The Toronto Raptors are facing the Golden State Warriors on Sunday and will 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 troublesome knee injury. 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 has 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 was initially listed as questionable against the Warriors, but he has since been upgraded to available and will be on a minutes restriction. There's no doubt that the Raptors missed 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 as he works his way back to top form, the goal for them should be trying to climb back up in the standings. Toronto is currently 18-14, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference. However, this comes after a 14-5 start.
The Raptors may have surprised a few people this season with the way they started, 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.
With Barrett returning, life should be easier for the team.
