The Raptors' stocks go up, stocks go down: Chris Boucher is a spark, while Gradey Dick struggles

The Toronto Raptors trailed by as many as 34 points in the first half of their 115-111 loss to the Boston Celtics in a preseason game on Sunday night.

No big deal, right? The Celtics regularly obliterated their opponents en route to the title last year. Well, Boston had a back-to-back set and didn't play any of its starters. Kind of disturbing.

Never make too much of the pre-season, especially when a team is missing so many key players. The Raptors are unable to rest their starters just for fun, but they continue to play without two starters (Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett), two rotation reserves (Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown) and two deeper bench players on guaranteed contracts (Garrett Temple and Ja'Kobe Walter), who would have a few minutes advantage over some of the players at the bottom of the roster if they were healthy. Still, a loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday and a brutal first half against the Celtics were bad enough that the Raptors should have some urgency to get into a better position in their final two preseason games.

With that in mind, there were some nice stories, but also some particular concerns. Let's check in.

Stock up

Chris Boucher: If the Raptors were healthy, one might wonder if Boucher would receive the same treatment he received last year under Darko Rajaković. Specifically, Boucher would be the 11th man in a 10-man rotation.

After three games, Boucher is arguably the Raptor playing his role best. Although the Raptors' injuries have largely been across the position spectrum, Boucher is one of the few Raptors who has provided positive play in the preseason. He was outstanding in both games against Washington, totaling 35 points and 13 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds, in just 36 minutes. He started hot from deep, which wasn't a consistent skill for Boucher. We'll see if this continues.

BOUCH3R 👌 pic.twitter.com/BxHJWTh3Ai

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 12, 2024

More importantly, he was extremely active and in control. He was quick to take advantage of his opportunity, but the other hectic aspects didn't suffer.

“I literally treat him the same way I treat rookies,” Rajaković said during training camp. “I'm honest with him. I tell him when he makes mistakes and I praise him when he does a good job. We have a really good relationship and he allows me to coach him, which I really appreciate.”

Ochai Agbaji: The third-year pro will almost certainly get the starting role on opening night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Barrett and Brown out, there is no other choice. *Ask for muted applause.*

However, after a poor performance in the Las Vegas Summer League, Agbaji looked better in the preseason. His numbers didn't stand out from the stats, but he was easily the Raptors' best wing defender (low bar) and was comfortable running the field. He at least tries to cut the ball off in order to make the most of Jakob Pöltl's pass. He had five assists against the Celtics.

BACK ➡️ BACK BUCKET FOR OCHAI pic.twitter.com/pIYCMwq75l

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 7, 2024

Agbaji has the potential to be a legitimate rotation player in the NBA. That's the mindset with which the Raptors traded for him at the deadline last year, moving a late first-round pick. He will get his chance this season.

Davion Mitchell: With Quickley out of the lineup due to a thumb injury, Mitchell started in his place and had a solid performance. Mitchell won't make a splash offensively, but he can set the tone defensively and handle the ball responsibly.

The latter was the most obvious. With the Raptors lacking spacing and regularly throwing the ball away, Mitchell was a safe bet. In 53 minutes, Mitchell had 14 assists and no turnovers.

If Barnes and Quickley are healthy, they will have the ball most of the time. Knowing that Mitchell can take care of anything in an emergency is a bonus.

Inventory reduced

Young tall men: None of the Raptors' three rookie bigs, Jonathan Mogbo, Branden Carlson or Ulrich Chomche, are ready for regular NBA minutes. That's perfectly fine for Chomche – he has a two-year, reciprocal contract. The Raptors are playing the long game with him, and the fouls and blown defensive calls are the start of a long experiment.

It's a little more problematic for the other two, who could have a real chance of making an impact this year. Carlson is largely relegated to the fourth quarter, with a mix of players on two-way contracts and non-guaranteed contracts. Even in those situations, Carlson was pushed around, which is no surprise given his 220-pound frame and 7-foot height.

Mogbo has shown brilliant performances, especially as a playmaker. He had 8 points, 10 rebounds and four assists against the Celtics. There is a player. He makes hard passes in small windows.

He simply can't shoot from distance, which limits his options. If Olynyk isn't on the floor, it's hard to imagine Mogbo on it. There won't be enough room for Barnes and the Raptors' other playmakers to operate. It's probably best if he spends time with the Raptors 905 and gets the green light to shoot a lot and handle the ball – Mississauga's version of Barnes, in a sense.

Gradey Dick: Forget the crime. Dick has shown some spontaneous creativity, and in an environment with more NBA quality players, he'll get better looks on offense than he's managed to date. Still, he made half of the Raptors' 10 three-pointers on Sunday.

👌 @gradey_dick 👌 pic.twitter.com/VnPKluhrJV

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 14, 2024

More worrying: The fake version of the Celtics repeatedly sent examiners and drivers toward Dick on Sunday night, and he didn't have enough strength to navigate them. This was more or less the Celtics' third lineup, and Dick was repeatedly out of position.

He will start for the Raptors and face some dangerous guards and wings. He will face more complicated offenses than he did against the Celtics. Based on preseason it will be a problem.

Distance: The Raptors obviously need Dick on the floor. He, along with Quickley, is their best shooter, and the Raptors don't have much of that on the roster.

Walter, a freshman — also injured — is part of the long-term plan to surround Barnes with more shooters. Many of the Raptors' other candidates will need extensive shooting reforms.

We have already talked about the limitations of Mogbo and Agbaji. Jamal Shead, the second-round pick expected to become the Raptors' third point guard, went 5 of 17 in the last two games and teams will challenge him to shoot. Barnes was rusty from the start and Mitchell is a slow shooter.

The same applies here: At full health, the Raptors should be a normal, bad shooting team and not a historically bad team. It's easy to see how things can get ugly.

(Photo of Chris Boucher and Lonnie Walker IV: Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images)