Raptors' Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley Injuries Couldn't Come at Worse Time

The Toronto Raptors are feeling the weight of nearly 75 games of the regular season schedule.

While the Raptors have been relatively fortunate with the injury bug throughout the season, they are not at their healthiest going into the final two weeks of the year. Over the next nine games, the Raptors still have some work to do as they try to clinch one of the top six spots in the Eastern Conference to avoid the play-in tournament.

Here's a look at the entries on the injury report for the game against the Magic:

Immanuel Quickley

Quickley is the only player that has been ruled out with a foot injury, and that could be costly for the Raptors. This game will mark the fourth consecutive matchup where Quickley has been out.

Quickley's absence has forced Jamal Shead into the starting lineup and Scottie Barnes into a larger role as a facilitator. In the three games Quickley has been on the sidelines, Barnes has racked up double-digit assists in each outing. Meanwhile, Shead has also seen an uptick in his assist numbers, averaging 8.7 per game.

Brandon Ingram

Ingram was a very late scratch during the team's game in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz with heel soreness. While that did not prevent him from taking the court in their return home against his former team in the New Orleans Pelicans. He is back on the injury report and is questionable for the game.

This is a massive game on the schedule for the Raptors as it could affect the team's playoff positioning. However, the Raptors need Ingram healthy for the long haul, and if a few more days of rest could benefit the team in the long run, it's something the team should consider.

Collin Murray-Boyles

Murray-Boyles has been on the sidelines a lot lately with a thumb sprain, but he returns to the injury report this time around with a back injury.

The No. 9 overall pick out of South Carolina has missed 23 games already this season, so the Raptors know how to play without him, but that doesn't mean they prefer it. The Raptors are better in numerous categories when Murray-Boyles is on the court when it comes to defence, which could come in handy against a player like Paolo Banchero for the Magic, who has scored 30 in each of his last three games.

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Murray-Boyles' absence would be even more costly as well due to the fact that there is very little frontcourt depth behind him. Adding the fact that Jackson-Davis is also on the injury report with a knee injury is not positive news for the Raptors.

Jackson-Davis has only appeared in 12 games for the Raptors since being acquired in a trade last month from the Golden State Warriors. But the team views him as a strong potential piece of their depth, and the lack of size against a long Magic team could prove costly if they don't rise to the occasion.

Magic Players

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner during warmups before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Magic aren't immune from the injury bug themselves. They will be sitting Franz Wagner, Anthony Black, and Jonathan Isaac in the matchup against the Raptors. Wagner has missed a good chunk of the season with a high ankle sprain and did not play in either of the two previous meetings against the Raptors this season.

With Wagner out, the Magic will turn to Tristan da Silva as someone who can start in his place. He has played well as a starter, averaging 12.1 points while shooting around 40 per cent from beyond the arc.

As for Black, he has been dealing with an abdominal strain since the team played against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this month. Black has sat out of 13 of the team's 15 games in the month of March.

Black's injury has given opportunity to other players on the roster, including former lottery pick Jett Howard and former two-way forward Jamal Cain, who signed a deal to become the team's 15th man on the roster earlier this month.

Isaac has missed 12 of the last 13 games for the Magic, most of which have been due to a knee sprain he suffered against the Washington Wizards on Mar. 12.

His absence has resulted in more minutes from rookie forward Noah Penda. Penda has had an on-and-off season, so his presence could possibly help the Raptors, given how important the game is and he doesn't have the proper experience in high-level NBA games.

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