The Raptors needed to beat a good team, and they couldn’t. Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and RJ Barrett struggled while Ja’Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles shone.

Here’s the recap:

And here’s Joe Wolfond on spacing and Ingram:

The Space Between Here and the Ceiling

One thing that would make putting the ball in other guys’ hands more effective is if Ingram could find his way to more threes. That’s one of two main things Rajakovic said he wants to see more of from Ingram moving forward, along with him being more involved in the team’s transition attack both with and without the ball. 

Ingram has hit 40.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this season, third among the team’s rotation players behind only Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter. But on a per-minute basis, he attempts fewer of them than everyone except Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, and Collin Murray-Boyles. As a result, his off-ball gravity continues to lag far behind his talent as a shooter.

Overall, though, the early returns on Ingram’s Raptors tenure have been objectively positive. He still meaningfully improves spacing with his on-ball gravity; the attention he draws opens up pockets of space in the halfcourt that simply weren’t there before he arrived. His pick-and-rolls and post-ups often draw two defenders, and help sometimes shades his way before he even catches the ball, all of which opens up lanes for cutters, short rolls for big men, and kickouts to open shooters. His presence has nudged other players on the roster like Barnes and Barrett into more natural roles, and has raised the team’s offensive floor. 

The post Raptors film room: their stars didn’t show up first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Ja’Kobe Walter / A+ /  32 MIN, 16 PTS, 6-9 FG, 4-5 3FG, 0-3 FT, 2 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 2 PF, -5 +/-
This was a big, big time game for Walter from start to finish. Too bad the Raps crumbled in the fourth quarter. Him and Mamu were the only reliable 3-point threats throughout the game. He hit his second 3 in the first quarter when no one else was hitting them. That stopped the bleeding. He had a nice cut to tie it 26 apiece and had a great floater using CMB’s screen. He hit another 3 in the second quarter. In the third, he hit a big 3 to help the Raps get within 5. He played with patience offensively too – when he got doubled down low, he didn’t rush it and waited to kick the ball out. He forced two jump balls, and didn’t let Vucevic or other Celtics bigger than him to overpower him down low. Even when the game was getting away from them, he kept fighting to keep possession of the ball. 

Jakob Poeltl / D / 20 MIN, 14 PTS, 7-9 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 4 PF, -16 +/-   Poeltl looked better when he wasn’t played. He finished off Scottie’s passes, and did drew a foul from Queta, but he had 0 rebounds in the first half. The Celtics hunted him and it worked.

Jamal Shead / D+ / 26 MIN, 7 PTS, 2-8 FG, 1-3 3FG, 2-2 FT, 1 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 1 PF, -7 +/-  
Like Poeltl, Shead was better off the floor, especially in the fourth quarter. He wasn’t reliable with the ball in his hands when the fourth quarter hit. 

Collin Murray-Boyles / A- /  26 MIN, 12 PTS, 5-8 FG, 0-0 3FG, 2-4 FT, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 2 PF, -1 +/-
He was the only reliable inside presence this game The Celtics didn’t respect his touch around the rim (especially with a hand that’s still not 100%). He hit an elbow jumper and scored again in a 8-0, then 10-0run. He was pivotal in the third quarter – he got to the line and followed up Shead’s missed lay-up with a big dunk. 

RJ Barrett / C / 35 MIN, 15 PTS, 6-17 FG, 1-4 3FG, 2-2 FT, 5 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO, 2 PF, -15 +/-
Barrett’s stats don’t really tell the full story. He had six points at halftime and as a physical player, Barrett could have been more useful on the defensive end. In a game where he could have been an X-factor, RJ was nowhere to be found.  

Sandro Mamukelashvili / A- / 24 min, 10 pts, 2-4 FG, 2-3 3FG, 4-4 FT, 6 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 2 PF, -8 +/-
Mamu’s hit a big 3 as the Boston crowd erupted in the third, Mamu hit his biggest 3 in the third quarter. The game was within reach – a two-point game. Mamu had a solid defensive play on Tatum as he forced him to miss a 3 deep into the shot clock.

Brandon Ingram / C+ / 34 MIN, 15 PTS, 6-13 fg, 0-1 3FG, 3-3 FT, 3 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 1 PF, -13 +/-
BI underwhelmed. It took him a while to get going as he only had 3 points and one big block by halftime. He showcased two great spin moves and scored in third and fourth quarter runs before the Raptors fell apart.

Darko Rajakovic (B-)
Scottie was hurt early in the game and CMB seemed to need some time to rest. That’s not the doing of the coach. Poeltl and Shead got way too many minutes, but it seemed like he had no other choice as there are clear limitations that got exposed today, especially when Poeltl’s utility diminishes.

Things we saw:

1. In a potential playoff preview match-up, the bench guys-plus-Walter outplayed the starters. Barnes imposed his will on this game at times, but the rest of the starters wilted when this seemed winnable till the final 10 minutes.

