Welcome Back: Raptors Star Has Return Successfuly From The Knee surgery….
It’s been a strange past few weeks for the Toronto Raptors forward who underwent his first surgery as an NBA player nearly two weeks ago to fix a fracture in the third metacarpal bone in his left hand. “Getting better day by day. Just takes some time but otherwise I’m feeling really good,” he told reporters in Detroit. There remains no official timeline for Barnes to return this season, though it seems unlikely he will be back this season. A typical recovery would likely take Barnes right up to the end of the season and considering the way this season has gone for the Raptors, it’s unlikely Toronto will push to have him back. “I just think it was just like a weird injury,” said Barnes who sustained the injury when Immanuel Quickley accidentally kicked him in the hand trying to contest a layup from Jonathan Kuminga. If there’s a silverling for Barnes, it’s been the opportunity to watch his teammates make the most of their opportunities lately, he said. Ochai Agbaji has slid into the starting lineup for Barnes while Quickley and RJ Barrett have been tasked with taking on a bigger role.
“I’m super excited for them,” he said. “Being able to see them boys play and enjoy it. They have the opportunity out there right now and they’re taking advantage of it. So, it’s fun.” Barnes appeared in each of Toronto’s first 60 games this season before suffering the injury against the Golden State Warriors. He’s missed Toronto’s last five games with the Raptors winning just once over that stretch.
The Detroit Pistons anticipate having an advantage in the health department when they take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night. However, Detroit isn’t totally in the clear. Once again, the standout rookie Ausar Thompson is on the injury report. As he deals with asthma, Thompson is considered questionable on the Pistons’ injury report on Wednesday night. Thompson’s recent illness concerns started over the weekend. As the Pistons hosted the Dallas Mavericks this past Saturday night, the rookie guard was healthy and ready to go after a 43-minute shift two nights prior. Against the Mavericks, Thompson was a standout defensively in the first half. Unfortunately, his night ended early. After spending 11 minutes on the court, Thompson was questionable to return for the second half. He never made it back out on the court. Leading up to the Pistons’ following matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, Thompson was initially left off of the injury report. As the game inched closer, Detroit downgraded the rookie to questionable. Shortly before the game started, the Pistons ruled him out for the night. Missing Wednesday’s game against the shorthanded Raptors is a possibility for Thompson. For the most part, Thompson has been healthy and available for the Pistons this season. His absence against Charlotte marked the first time he missed a matchup this season. In 63 games this season, Thompson has averaged 25 minutes on the court. He started in 38 of those games. Offensively, Thompson is a work in progress, which is nothing rare for rookies. Throughout his debut season, Thompson has averaged 60 percent from the field when shooting inside the arc. Beyond the arc has been a different story. Taking 1.8 threes per game, Thompson has averaged just 19 percent from deep. Overall, he is averaging nine points per game, along with two assists. On the defensive end, Thompson has accounted for six rebounds, one steal, and one block per game. To no surprise, his defense has translated well to the next level so far.
Every game for the rest of the 2023-2024 season serves as a great opportunity for the rookie to improve his game. It’s unclear if he’ll get the opportunity to suit up on Wednesday when the Pistons tip-off against the Raptors at 7 PM ET.
