Raptors HQ Roundtable: Midseason player grades and reflections

The team comes together to grade the roster halfway into the NBA season.

Now slightly over the midseason mark, the Toronto Raptors have had quite the interesting season. Injuries, losses and rebuilding have been somewhat alleviated by 30th anniversary celebrations, unexpected wins, and moral victories in disguise as player development.

The Raptors HQ team is commemorating the halfway point of the season by grading some of the Raptors’ players and giving thoughts on the season below:

Player Grades

(Stats based on games up to January 20, 2025)

Scottie Barnes

Games Played: 29

Stats: 19.9 PTS (46.3% FG%, 27.2% 3P%), 8 REB, 6.6 AST, 2.4 STOCKS, 3.4 TO

JD: C+. Despite a bigger role this season, Barnes’ production mirrored his output last season. He’s shown flashes of excellent performance, but it’s been few and far between, and even then, it doesn’t translate to winning (with the latter not his fault).

Rebecca: B-. His midrange game has shown a lot of improvement, and shot selection seems better than last year. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like he’s totally engaged in the game though and that’s not something you need out of your franchise player. Would’ve expected a bit more of a jump from him this season.

Jay: B. Scottie has taken great strides this season to live up to the lofty expectations of being the face of a franchise. The numbers tell you he’s averaging similar numbers as last year, but the eye test reveals something greater. He’s locked in on both ends of the floor with greater consistency and focus. It’s a heavy burden to lead a team, especially at only 23 years of age, but Barnes has been up to the task.

Joe: B. No, the shooting numbers aren’t ideal. But it takes time adjusting to being a true number one, and Barnes has looked more comfortable and authoritative getting to his spots on offense lately. Speaking of which: he’s currently shooting 55% between 10 and 16 feet from the basket this season. Pretty, pretty, pretty good!

Chelsea: B. I think a lot of Scottie’s time on the floor this season can be described as good, but not exemplary. He’s shown a lot of growth in his leadership skills, especially since the new year. That is definitely of great importance to the overall plan of development here. Like Joe says above, it takes time to develop into a number one option, and Scottie at the same time is just trying to develop, period. His recent spike in midrange shooting mixed with his performances when he has a true point guard on the floor with him show the need for him to focus on his role in the front court instead of trying to make him a secondary facilitator. Sure, he can be relied on for that in some schemes, but it should not be his identity as a player.

RJ Barrett

Games Played: 34

Stats: 22.4 PTS (46.2% FG%, 32.8 3P%), 6.6 REB, 6 AST, 3.2 TO

JD: C+. Barrett’s the most consistent Raptor offensively, and he’ll sprinkle in his production throughout the game and give you 20 points and six dimes. The problem? He’s also consistently subpar defensively.

Rebecca: B-. He’s holding steady in terms of improvements from when he came over from New York. Definitely has carried the team to some wins, but needs to continue to work on 3-point shooting.

Jay: B+. RJ probably would have received an A if this were the quarter-season round table. He’s averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Whatever is asked of him, Barrett has consistently come through. When the injury report was large, RJ took the reins as a leader. When teammates returned, he filled in the gaps on offense. His efficiency has predictably taken a step back from his torrid post-All-Star run last season, but Barrett continues getting buckets for a Toronto offense that sorely needs it.

Joe: B+. In a year where Immanuel Quickley has barely played and Scottie Barnes missed some time, RJ Barrett stepped up as a much-needed scorer. Plus, this is the best he’s looked facilitating the ball to teammates. He’ll have some good moments on defense, but overall, it needs work.

Chelsea: B+. To think that just over a year ago RJ Barrett was being described as a “throw in” to the Immanuel Quickley/OB Anunoby trade is wild. The importance Barrett has had to this team this year is large. While he definitely leaves a bit to be desired on the defensive end, his efficiency and ability to get a bucket when this team needs it is a highlight. It’s nice to see him thrive on his hometown team.