Your next read: Even in a game where Ingram was underwhelming, his ability to adjust to Darko’s system has helped the Raps overachieve this season. Joe Wolfond explains how:

Despite making some subtle adjustments to facilitate better flow this season, that’s still largely who Ingram is as a player. His default setting is languid. Sometimes when the ball finds him, it sticks, and watching him gradually nudge those possessions along can be like watching someone try to coax honey out of an upturned jar. 

The post Quick Reaction: Raptors 101, Celtics 115 first appeared on Raptors Republic.

It been a tale of two narratives for both these franchises as of late. After a strong start to the season for the Raptors they have hit a middle ground, desperately trying to find their way out of nuetral. Toronto is 5-5 in their last ten games. For the Celtics, they have hit a new gear since Jayson Tatum has returned from his ACL injury. Boston is clicking on all cylinders, hoisting a 8-2 record in their last ten games .

Raptors Outlook

Record: 43-34 | 6th in Eastern Conference
Offensive Rating: 114.7 (15th) | Defensive Rating: 112.2 (7th) | Net Rating: +2.5 (12th)

Raptors last five games results

Vs Pelicans W 106-119

Vs Magic W 87-139

@ Pistons L 116-127

Vs Kings L 123-115

@ Grizzlies W 128-96

The Raptors picked up a much-needed win on Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, allowing them to climb back out of the top play-in spot. Immanuel Quickley will miss his eighth straight game of the season, as he continues to deal with plantar faciitis, leaving the point guard role back in the hands of Scottie Barnes. Quickley has started to workout without a boot, but remains without a timetable for a return to game action. Barnes’ playmaking since taking on this new role has hit a new level. In Quickley’s absense he has tallied more than ten-plus assists in each six of the last seven games. He had six in a row before the Memphis game, tying former Raptors star, Kyle Lowry for the most in a row in frnachise history. All together Toronto will roll out a much healthier squad against the Celtics compared to the last time these two teams met up head-to-head on Jan. 18th. Toronto were without three starters in that ball game: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Jakob Poeltl.

Celtics Outlook

Record: 52-25 | 2nd in Eastern Conference
Offensive Rating: 119.9 (2nd) | Defensive Rating: 111.8 (4th) | Net Rating: +8.1 (4th)

The Boston Celtics continue to make ground in the Eastern Conference as they sit 4.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons for the top spot in the conference. This afternoon they may be getting another lineup boost as Nikola Vucevic (finger) who has been sidelined since Mar. 6th has been upgraded to questionable. The Celtics have had Toronto’s number for the last few seasons now. In their last ten games, against them they are 9-1. They are also currently 3-0 against them in the three games they matched up together this season alone. Tatum has put all concerns to whether he could return to his former self as he is already way ahead of schedule in his injury comeback. He has grabbed double-digit rebounds in five of his past six contests. He is also just two games removed from an outing against the Miami Heat where he dropped a 28 point, 18 rebound, 11 assist triple-double.

Game Info

Tip-Off: 3:30 p.m. ET

Television: Sportsnet One

Radio: TSN 1050

Venue: TD Garden

Starting Lineups (Projected)

Boston Celtics

PG: Derrick White

SG: Sam Hauser

SF: Jaylen Brown

PF: Jayson Tatum

C: Neemias Queta

Toronto Raptors

PG: Scottie Barnes

SG: Ja’Kobe Walter

SF: RJ Barrett

PF: Brandon Ingram

C: Jakob Poeltl

Injury Report

Toronto Raptors

Immanuel Quickley (foot) – Out

Chucky Hepburn (G-League Assignment) – Out

Boston Celtics

Nikola Vucevic (Finger) – Questionable

The post Gameday: Raptors @ Celtics, April 5th first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Samson Folk & Louis Zatzman detail the latest in the Raptors realm.

From Samson’s piece:

“Now, back to the pace. With Barnes being seen as more of the de facto “point guard” it meant the Raptors were trying to get him the ball more often in basically every scenario. Most importantly, they were getting him the ball in transition. Barnes has been seeing nearly 10 more backcourt touches a game during this stretch, and that means he gets to make early clock decisions. Do you want a hit ahead? An outlet? Do you want a big ol’ super computer pressuring the rim in transition? They’ve all been good options.

What I see, more than anything, is that the Raptors finally allowed Barnes to play in his best role: transition decision maker.

For a team that plays as much transition as the Raptors do, they’ve been horribly inefficient in doing so. They’re always playing fast, and always underperforming that aspect of their game. Across the Raptors first 70 games of the season they had one performance that would rank in the 90th percentile and above in terms of transition efficiency. Across the past 6, they’ve had 3. Barnes’ inclusion in more of the fast-paced decision making is not only a crystal clear upgrade on Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett – whoever you want on the Raptors – it’s a clear upgrade on almost all of the NBA.

