RJ Barrett will make his comeback to the Toronto Raptors’ lineup when they face off against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, the team has confirmed. The 25-year-old small forward missed the past seven games due to a left ankle injury sustained after stepping on the foot of Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard during a game on January 9. This incident occurred just as Barrett was returning from a prior injury that had sidelined him for over a month due to a right knee issue.
Throughout the current season, Barrett has been a key contributor for the Raptors, averaging 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point range. His presence on the court has been significant; the Raptors have a much stronger 16-7 record when Barrett plays compared to an 11-12 record when he is absent.
In addition to Barrett’s return, the Raptors will still be without rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles, second-year guard Ja’Kobe Walter, and center Jakob Poeltl for the game against the Trail Blazers. Murray-Boyles is sidelined for a third consecutive game due to a thumb contusion, averaging 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists this season with a shooting percentage of 53.6 from the field. Poeltl has been out due to a back injury since December 21, limiting him to just 21 games this season, where he averaged 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists with an impressive 69.3 percent shooting from the field. Walter remains unavailable as he recovers from a right hip pointer injury sustained almost two weeks ago, contributing 6.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 37 games this season.
The Raptors will be looking to build on their success with Barrett back in the lineup as they hope to secure a win against the Trail Blazers.