Jakob Poeltl

Games Played: 37

Stats: 14.8 PTS (61.1% FG%), 10.6 REB, 2.6 AST, 2.4 STOCKS, 2 TO

JD: B-. Jak’s presence impacts the team’s competence on the night-to-night basis, but not good enough to translate his impact into wins. However, he is having his best season.

Rebecca: B+. Despite the fact that he can’t really shoot, he’s had stellar games this year and opened up a lot of options on PNRs. Decent facilitator for a big man, and lately has had great consistency in push shots around the rim.

Jay: A-. I’m sensing a theme with these grades. Poeltl earns my only A because he’s the one player that swings Toronto’s fortunes from playoff contender to bottom feeder when he’s out.

Joe: A. Gosh, I didn’t realize I’m the staff optimist! This team can do pretty much nothing without Jak, plain and simple. He’s averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists and even free throw percentage.

Chelsea: A. Coming in to add to Joe’s optimism here. Coming form someone who covered this team during the dark “no center” days, oh my god it’s so nice to see Jak out there sometimes. He’s been this team’s anchor in some really rough stretches of play, and his efficiency shines in his numbers. Can’t ask for too much more from him.

Gradey Dick

Games Played: 36

Stats: 16.1 PTS (40.9% FG%, 34.6% 3P%), 3.4 REB, 2.1 AST, 1.6 TO

JD: B-. He’s having a much better season than I anticipated. Still, he will need to work on being productive/efficient whenever he’s bumped down to the 4th option.

Rebecca: A-. His start to the season was red-hot, and although he wasn’t able to sustain it, he has performed really well for a sophomore. He’s usually really engaged defensively, and despite mistakes, he seems to have a great mindset for improvement.

Jay: B-. Gradey really had opposing coaches calling him an MIP candidate. What a time to be alive during those first 2 weeks of the season! His shot still comes and goes but his offensive repertoire has definitely improved.

Joe: B. Early-sophomore-season Gradey was a sight to behold. Unfortunately Dick has cooled off, with his scoring numbers steadily declining each month (partly due to the rest of the rotation getting healthier). But his performance has been good enough this season to confirm that he’s a Guy.

Chelsea: A-. Still need to know what exactly Gradey Dick’s rookie “program” entailed so I can get on it. Like Joe mentions, Dick’s early season returns were spectacular, but he has cooled off. Still, he’s been mostly consistent on a team whose lineup is every changes. Plus, the switch from barely getting minutes, young deer wobbly rookie to fully in the rotation as a starter, reliable sophomore is admirable.

Ochai Agbaji

Games Played: 39

Stats: 10.6 PTS (50.8% FG%, 40.3% 3P%), 3.8 REB, 1.7 AST, 1.3 STOCKS, 0.8 TO

JD: A. Ochai Agbaji is coach Darko Rajakovic’s best developmental project.

Rebecca: B. Honestly, after last season I had really low expectations, but his 3-point shooting and defence has been phenomenal. I’ve enjoyed watching him play.

Jay: B+. Agbaji is almost single-handedly propping up the Pascal Siakam trade that fans have stopped comparing it to the Vince Carter trade. He is constantly tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player. On offense, he’s transformed into one of the best corner three shooters in the league. Ochai has also built a good chemistry with his teammates, perfectly timing his cuts to the basket. He’s entrenched himself as a part of Toronto’s next era.

Joe: A-. Based on expectations going into the season, it’s definitely an A- from me. Golly, those shooting numbers! And the defense! And yes, Jay is right, Agbaji’s performance means the Siakam deal was less bad than the Vince Carter trade. Then again, so is basically every single trade in league history, so not a very high bar to clear.

Chelsea: A-. Ochai Agbaji is a true NBA rotation guy. I wouldn’t have said that at the end of last season, and for me that’s why he gets a good grade from me. He seems like a guy who has completely bought into the system and is ready to prove himself by being anyone this team needs at any given point. The defence is a shining point on this team, where a lot of the guys could surely work on that.