If you go to Barnes’ numbers in transition, the scoring stuff alone, you’ll be pretty nonplussed. The numbers are not great. However, when you extend out to Barnes’ playmaking included? Then you’re cooking with gas. The Raptors benefit greatly from that. When you look at a lot of the shots he created for teammates and a lot of the greatest aspects of putting Barnes on ball? It’s that stuff.

Coach Darko told me they’re working on getting the rest of the roster to really run with Barnes when he’s pushing the pace, and I do think that’s necessary, but it’s also flat out more necessary that they put the ball in Barnes’ hands to push more often. Does that mean the Raptors probably have to change how they sequence themselves into some opening actions and pet plays? Probably. Is the trade off worth it? Absolutely.”

Have a blessed day.

The post Is Scottie Barnes a point guard? first appeared on Raptors Republic.

At Friday’s expansion draft, the Tempo used 11 of the 12 selections available to them to build the first international WNBA team. Although the Tempo missed out on the top Canadian available — the Portland Fire took Bridget Carleton first overall — Toronto still took a global approach to building its inaugural squad. With eight international players, a heavy serving of shooting guards, and a concerted focus on younger players, it’s clear the Tempo already have a strong sense of where they’re headed.

Even as we anticipate more moves to happen during free agency, and await the college draft, let’s take a moment to get to know each of these 11 inaugural selections.

Here’s what you should know about the Tempo’s first-ever players:

Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun)

Mabrey was the Tempo’s unrestricted free agent selection and the most veteran player they picked. The 29-year-old guard has been a key player for the Sun and Sky in recent years, and although she’s not quite at all-star level, she’s a proven point getter who can drive offence. Last season she averaged 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists over 31.5 minutes per game with the stumbling Sun.

Nyara Sabally (New York Liberty)

Sabally comes to Toronto with experience playing under head coach Sandy Brondello while with the New York Liberty. Although injuries disrupted her 2025 season (she made just 17 appearances), she’s best known for her contributions in 2024 when she helped the Liberty take home their first-ever title. In that decisive Game 5 she slotted in as the third big next to Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart to contribute 13 points and seven rebounds while shooting 71.4 per cent from the field.

Julie Allemand (Los Angeles Sparks)

Allemand is poised to become the Tempo’s starting point guard. With two years of experience in the W where she’s built a reputation as a floor general and elite level passer, Allemand is exactly the type of player Brondello needs to take charge of her five-out offensive system.

Nikolina Milic (Connecticut Sun)

Milic is one of two true centres the Tempo selected at the expansion draft. The 6-foot-3 Serbia native comes with two seasons of experience in the league but hasn’t suited up since 2023 because of her commitments playing overseas. The 31-year old has most recently played in a professional league in Turkey where she came off the bench for Fenerbahçe. She also has experience playing alongside fellow Tempo pick Allemand.

Maria Conde (Golden State Valkyries)

Conde has yet to appear in a WNBA game, and Toronto marks the second expansion team she’s been on in as many years, yet Tempo assistant general manager Eli Horowitz says “she’s one of the best players in all of Europe who’s never been in the WNBA.” She missed out on last year’s W season while rehabbing an injury with her Italian club, but returned to play recently for 15 EuroLeague games, averaging 11.1 points and 5.9 assists.

Kristy Wallace (Indiana Fever)

Wallace didn’t appear in any games with the Fever last year (she took a year off for personal reasons), but in her last season in the W (2024) the shooting guard put up 4.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists. The 30-year-old, who has experience playing under Brondello at the 2024 Paris Olympics with the Australian national team, is likely to step into her biggest WNBA role yet while with the Tempo.

Aaliyah Nye (Las Vegas Aces)

Nye was the Aces’s 13^th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. She comes to the Tempo fresh off winning the WNBA Finals in 2025, but having clocked minimal time on the floor. Over six post-season appearances last season she totalled 15 minutes.

Lexi Held (Phoenix Mercury)

Held is likely to be the Tempo’s second option at point guard. Like Nye shes coming off her rookie season where she advanced all the way to the Finals with the Mercury, but played a very small role with the team.

Kitija Laksa (Phoenix Mercury)

Laksa will start her second WNBA season in 2026 after averaging 5.9 points and 1.2 rebounds with the Mercury last year. The 29-year-old guard was drafted 11^th overall by the Storm in 2020, but didn’t start playing professionally in the United States until last season.

Maria Kliundikova (Minnesota Lynx)

Kliundikova played her first return season to the W in 2025 after missing five years to play internationally. She appeared in 34 games for the Lynx — including one start — and averaged 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11 minutes.

Adja Kane (New York Liberty)

Kane is the Tempo’s plan for the future. The 21-year-old French centre is unlikely to log minutes in the WNBA this season but has been dubbed by the Toronto brass as “more of a long-term opportunity.” She was drafted by the Liberty with the last pick in the 2025 draft (38^th overall) and has since continued her development overseas.

