. prepares for potential influx of asylum seekers following U.S. election
As the possibility of mass deportations looms following Donald Trump's re-election on Tuesday, border towns like the City of Cornwall are preparing for a potential influx of asylum seekers.
Sarnia, Ont. police make 'high-risk' arrests, charge 3 with kidnapping
On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.
Canadian delegation 'overwhelmed' by visit to Great War battlefields
It's been a trip to cherish for a group of Canadians visiting Belgium this week to honour the legacy of Indigenous soldiers.
Donald Trump knows the Canada-U.S. relationship 'in a way he didn’t before': Ambassador
Canada's ambassador to the United States — and co-lead of the federal government's Team Canada war room — says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has a different understanding of the bilateral relationship than he did during his first term in the White House.
Thinking of donating your brain to science? This is what they might do with it
Researchers say taking a peek inside a person's brain is as difficult as understanding the universe or discovering the ocean in its entirety.