The Toronto Raptors trailed by as many as 34 points in the first half of their 115-111 loss to the Boston Celtics in a preseason game Sunday night.

No problem, right? The Celtics usually destroyed their opponents en route to the title last year. Well, Boston was in a back-to-back set and didn’t play any of the starters. A bit disturbing.

Never make too much of the preseason, especially when a team is missing so many key players. The Raptors aren’t in a place where they can rest their starters for fun, but they continue to play without two starters (Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett), two rotation reserves (Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown) and two players on the deeper bench . guaranteed contracts (Garrett Temple and Ja’Kobe Walter) that would get minutes ahead of some players at the end of the roster if they were healthy. Still, a loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday and a brutal first half against the Celtics were bad enough that the Raptors should have some urgency to get into a sharper spot in their final two preseason games.

With that in mind, there have been some great stories, but also some specific concerns. Let’s check in.

Stock up

Chris Boucher: If the Raptors were healthy, you might wonder if Boucher would get the same treatment he did last year under Darko Rajaković. Specifically, Boucher would be the 11th man in a 10-man rotation.

After three games, Boucher was perhaps the Raptor who played his role best. While the Raptors’ injuries are mostly on the positional spectrum, Boucher is one of the few Raptors who has provided positive play in the preseason. He was excellent in both games against Washington, totaling 35 points and 13 rebounds, seven of them offensive, in just 36 minutes. He started hot from deep, which wasn’t a consistent skill for Boucher. We’ll see if it stays that way.

BOUCH3R 👌 pic.twitter.com/BxHJWTh3Ai

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 12, 2024

More importantly, he has been extremely active and has remained in control. He quickly made his move, but the other hustle aspects did not suffer.

“I literally treat him the same way I treat rookies,” Rajaković said during training camp. “I’m honest with him. I tell him when he makes mistakes and I praise him when he does a good job. We have a very good relationship and he allows me to coach him, which I really appreciate.”

Ochai Agbaji: The third-year pro will almost certainly get the starting nod on opening night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Barrett and Brown out, there is no other choice. *Cue muted applause.*

However, after a poor performance in the Las Vegas Summer League, Agbaji seemed to feel more comfortable in the preseason. His numbers haven’t jumped off the stat sheet, but he was easily the Raptors’ best fullback (low bar) and was comfortable on the floor. In any case, he tries to cut the ball to get the most out of Jakob Poeltl’s pass. He had five assists against the Celtics.

BACK ➡️ BACK BUCKETS FOR OCHAI pic.twitter.com/pIYCMwq75l

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 7, 2024

Agbaji has the potential to be a legitimate rotation player in the NBA. That’s the mentality the Raptors traded for him with last year, moving a late first-round pick. He gets his chance this season.

Davion Mitchell: With Quickley out of the lineup due to a thumb injury, Mitchell started in his place and was solid. Mitchell isn’t going to light things up offensively, but he can set the tone defensively and be responsible with the ball.

The latter has proven to be the most clear. With the Raptors running out of space and throwing the ball away frequently, Mitchell was a safe pair of hands. In 53 minutes, Mitchell has provided 14 assists and no turnovers.

When Barnes and Quickley are healthy, they will have the ball most of the time. It’s a bonus to know that Mitchell can arrange everything in no time.

Stock down

Young big men: None of the Raptors’ three rookies, Jonathan Mogbo, Branden Carlson or Ulrich Chomche, are ready for regular NBA minutes. For Chomche, that’s absolutely fine; he has a two-year, two-way contract. The Raptors are playing the long game with him, and the fouls and defensive failures are the start of a long experiment.

It’s a little more problematic for the other two, who could have real chances to make an impact this year. Carlson is largely relegated to the fourth quarter, with a mix of players on two-way contracts and non-guaranteed contracts. Even in those conditions, Carlson was pushed around, no surprise given his 220-pound frame and 8-foot-10 frame.

Mogbo has shown flashes, especially as a playmaker. He had 8 points, 10 rebounds and four assists against the Celtics. There’s a player there. He makes hard passes in small windows.

He just can’t shoot from distance, which limits where he can play. If Olynyk isn’t on the floor, it’s hard to imagine Mogbo being on it. There won’t be enough room for Barnes and the Raptors’ other playmakers to operate. It’s probably best if he spends time with Raptors 905 and gets the green light to shoot a lot and handle the ball – Mississauga’s version of Barnes, to a degree.

Gradey Dick: Forget the foul. Dick has shown some creativity, and in a setting with more NBA-quality players, he will look better on offense than he has so far. He still hit half of the Raptors’ 10 3s on Sunday.

👌 @gradey_dick 👌 pic.twitter.com/VnPKlUhrJV

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 14, 2024

Even more care: The Celtics’ mock draft repeatedly sent screeners and drivers to Dick on Sunday night, but he didn’t come with enough force to navigate them. This was more or less the Celtics’ third-string lineup, and Dick was repeatedly out of position.

He will start for the Raptors and will go against some dangerous guards and wings. He’s going to see more complicated fouls than he did against the Celtics. Given the preseason, it will be a problem.

Distance: The Raptors obviously need Dick on the floor. Along with Quickley, he is their best shooter, and the Raptors don’t have many of them on the roster.

Walter, a newcomer – also injured – is part of the long-term plan to surround Barnes with more shooters. Many of the Raptors’ other players will need major shooting reforms.

We have already discussed the limitations of Mogbo and Agbaji. Jamal Shead, the second-round pick expected to be the Raptors’ third-string point guard, is 5-for-17 in the past two games, and teams are going to challenge him to shoot. Barnes has been rusty from the start and Mitchell is a hesitant shooter.

Again, at full health the Raptors should be an average poor shooting team rather than a historically bad team. It’s easy to see how things can get ugly.

(Photo of Chris Boucher and Lonnie Walker IV: Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images)