The post What to know about Mabrey and the rest of the Tempo’s expansion draft picks first appeared on Raptors Republic.

The Toronto Raptors’ last game against the Memphis Grizzlies is evidence of his impact. Shead is a maestro at drawing offensive foul calls. Shead drew his 65th offensive foul in the first half of the game. That 65 number is the second-most in the entire NBA.

Kyle Lowry was beloved in Toronto for many things, but the one thing that always stood out was how he drew offensive charges. Shead has shades of that plus. His ability to draw those calls does not just come from charges; it comes from playing high-energy defence that gets his defenders uncomfortable.

Portland Trail Blazers’ Toumani Camara leads the league with 102 offensive fouls drawn, which is a new league record. The other two players in the top four are Atlanta Hawks’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker and New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson. What makes Shead’s case so much more unique is that he is the only one who comes off the bench. Camara, Alexander-Walker, and Brunson all have played at least 740 more minutes than Shead.

Among the Raptors, Shead has drawn more than double the next-most-drawn player on the team. Immanuel Quickley ranks second on the squad with 27, and Scottie Barnes, a candidate for defensive player of the year, has just 18 offensive fouls drawn.

That number, 65, is a major improvement over Shead’s rookie year. Last season, Shead finished with 29 offensive fouls drawn, which placed him tied for 15th in the league.

Even when his shots are not falling, Shead has demonstrated his determination to do whatever it takes for his team to secure a victory. With just five games remaining in the schedule and the Raptors trying to claw out of a play-in spot and into the sixth seed, that kind of mentality could go a long way.

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The post Raptors’ Shead draws 65th offensive foul call of the season first appeared on Raptors Republic.

The Raptors beat a team they were supposed to beat. Congratulations! Less facetiously, the Raptors took care of business against the Grizzlies, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Collin Murray-Boyles shone.

Here’s the recap:

And here’s the quick recap:

Three Things:

1 – Early on there were some weird offensive fouls called on the Raptors on would-be buckets. The Raptors were really shaken up by the refereeing, though, which was probably more harmful than the actual calls. Even when the calls went their way, it was just a slow game that couldn’t get a rhythm for the first 20 minutes.

2 – Toronto’s defence was fairly solid, even before the turnover parade started in the second. It forced tough shots, which the Grizzlies made often enough. It cleaned the glass. It did well. Even though Toronto wasn’t building a lead for much of the first half, it was at least setting the stage for a lead eventually becoming a reality.

3 – RJ Barrett / A+ / 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 4-of-6 from deep

A fantastic game. He wasn’t forcing too much, as he has in some recent contests, but he was still putting his head down at times and reaching the paint. That was a good thing. In the second quarter, he stampeded a catch and finished a push shot. The shooting was obviously a huge plus, and he even hit a stepback triple midway through the second. 

The post Raptors film room: Collin Murray-Boyles continues to add to his impressive rookie season first appeared on Raptors Republic.

A fantastic game. He wasn’t forcing too much, as he has in some recent contests, but he was still putting his head down at times and reaching the paint. That was a good thing. In the second quarter, he stampeded a catch and finished a push shot. The shooting was obviously a huge plus, and he even hit a stepback triple midway through the second. 

Brandon Ingram / A / 17 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, 6-of-11 from the field

He did exceptionally at fitting into what the team did well and not commandeering the offence too often. He was passing early, finding Poeltl for a layup on a pull-up-to-pass look that turned out very well. When he wasn’t passing, he was driving as aggressively as I’ve seen, drawing fouls or finishing (or both, in the case of one monster dunk, which was later ruled to be an offensive foul, which, boo).

Scottie Barnes / B- / 10 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 5 turnovers

He never really turned it on, but he never had to. He was quiet in the first quarter until he realized his team was sort of sleepwalking, and then he knocked in a couple of mid-rangers to at least move the chains on the scoreboard. But he committed some uncharacteristic turnovers with sloppy passing. There’s a fine line between the home-run look and the short cut, and it seemed like Barnes couldn’t find the right side of it at times. When he settled into the game and stopped trying to force things, Toronto stopped turning it over, which let the defence play in the half court, which let the offence play in the open court.

Jakob Poeltl / C / 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

It looked like it was going to be a big Poeltl game early, with him passing out of the mid post for a dunk and rolling for a layup. But he very quickly got lost in the shuffle of a relatively flow-free game. Defensively, he wasn’t as mobile as he should have been, with some sloppy closeouts and slow help shown around the rim.

Jamal Shead / A+ / 11 points, 6 assists, 2 steals

The most impactful player in the game for long stretches. Missed an open corner triple on his first touch, but then made a terrific pass to Poeltl on a slip that resulted in a blown layup. He generally created open shots for his teammates whenever he touched the ball, and despite them missing, he was a boost offensively. He forced lots of turnovers (with steals and drawing offensive fouls) on the defensive end just through activity, which led to Toronto finally creating distance in the second quarter with some transition play.

