The Toronto Raptors will be facing the Golden State Warriors, and they could be getting one of their key players back after a long absence. RJ Barrett is the key player in question, and he hasn’t played since the end of November because of a right ankle sprain. Before Barrett went down, the Raptors were one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve slipped just a little bit since then.
While he’s been absent, players such as Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes have had to take over, and getting Barrett back would definitely relieve some of the pressure off of them.
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RJ Barrett’s injury status vs. Warriors
Barrett is listed as questionable against the Warriors, and it seems like he has a good chance of making his return soon. There’s no doubt that the Raptors miss him, and Barnes opened up about his absence a few weeks ago.
“We miss him out there. The stuff he does for our team is tremendous. He brings so much to the game. Of course, we miss him,” Barnes said via Raptors reporter Omar Osman.
In 17 games this season, Barrett is averaging 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. That helped the Raptors stay near atop the East for some time, and when he gets back, the goal for them should be trying to climb back up in the standings.
The Raptors may have surprised a few people this season with the way they’ve been playing, but they have a group of selfless players, and they play as a unit on both sides of the ball. When games get tight, they know they have closers like Ingram, who is known for slowing things down and taking big shots.
When Barrett returns, life should be easier for the team.