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While Kawhi Leonard’s official return will have to wait, the Toronto Raptors’ upcoming pre-season contest against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday should have no shortage of fascinating storylines, particularly for those wondering about what kind of progress players have made over the summer.
With tip-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST on TSN, fans in Vancouver could potentially be treated to the most accurate glimpse of the roster’s ceiling (or baseline). It would be a small sample size, but Raptors Nation is eager to find out if the roster has improved enough to support its newest superstar.
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Here are three thoughts headed into the game:
The actual dress rehearsal?
Even without Leonard, the penultimate exhibition game could serve as the first (and last) real look at what the rest of the team looks like. Should Head Coach Darko Rajakovic rest his starters or have them operating on limited minutes, then this matchup will be the one to overanalyze.
In their 129-105 loss to the Miami Heat on Oct. 3, the Raptors were without nine players. That group included key players like Leonard, Allen Graves, Jamison Battle, Alijah Martin, Kyle Anderson and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Toronto shot 12/41 (29 per cent) from deep, driving fans to wonder if another season of poor shooting awaits around the corner. Should Graves and Battle be healthy enough to suit up, that’ll be a decent amount of added firepower.
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It would also be the first time audiences watch Graves on the court with Scottie Barnes. They’re both jumbo playmakers that wreak havoc on defence. If Barnes is healthy enough to play (he suffered a minor knee scare against the Heat), it’ll be interesting to see how he and Graves play off each other. That first defensive highlight or big-to-big pass will do numbers on social media.
This is a big season for Battle, who is in the final year of his contract. Shooters become game-changing components of an elite offence when next to a legit star like Leonard.
Go watch Immanuel Quickley
If a player like Battle can dramatically impact win probabilities while playing next to elite talent, then someone like Immanuel…
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Publish date : 2026-10-10 14:20:00
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