Gradey Dick / Incomplete / 7 points

Garbage time. (He was trying really hard, cutting and running and doing his best to get some points on the board.)

Ja’Kobe Walter / A / 7 points, 8 rebounds, 2-of-9 shooting, plus-39

His numbers were quiet, but he did his job. Defensively, he got beaten on some fancy drives from Memphis’ small guards, but in general he was terrific in isolation. He missed an uncontested triple on his first look, but it was a great job hunting his shot around an RJ-Poeltl empty-side pick-and-roll. He’s been doing more off the bounce in recent games than at any other point in his career, and he showed it in this one. He drove as the second-side attacker multiple times, looking to create for teammates with his dribble. He chased offensive rebounds. He’s expanding his arsenal without losing what makes him important (defence).

Sandro Mamukelashvili / B / 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1-of-4 from deep

Gave good minutes. He fought on the offensive glass, cut well on Barrett’s drives, drew tons of free throws and almost had a huge transition dunk. The defence wasn’t fantastic, although it settled into place when the rest of his teammates really put the clamps on. His offence is just such a boon right now, even when the triple wasn’t falling.

Collin Murray-Boyles / A+ / 19 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

He was consistently very strong. He did terrific getting to the rim at all times, whether when others passed him to the rim or just dribbling there himself. His driving has quietly been popping in the last few games, and on his first touch he drove from the perimeter for free throws. He had a smooth spinning drive for a lay in the third, too. He missed a lob dunk that he really should have put through the rim. He was way too good for garbage time and got out of there quick.

Jonathan Mogbo – Incomplete

Garbage time

Jamison Battle – Incomplete

Garbage time

Alijah Martin – Incomplete

Garbage time

AJ Lawson / A / 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

His defensive activity was meaningful, though he had a nothing foul called on him while he moved his feet well. He was always pushing; in the fourth quarter, with a few minutes remaining, he pushed off a made dunk from Memphis and hit a corner triple three seconds later.

Darko Rajakovic – A

The Raptors opened the game playing through Poeltl in the mid post, he lobbed to a cutting Barnes for a dunk. Very nice scripted set. The team was very clearly trying to force activity into the game, with lots of full-court press, and players like Lawson and Shead trying to run at all times. He was searching, even trying a Walter-Barrett-Barnes-Mamukelashvili-Poeltl lineup to try to win some possessions on the glass. Eventually, it paid off. He had the team performing well.

Three Things:

1 – Early on there were some weird offensive fouls called on the Raptors on would-be buckets. The Raptors were really shaken up by the refereeing, though, which was probably more harmful than the actual calls. Even when the calls went their way, it was just a slow game that couldn’t get a rhythm for the first 20 minutes.

2 – Toronto’s defence was fairly solid, even before the turnover parade started in the second. It forced tough shots, which the Grizzlies made often enough. It cleaned the glass. It did well. Even though Toronto wasn’t building a lead for much of the first half, it was at least setting the stage for a lead eventually becoming a reality.

Your next read: Samson Folk, on Scottie Barnes moonlighting as a point guard:

Coach Darko made reference to Nikola Jokic and Milos Teodosic as passers. Their need to “feel things out” and “test the limits”. He highlighted Barnes as this kind of passer as well. Barnes is willing to make high risk/high reward passes all the time. He hits an astounding amount of them, but there’s still a lot more risk in his form of creation, because it’s more reliant on off ball breakdowns from the defense, not on ball breakdowns by a dominant offensive player like Barnes.

The result? Obviously a mixed bag. Barnes, without anyone to create for him, saw volatile swings in his effectiveness as a scorer. Even his creation on the whole was fairly volatile in the halfcourt. And this is during March where scoring comes a lot easier in the NBA, and against some pretty bad defenses. His on ball limitations — handle, lack of a pull-up jumper from deeper than 16 feet — showed up constantly. Still though, the sheer amount of reads he got to filter through and his passing talent meant that the Raptors were guaranteed some production. This is the pitch, not even for Barnes as a point guard, but just as a more featured offensive player. A conduit on a lot of possessions to inject pace and dynamic passing. Not to mention all the things that Barnes can do well outside of this. He’s been a great mismatch iso scorer this year; really strong as a roller, and still capable on the offensive glass.

The post Quick Reaction: Raptors 128, Grizzlies 96 first appeared on Raptors Republic.

29-year-old Belgian guard Julie Allemand was the second pick in the expansion draft. She was selected after Canadian Bridget Carleton, who was selected by the Portland Fire.

Head coach Sandy Brondello’s former New York Liberty centre – Nyara Sabally – was the Tempo’s second pick. In the past, Brondello has praised her for being an X-factor and a high-energy player.

