Evaluation of Raptors should wait until they're healthy

The Toronto Raptors aren't where they would like to be through one quarter of their season. Injuries to key players have left them shorthanded in several positions at different points, so it's unwise to conclude who they're going to be going forward.

Video Transcript

KATIE HEINDL: A healthy team.

AMIT MANN: That's a good start.

KATIE HEINDL: A team that can play all together for the first time this season, because that actually hasn't happened yet. So that's probably my main hope and dream.

AMIT MANN: Yeah, same here. I think that's a good place to start. Obviously, wins would be another one. But a healthy team-- something we haven't really seen yet this year. We were so excited to have Yuta Watanabe back, and he's still ramping up his action, too. There is a bit of a minutes restriction still there. But once that's gone, you have one bench piece who is going to be integral to the Raptors' success.

And then OG seems like he's taken a bit of a turn for the worse. Nick said, he hit a bit of a wall, and he's still very sore. Nothing good happening there. And then Gary Trent, Jr.-- I believe it's a calf strain. And those are things that just linger. So if we don't let that heal, it's just going to stay there.

And then with Khem, we have no goddamn idea when he's going to be back. He has knee swelling, and he's being ruled out of games earlier and earlier as we go on with the season. And as we know, he's pretty important, because the Raptors really don't have a legit center. Precious Achiuwa is a center, but he doesn't have the size like Khem has. So lots of patchwork happening the Raptors lineup.

And the good part of that, though, is that some players who may not get the opportunity like this during the season are getting a chance to really show what they can do know. Talking bench players-- Malachi, Svi, the list goes on. So hopefully that can help them towards the end of the season, when hopefully they're in a playoff position, or they're in the hunt for one of the top spots in the play-in tournament.

But for now, they just need some wins. They need some healthy bodies. And neither of those are happening at the moment. So that's a good start.