Just when it looked like the Toronto Raptors had shaken off the injury bug it bit them yet again.
On the second night of a back-to-back and taking on the Detroit Pistons, the Raptors will be without Gradey Dick due to a left calf strain, the team announced on Monday.
Dick, 21, left a 122-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday midway through the fourth quarter and did not return due to left calf soreness. After the contest, head coach Darko Rajakovic said the team would update the sophomore’s status in the morning and it appears Dick will need some time off before he returns to the lineup.
The 13th overall pick from last season is averaging 18.1 points on 55.6 per cent true shooting, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists through 17 appearances. Dick’s near 10-point-per-game jump from his rookie campaign is one of the highest increases in the NBA this season as he’s clearly made the most of his 33 minutes of action a night for the undermanned squad.
It’s the latest in a slew of injuries for Toronto who still hasn’t played a single game with its projected starting lineup heading into the year. RJ Barrett missed the team’s first three games due to a shoulder sprain while Immanuel Quickley has been out for all but three games battling multiple injuries. Scottie Barnes just made his return to the lineup last week after missing 11 games due to an orbital fracture.
Aside from Dick, the Raptors will also be without Quickley (elbow), Bruce Brown (reconditioning), Kelly Olynyk (back), DJ Carton (G League, two-way) and Ulrich Chomche (G League, two-way).
There may be reinforcements on the way, however, as the Raptors 905 announced Monday that Ja’Kobe Walter, who was on assignment in the G League, had been recalled to the NBA. The rookie is currently listed as OUT against the Pistons, for what it’s worth, despite being called back up.
Walter was sent down to the 905 in order to get more reps following his second injury stint. The 19th overall pick had missed 11 games due to a shoulder injury, making just four appearances at the NBA level thus far. Walter averaged 2.5 points, 2.8 assists and 12.3 minutes per game while shooting under 20 per cent from the field and distance during that span.
The Baylor product did make the most of his quick G League stint, averaging 16.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals through two games. Walter shot 51.9 per cent from the field and 33.3 per cent from beyond the arc while averaging 22 minutes a contest.
And the Raptors could use a big game from the rookie on Monday, should he play given they’ll now be without Dick, the team’s third-leading scorer, for at least one game. A standout performance would go a long way in helping improve Toronto’s road woes.
The team is 0-9 away from Scotiabank Arena this season and remains the only winless road team in the NBA. And a big reason why is that their scoring doesn’t tend to travel. The Raptors score the eighth most points (117.1) per game at home but drop to 20th (109.1) on the road. A loss in Detroit would tie the franchise’s worst road start (0-10) set during the 1997-98 campaign.
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