Connecticut Sun’s Marina Mabrey was Toronto’s third choice, and Aaliyah Nye, who won an WNBA championship in her rookie season last year, was selected fourth. Rookie guard Lexi Held, who helped the Phoenix Mercury in their Finals runs, was selected fifth, and Golden State Valkyries’ Maria Conde was selected sixth.

Brondello has made the playoffs every season and has championship expectations – she has publicly spoken of wanting her players to “embrace hard.”

Only one unrestricted free agent is allowed through the expansion draft, and Allemand and Sabally are both restricted free agents. Mabrey is unrestricted.
In the second round, the Tempo drafted players in this order: Maria Kliundikova, Adja Kane, Nikolina Milic, Kitija Laksa, and Kristy Wallace.

The expansion draft was the first of three options for Tempo’s roster construction. The WNBA Draft (happening on April 13th) and free agency are the other two options. The Tempo acquired the 26th pick (via the New York Liberty) from the Chicago Sky and will own the 6th, 22nd and 36th pick as well. 

The post Report: Toronto Tempo pick Allemand, Sabally, and Mabrey in expansion draft  first appeared on Raptors Republic.

“We’re a playoff team now, but that’s the floor. What’s the ceiling for us?”

A query that’s not so easy to answer. Because in the G League, teams often operate to be of “service” to their NBA counterparts, as Jones explained. Preparing prospects so effectively that they eventually get plucked away.

So reach up for the stars all you want, but expect someone to climb onto your shoulders in hopes of touching the moon.

On Tuesday, as the Raptors 905 fell to the very same Cruise team they had previously beaten, it was hard to ignore that they were without A.J. Lawson, along with his team-leading 20.8 points per game and much-improved defensive impact along the perimeter.

And while there’s little doubt that Lawson would’ve loved to be in two places at once that night, exploring his own ceiling in the NBA (rightfully) took precedent for him and the Raptors organization.

The Brampton, Ont. native has averaged nearly 10 points and 1.3 steals through three consecutive appearances, but more importantly, he’s played 18 minutes per game in that span and shot 67 per cent from distance. Lawson’s case for a real top-level opportunity — potentially getting converted off a two-way and becoming post-season eligible — only looks stronger because of his recent stint, even if that was to the detriment of the 905’s playoff run.

Because while Lawson certainly spearheaded the 905 upward through much of the season, the team had been preparing him for exactly the type of opportunity he’s recently been seizing in the NBA.

Such is life in the pros.

And the fact that the Raptors 905 found themselves in such scenarios repeatedly — and even worked through them at times — exemplified why the year was undoubtedly a step in the right direction, even if the ceiling wasn’t quite as high as originally anticipated.

Which is what Jones made sure to tell his players after Tuesday’s playoff exit.

“That’s the first thing I said,” the second-year bench boss explained. “I said ‘this loss doesn’t diminish what you guys accomplished this season.’ … They really put on this year. The way they allowed me to coach them, the way they adhered to our standard every single day.”

A standard built upon Jones’ four C’s: “Care, connection, character and competition. I’ve led with that since I’ve been here, and our guys have embraced it.”

What they accomplished by adhering to those principles was a G League-best 37-13 record through the tip-off tournament and regular season. A campaign that began with a record 16-0 start and a No. 1 seed en route to the tip-off tournament finals. (It also included the unveiling of a historic new practice facility.) And far removed from the last three seasons of .500 or below showings.

Team success that drove plenty of individual accolades, with two G League All-Stars (Lawson and Alijah Martin) and three players (Julian Reese, Olivier Sarr, and David Roddy) signing two-way deals with other NBA organizations in the back half of the regular season.

Roster turnover that led to a 3-6 stretch between February and March, but was eventually quelled by closing the campaign on a 7-2 run to secure homecourt in the first round of the playoffs.

Jones’ four “C’s” also pushed plenty of internal ceiling-raising. Martin, for instance, stepped up as an on-ball playmaker once Chucky Hepburn was lost for the season due to a knee injury. The rookie guard doubled his assists per game from the tip-off tournament to the regular season and saw an 11 per cent jump in unassisted makes, all while maintaining his scoring productivity/efficiency.

“Absolute pleasure to coach. My kind of guy. Tough as nails, high-level competitor and literally is willing to do anything to win,” Jones said of Martin, who, along with Jonathan Mogbo, took a car service from Detroit to Mississauga on Tuesday to participate in the 905’s playoff game. “And I think when you have a guy that’s that talented, with that level of competitive character, he’s fun to coach.”

There was also AJ Hoggard, whom the Raptors 905 took 10th overall in the 2025 G League draft, and went from DNP-CDs early on to being a go-to floor general in Hepburn’s absence, leading the team in assists during the regular season.