Immanuel Quickley

Games Played: 9

Stats: 16.2 PTS (37.8% FG%, 34.5% 3P%), 2.2 REB, 6.1 AST, 0.7 STL, 1.8 TO

JD: Incomplete. Quickley returned with a bang, but it’s been a steady decline since.

Rebecca: F. It’s been said before that a player’s best ability is availability.

Jay: Incomplete. IQ has yet to crack double-digits in games played.

Joe: Q. Sometimes I think about that Brooklyn game on New Year’s Day.

Chelsea: Needs to be held back a grade. If we were in school and I was looking at IQ’s year, I’d suggest he repeat the grade. In that same spirit this year is a bit of a write-off for IQ so far.

Davion Mitchell

Games Played: 37

Stats: 6.1 PTS (41.7% FG%, 33.3% 3P%), 2 REB, 4.5 AST, 0.7 STL, 1.7 TO

JD: C-. Mitchell is a three-point shot away from being a quality backup point guard, but he’s not the worst perimeter shooter on the team, not named Jakob Poeltl.

Rebecca: C+. Solid defence, but not much else.

Jay: C. Davion has had some nice spurts. He may not be “Off Night” on a consistent basis but he’s still a pesky defender that can get under his assignment’s skin. Jamal Shead may have already passed him on the depth chart.

Joe: C. I enjoy watching him defend. I do not always enjoy watching him, uh, offend.

Chelsea: C. Maybe I’m putting these into school terms too much, but Mitchell needs improvement. Like everyone else is saying, good defence, needs offence.

Ja’Kobe Walter

Games Played: 24

Stats: 7.4 PTS (39.4% FG%, 29.6 3P%), 2.4 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.9 TO

JD: C-. Walter’s caught in a numbers game right now, as the Raptors are trying to showcase their trade assets. However, it speaks of where he is at this point of his rookie year — not good enough to be a rotation player.

Rebecca: C. Had some good stretches, especially defensively and showed potential in the midrange. At this point, it’s nice to see him in the G-League getting reps because that will help him develop a lot more than a few minutes off the bench.

Jay: C. I’m excited to see how Walter progresses in the second half. His playing time will likely pick up in March/April as the team tries to secure a favourable draft position. He’s seamlessly transitioned to the NBA, drawing fouls and getting free throws with the same craftiness that served him well in college.

Joe: C+. No, he hasn’t much impact, but what were you expecting? I would say his best moments of the season (i.e. scoring 14 consecutive points to open a Rockets game where he finished with 27, dropping a 14-11-5 stat line in a huge win) are more impressive than I anticipated he’d have early on this year.

Chelsea: C+. I’m not sure how harshly rookies deserve to be graded. For one, they are teenagers in a lot of cases. If I peaked at 19 it would be sad. With that, I think Walter has shown promise.

Bruce Brown Jr.

Games Played: 9

Stats: 7.2 PTS (43.3% FG%, 35.9% 3P%), 4.5 REB, 0.6 TO

JD: Incomplete. Bruce Brown Jr.’s game is rounding into form, but can he get better fast enough, with the trade deadline approaching?

Rebecca: A+. Everyone should want to trade for him, please give the Raptors a first round pick. He’s great. Please.

Jay: A-. I lied about Poeltl being the only A on this roster. Brown gets a bump up from a B because he’s an incredibly reliable source for any photographer. His cowboy fits push him up a notch.

Joe: B. Uh, I mean A! Worth a lottery-protected first, at least.

Chelsea: A for outfits, Incomplete for everything else. Again, feel weird grading with a sample size of less than 10 games. He’s been great since returning and will likely (hopefully?) garner this team a 1st round pick, which would be fun!

Chris Boucher

Games Played: 37

Stats: 10.4 PTS (49.5% FG%, 35.9% 3P%), 4.5 REB, 0.6 BLK, 0.6 TO

JD: A-. Despite being dealt a bad hand since coach Darko became the Raptors’ head coach, Chris Boucher has bounced back this season, making it nearly impossible not to play him. His energy and effort will always be a given, but his shooting efficiency and clutch performance have been eye-opening.

