Raptors starting lineup growing chemistry as season draws near

The Toronto Raptors starting five are getting the feel of how each other operates.

Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley moves the ball against the Brooklyn Nets. | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Barring anything unforeseen, the Toronto Raptors will tip off their season against the Atlanta Hawks with a starting lineup featuring Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl.

It's a fivesome that has zero minutes combined in the NBA up until this point, so they have to grow a lot together as a unit. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic gave an update on the starting lineup's progress during training camp.

"Intentionally, during the whole month of September when our guys were in open gym, we were putting our projected starting five to play together as much as possible," Rajakovic said via Sportsnet contributor Ian Finlayson.

"To start exposing those things (overlapping skillsets) and for them to get to know each other and their strengths. And I’ve been really impressed with the ability of those guys to understand who is hot at the moment and who to force-feed.”

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic gestures as he speaks to his players in the second half against the Boston Celtics. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Raptors starting lineup figuring each other out

The Raptors have three forwards in Barrett, Ingram and Barnes that can all be interchangeable, so there are question marks into how they will play alongside each other.

Ingram shared what he likes about playing alongside Barrett.

"One thing that surprised me was RJ (Barrett). I thought he was just a gunner, I thought he just shot the ball a lot," Ingram said via Finlayson.

"But watching his game and seeing him work throughout the summer, I've seen what he works on and how it transfers to the game. And he's steady. Scoring the basketball, on the defensive side he's aggressive. And he's a guy that doesn't complain about not having the basketball, it kind of just attracts to him."

Barrett and Ingram are two Duke alumni, so there's a relationship that stems from before the Raptors. That could help in their chemistry with one another.

The entire starting lineup is learning how to get the best out of two-man combinations, which is also extremely helpful going into the season.

"I think what's impressed me is how much everybody has bought into trying to figure out where everybody else likes to play, or wants the ball, or what they're comfortable in," Poeltl said via Finlayson. "Nobody so far seems to be going out there trying to mark their own territory. Be like 'hey this is how I want to do it,' almost everybody's asking the question 'Hey, what do you want to do in this situation?'

"I think that's been really cool to see and it speaks to how everybody's bought into trying to figure it out together."

The five veterans starting for the Raptors this season know how much of a challenge this can be. All of them have been to the playoffs before and understands what it takes to be successful in the league.

Once they have true chemistry with one another, the Raptors could become a dangerous threat in the East.