“He went from not playing, being in our stay-ready groups, to being a high-level contributor,” Jones said of Hoggard’s development, shortly after the 25-year-old put up a team-high 22 points off the bench against the Cruise on Tuesday. “Just super talented … he’s going to grow tremendously.”

That upheld standard was what ultimately allowed the Raptors 905 to squeeze every last drop of juice from their players and the organizational philosophies of pesky point-of-attack defence and ball-movement offence, irrespective of available personnel. Maintaining a top-three defence all year and peaking as high as top eight on offence through the tip-off tournament, which led to a league-best net rating (plus-8.9) over 50 games in 2025-26.

And that’s the G League balancing act, right?

Building a winning team and then figuring out how not to fall off the rails when parts get picked off. (Something last year’s squad wasn’t able to handle, finishing 2024-25 on a 2-17 slump once their key contributors were poached).

Unfortunately, even while keeping the train on the tracks this season, the one “C” the 905 couldn’t figure out proved to be their undoing.

Consistency, or lack thereof, plagued the junior dinos for chunks of the year — slow starts, combined with waxing-and-waning defensive execution, were often sticking points for Jones.

All of which showed on Tuesday, when in patches the 905 resembled the squad that ran roughshod on the league for months — forcing over 20 turnovers a game during the tip-off tournament and ranking among the league leaders in fastbreak points — but also the team whose defence couldn’t do enough heavy lifting (and lacked the top-end talent) to carry an offence that stumbled to middle-of-the-pack production down the stretch.

“Resiliency when you’re down and discipline when you’re up,” Jones responded when asked what his biggest takeaway from the season was. “We show that level of resiliency when we’re down in games and then being disciplined when you’re up, right? Having the professional maturity to adjust as the game is being played. Knowing when to go on runs, knowing when to bring it out. All habits that young teams have to go through … and those are some of the lessons that we learned this season.”

Still, even through a disappointing loss, Tuesday’s playoff game felt like a culmination of the Raptors 905 season — scratching and clawing to the bitter end, no matter the circumstances. Regardless of how many times the team was pushed toward the floor as they propelled players to the next level, the 905 kept on reaching for their own proverbial ceiling.

And they may not have reached it. Not the stars or the moon. But the view from where they ultimately landed is still worth admiring. A campaign backed by a year-long effort to rise above nearly half a decade of stagnation, all while remaining in service of the Raptors.

So until next season, all that’s left to do is “learn from it,” as Jones explained.

“Challenges and adversities are opportunities to grow … you feel this pain, and you grow from it.”

The post Why playoff exit ‘doesn’t diminish’ season for Raptors 905 first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Raptors Outlook

Record: 42-34 | 7th in Eastern Conference
Offensive Rating: 114.5 (16th) | Defensive Rating: 112.5 (7th) | Net Rating: +2.1 (12th)

Brandon Ingram will be back in the lineup tonight, and with the lack of defensive talent that Memphis has, he should have no issue getting any shot that he wants to. There should not be any struggles offensively for Toronto tonight, they are playing against a very tweak defensive team that can easily be taken advantage of. Scottie Barnes should use tonight’s game as a chance to get back on track as a scorer. His playmaking has been even better lately but that has coincided with a change to his scoring process, which has hurt the team overall. Toronto likely won’t need a big scoring night from Barnes to win, but it may give him the boost he needs to finish this season on a strong note.

Grizzlies Outlook

Record: 25-51 | 11th in Western Conference
Offensive Rating: 113.1 (21st) | Defensive Rating: 117.5 (24th) | Net Rating: -4.5 (22nd) 

Memphis gave up on this season long ago, they traded Jaren Jackson Jr. away, they tried to trade Ja Morant away numerous times, and they have had their starting lineup be sidelined with injury for months now. One of their only bright spots this season has been rookie guard Cedric Coward. Coward has shown that he has great potential as an on ball scorer, with a knack for getting to the cup. Another bright spot has been GG Jackson II who returned from an injury this season and has also shown some promise as a secondary ball handler.

Although they have some intriguing young players, Memphis does not have anywhere near the talent that Toronto will have tonight. They will most likely lose this game by a large margin, unless Toronto drops the ball yet again.

Game Info

Tip-Off: 8:00 p.m. ET

Television: Sportsnet

Venue: FedEx Forum

Starting Lineups (Projected)

Memphis Grizzlies 

PG: Javon Small

SG: Jahmai Mashack

SF:Cedric Coward 

PF: GG Jackson 

C: Taylor Hendricks

Toronto Raptors

PG: Ja’Kobe Walter

SG: RJ Barrett

SF: Brandon Ingram

PF: Scottie Barnes

C: Jakob Poeltl

Injury Report

Toronto Raptors

Immanuel Quickley (Foot) – Out

Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant (Elbow) – Out

Cam Spencer (Back) – Out 

Jaylen Wells (Foot) – Out

Santi Aldama (Knee) – Out

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Finger) – Out

Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Finger) – Out 

Ty Jerome (Ankle) – Out

Zach Edey (Ankle) – Out

Scotty Pippen Jr. (Toe) – Out

Odds as of Apr.3rd, 12:00 a.m. ET

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The post Gameday: Raptors @ Grizzlies, April 3rd first appeared on Raptors Republic.

