Ingram makes residence debut as Raptors reduce down Nets

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The video scoreboard inside Scotiabank Arena on Friday night time featured stay protection of Game 5 of the ALCS pitting the Blue Jays versus the host Seattle Mariners.

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The sparse crowd was predictably extra fixated on the baseball sport than the pending hoops matchup that includes the host Raptors and Brooklyn Nets.

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This was the sixth and last pre-season sport for the Raptors, who will formally tip off the submit Masai Ujiri period subsequent week when the franchise begins its thirty first season within the NBA.

For Brandon Ingram, it will likely be his inaugural season with the Raptors.

While most exhibition finales carry little or no to no which means, Friday had a special flavour that a minimum of added some spice to the event.

It was, in spite of everything, Ingram’s first sport with the Raptors in Toronto.

Not surprisingly, the night was dubbed Welcome to Brandon Ingram Night, a tag line that should have saved the workforce’s sport operations employees up all night time.

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Ingram was the primary participant launched.

During the sport’s first timeout, a get-to-know you video that includes Ingram was introduced.

Among the attention-grabbing tidbits, Ingram revealed how he enjoys studying and believes Snoop Dogg could be the right particular person to play Ingram in a film.

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When requested how his new teammates would describe him, Ingram’s response may shock many.

“A thriller,” he mentioned.

It’s no thriller what Ingram has the potential to carry to the Raptors, who will start the common season in an Eastern Conference greatest described as broad open.

Anything in need of a playoff berth should be seen as an unmitigated catastrophe for the Raptors.

Any sort of sluggish begin to the season and one can guess the cries for a training change will probably be heard figuring out a championship head coach in Michael Malone stays unsigned, seemingly content material to name video games as a TV broadcaster — for now — till a workforce comes calling.

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One of the gamers Malone coached in Denver was Michael Porter Jr., a starter on the Nuggets’ 2023 title workforce whom the Nets acquired this previous low season.

Brooklyn’s rebuild begins anew.

About to enter his third season with the Raptors, head coach Darko Rajakovic has the perfect roster he’s been given in addition to the deepest.

For the primary time since Ujiri hand-picked the rookie head coach identified for his growth, Rajakovic will probably be teaching beneath the burden of expectations.

The following are three takeaways on an evening beginning centre Jakob Poeltl was compelled to go away the sport following decrease again stiffness, an evening the Raptors held on for a 119-114 win.

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1. Wing man B.I.

There’s little doubt Ingram will probably be a Toronto go-to possibility on offence.

What to make of his residence debut, albeit beneath a pre-season backdrop, isn’t really easy.

He can shoot off the dribble, put the ball on the ground and get to the road.

Against the Nets, Ingram discovered himself on the perimeter, often on the fitting wing on an evening greatest characterised as uneventful, a minimum of when it comes to manufacturing.

There was nothing of observe, but it surely needs to be famous that Ingram has regarded efficient within the pre-season.

It’s additionally price noting that Ingram was restricted to solely 18 video games final season within the wake of a excessive ankle harm.

It’s additionally noteworthy that Ingram has not performed greater than 64 video games since his rookie season again in 2016-17 when he was taken second general by the L.A. Lakers.

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Three years later, he was traded to New Orleans for Anthony Davis, who would workforce up with LeBron James to earn the Lakers a championship throughout the 2020 COVID season.

The Raptors aren’t going to win a title this coming season, however they need to be vying for a top-four slot within the East.

So a lot hinges on Ingram’s well being and whether or not franchise participant Scottie Barnes lives as much as the moniker.

2. Barnes-burner

It’s no secret Barnes has not distinguished himself throughout the pre-season, for what it’s price figuring out such workout routines are nugatory.

Still, it was refreshing to see an engaged Barnes attacking the rim towards the Nets.

In 9 first-quarter minutes, Barnes flashed his immense abilities and potential.

Barnes performed 9 minutes and 13 seconds within the opening interval, ending the primary quarter with a plus-11 ranking whereas netting 13 factors on five-of-six subject objectives.

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He added three steals and one block, the sort of manufacturing the Raptors would require from Barnes, the sort of output the Raptors should demand of their anointed star.

3. Bench brigade

The first two reserves for use Friday had been Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji adopted by Sandro Mamukelashvili, the most recent Raptor who has shortly endeared himself to followers.

The fourth participant used off the bench was second-year level guard Jamal Shead.

Keep in thoughts the power of the Raptors is their beginning unit.

How this five-man unit performs will go a great distance in figuring out how far the Raptors will go this coming season.

First-round draft choose (ninth general) Collin Murray-Boyles is nursing a proper forearm muscle pressure and was not accessible Friday night time.

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Earlier within the day, the Raptors introduced the signing of Julien Reese, an undrafted centre out of Maryland whose sister is WNBA star Angel Reese, who earlier within the week grew to become the primary skilled athlete to stroll the runway on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

As for Julien Reese, he’s destined for the Raptors 905.

Up subsequent

Raptors have just a few days to prep for subsequent Wednesday night time’s regular-season curtain raiser in Atlanta towards an rising Hawks workforce earlier than enjoying host to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks subsequent Friday night time. Barring a roster transfer within the coming days, the Raptors will start the common season with a roster opening.

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