Rebecca: B+. He’s been a huge part of the bench and the recent stretch of games has been great for him. Getting DNPs in some games and playing limited minutes in others is a little bit surprising. Hopefully he can continue to show up on nights when no one else will.

Jay: B. In a (half-)season filled with a lot of losses, Boucher has at least made the Raptors entertaining……when he’s played. If he does nothing else significant for Toronto this season or gets traded to another team, we’ll always have the early-January heater and the 20+ point performances in wins over the Kings and Timberwolves.

Joe: A-. Not his fault he was out of the rotation! When he’s on the court, you notice… and sure, sometimes it’s because he’s launching himself into the third row to close out on a shooter. But other times you notice him, it’s because he’s going on a bender, propelling the Raptors on some sort of improbable run.

Chelsea: A when he gets a shot. I struggle with Boucher’s spot on the edge of the rotation. Like yeah, but also he does show sparks of greatness when he gets the chance to play extended minutes. I think my opinion is that I am just unsure of his place on this team. I don’t think he fits in with the roster they’ve built.

Jamal Shead

Games Played: 38

Stats: 5.4 PTS (43% FG%, 36.6% 3P%), 1.1 REB, 3.4 AST, 0.6 STL, 1.4 TO

JD: B-. Shead’s won the backup PG battle against Mitchell, with perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that Shead’s quietly having a scorching perimeter shooting this season: He’s shooting almost 46% from the perimeter since his first assignment with the Raptors 905.

Rebecca: B+. For a second round pick and being in his rookie year, his defensive effort and passing has been great.

Jay: B+. The hype that Shead VanVleet created during Summer League quickly died out at the start of the season. Slowly but surely Jamal has worked his way back into the rotation and should make Davion expendable at the trade deadline.

Joe: B. Love watching him play! His true shooting percentage is 63% this month, which would put him in the top 25 for the season.

Chelsea: B+. I’m a Shead Head. Again, grading rookies is an interesting thing, but man does Shead show some promise to be Fred VanVleet Jr (the third I guess, since Freddy Junior actually exists?).

Kelly Olynyk

Games Played: 19

Stats: 6.5 PTS (48.8% FG%, 45.2% 3P%), 3.4 REB, 2.2 AST, 0.2 BLK, 1.3 TO

JD: C-. Olynyk’s lost a step or two, but his perimeter shooting bounced back. He’s a fine backup “big”; just don’t ask him to take on bigger responsibilities.

Rebecca: C. The last couple games have been better, but I was really hoping he would help more in terms of a spacing/facilitating big man that hasn’t quite materialized the way I would’ve liked. Still lots of season, but not sure how well he fits in this rebuild.

Jay: C+. Kelly’s current strong play could not have come at a better time. Not only does it increase his trade value but, even if he stays, Olynyk’s solid passing acumen can help develop the rookies he comes off the bench with.

Joe: C. He’s in a new phase of his career. It happens!

Chelsea: C. Appreciate the dedication to the snapback and to this team! Good backup guy! Captain Canada!

Jamison Battle

Games Played: 33

Stats: 5.5 PTS (45.8% FG%, 41.5% 3P%), 1.9 REB, 0.9 AST, 0.4 TO

JD: B+. Coach Darko will call Battle’s number, Battle will take off his warm-ups, check-in, hit a trifecta or two, grab a rebound, and make a solid pass, and he’ll call it a day.

Rebecca: C. He’s on or off in terms of shooting, going 6 for 8 in one game and 1 for 5 in another. In fairness to him, a lack of minutes probably won’t help, but G-League reps probably will.