We’ve all watched. We’ve all seen it. Scottie Barnes has gotten more of the ball, and the result has been a near unprecedented run of assists by a “forward”. Over this stretch (the past 6 games) the Raptors own the 14th best offensive rating in the NBA. There have been a couple let down games, but on the whole the Raptors have scored well enough, and obviously that includes a historic performance against Orlando. Truthfully, if the Raptors were to have this type of offensive stretch in another portion of the season they’d likely be a top 10 outfit, but March basketball is a beast of its own making.

What’s been clear, no matter where Barnes has played or what position, is that he’s an extremely gifted passer. It was clear at Montverde (if you wanna go see he and Cade Cunningham pal around and dominate). It was clear at Florida State. It’s been clear since he jumped into the NBA. Barnes processes the floor quicker than most other players in the world. His frame and athleticism are standouts, obviously, but I’d argue the way he thinks the game is his greatest asset.

The last week or so of Barnes getting a lot of the basketball and the shots he’s created are largely a product of how he sees the game, rather than how he bends defenses.

A lot of what the Raptors were able to get in the halfcourt was the result of Barnes’ live dribble, hawk eyes, and quick trigger as a passer. Gone are the days where the dribble pressures the rim, the Raptors were sticking with the pass. This is, for the time being, a wholly unique offense in the NBA.

Coach Darko made reference to Nikola Jokic and Milos Teodosic as passers. Their need to “feel things out” and “test the limits”. He highlighted Barnes as this kind of passer as well. Barnes is willing to make high risk/high reward passes all the time. He hits an astounding amount of them, but there’s still a lot more risk in his form of creation, because it’s more reliant on off ball breakdowns from the defense, not on ball breakdowns by a dominant offensive player like Barnes.

The result? Obviously a mixed bag. Barnes, without anyone to create for him, saw volatile swings in his effectiveness as a scorer. Even his creation on the whole was fairly volatile in the halfcourt. And this is during March where scoring comes a lot easier in the NBA, and against some pretty bad defenses. His on ball limitations — handle, lack of a pull-up jumper from deeper than 16 feet — showed up constantly. Still though, the sheer amount of reads he got to filter through and his passing talent meant that the Raptors were guaranteed some production. This is the pitch, not even for Barnes as a point guard, but just as a more featured offensive player. A conduit on a lot of possessions to inject pace and dynamic passing. Not to mention all the things that Barnes can do well outside of this. He’s been a great mismatch iso scorer this year; really strong as a roller, and still capable on the offensive glass.

Now, back to the pace. With Barnes being seen as more of the de facto “point guard” it meant the Raptors were trying to get him the ball more often in basically every scenario. Most importantly, they were getting him the ball in transition. Barnes has been seeing nearly 10 more backcourt touches a game during this stretch, and that means he gets to make early clock decisions. Do you want a hit ahead? An outlet? Do you want a big ol’ super computer pressuring the rim in transition? They’ve all been good options.

What I see, more than anything, is that the Raptors finally allowed Barnes to play in his best role: transition decision maker.

For a team that plays as much transition as the Raptors do, they’ve been horribly inefficient in doing so. They’re always playing fast, and always underperforming that aspect of their game. Across the Raptors first 70 games of the season they had one performance that would rank in the 90th percentile and above in terms of transition efficiency. Across the past 6, they’ve had 3. Barnes’ inclusion in more of the fast-paced decision making is not only a crystal clear upgrade on Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett – whoever you want on the Raptors – it’s a clear upgrade on almost all of the NBA.

If you go to Barnes’ numbers in transition, the scoring stuff alone, you’ll be pretty nonplussed. The numbers are not great. However, when you extend out to Barnes’ playmaking included? Then you’re cooking with gas. The Raptors benefit greatly from that. When you look at a lot of the shots he created for teammates and a lot of the greatest aspects of putting Barnes on ball? It’s that stuff.

Coach Darko told me they’re working on getting the rest of the roster to really run with Barnes when he’s pushing the pace, and I do think that’s necessary, but it’s also flat out more necessary that they put the ball in Barnes’ hands to push more often. Does that mean the Raptors probably have to change how they sequence themselves into some opening actions and pet plays? Probably. Is the trade off worth it? Absolutely.

Two lessons always smack me in the face anytime Barnes gets a lot of on ball reps:

1. He’s just too limited to create en masse for an offense.
2. The Raptors have to keep letting him touch the ball and push anyway.

Have a blessed day.

The post Scottie Barnes isn’t a point guard, but he’s a great playmaker: Folk’s Smoke first appeared on Raptors Republic.