Jay: B. Battle has been one of the welcome surprises on this roster. I’d be mildly shocked if his two-way contract is not converted to a standard contract before his 50 NBA games are used up (currently at 34). Did you know Battle has a higher WS/48 than all but two lottery picks from last year’s draft? (Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan)

Joe: B-. A bona fide shooter who I’d like to see more of.

Chelsea: B. Kid has a shot, that’s for sure. I think he should be kept on to see if that develops into something consistent.

Darko Rajakovic

Coaching Record: 10-32 (5th Atlantic, 2nd worst League-wide)

JD: D-. Coach Darko doesn’t believe in moral victories, so we have to take his word by giving him an F. Bonus points on Ochai Agbaji’s development, bumping him from failing to barely passing.

Rebecca: C-. Some of the offence is fun, but the defence seems to depend greatly on the night. His choices for challenging a call are pretty questionable and usually don’t benefit the Raps even when he does win. I do think he’s an intriguing departure from a lot of professional coaches and the way he encourages and talks about his players is refreshing.

Jay: C+. I was tempted to give Darko a B- because he’s instilled a culture that I’ve never seen from another Raptors coach. However, he still has made plenty of mistakes (poor challenges, leaky defense, questionable lineup decisions) and may be a scapegoat if the season goes awry.

Joe: B-. The flaws that Jay points out are all valid. That being said, with the expectations and intentions for this season clearly built around player development and building a culture, I’d say Darko has excelled in those regards. He can fire the team up. But you also wonder why the Raptors went so long without playing any defense despite showing at times that they are, in fact, capable of defending.

Chelsea: Biased. Guys, I can’t do it. He fist bumps me in the hallways, and acts like one of my European uncles. I have a soft spot for the guy. We share a coffee addiction. He’s so nice. I just wish him the best regardless.

Mid-Season Reflections & Thoughts

JD: I predicted a 21-61 season, and we’re right on track. I thought I was prepared to rack in “Ls” this season. It was fun watching the first part of the first half of the season, where the team played in great ethical tanking mode—however, the lifeless losses shortly after were terrible to watch and not a good trend. With the team healthy, the “floor” should be high enough that the team shouldn’t get blown out easily and have the talent to eke out a win here and there. It’ll be interesting to see the trade deadline activity for this front office, as we’re dangerously close to winning more often than our tanking competitors.

Jay: The first half of this season has gone according to plan…..regardless of what plan you’re thinking of. If you have been all aboard the Capture the Flagg train, congratulations, the Raptors lost 75% of their games. If you wanted to see development from the roster, congratulations, each of the starters are averaging career highs in points. While it’s true that Toronto has an easier schedule in the second half of the season, the Raptors have lost enough games that they probably can’t drop any lower than 7th in the draft lottery standings. Here’s my bold prediction: Toronto finishes with the 6th-worst record and WINS the draft lottery!

Rebecca: I think it’s hard to judge how things have been so far given the absence of consistency in the lineup. I do think we know the current roster construction won’t cut it though, so the rest of the season’s rating will depend more on if we make the necessary moves and if the injury woes stop. Best case scenario? The Raptors get a couple of nice pieces at the deadline and then ethically tank to get a good pick mixed with some feel-good wins, finishing 18-64.

Joe: Before the season I said the Raptors would go 23-59, and I’m sticking to that. (Granted, I also said they’d have their first full season of Immanuel Quickley, which has proven false.) To get there, they have to go 11-28, which is right on pace with their current mark. Yes, they’ve been winning more of late, and despite my Flagg aspirations, I quite enjoy watching the team win. But I have a feeling guys will start getting banged up and missing games here and there as March rolls around. The top of this draft class is too exciting for everyone to be healthy — not that that’s been a problem for this roster.

Chelsea: I’m at a weird point midseason. I expected them to perform better than they were predicted to, which they did to start. Injuries got weird, and I accepted the tank. Now they are winning games… frequently? I’m confused honestly. Tanking politics aside, I think the development is going okay all things considering. I don’t think the Flagg dreams are dead, per se, but I’m incredibly intrigued as we approach the trade deadline.