Raptors vs. Celtics Preview: How Toronto's Lineup Projects Without Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes

The Toronto Raptors will face off against the Boston Celtics tonight, in what will be their third consecutive game without Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard.

Apr 5, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) shoots a free throw against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Toronto Raptors will have their hands full tonight, as the 9-2 Boston Celtics come to town. Boston has a lot of momentum, as they just clobbered LeBron James and the 76ers by twenty points yesterday, in Philadelphia. Toronto will be looking to rebound from a tough loss against the Memphis Grizzlies as they deal with their third consecutive game without their star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes.

For Leonard, it will be his 9th consecutive absence due to left knee swelling. Barnes will be missing just his third contest, with what the team cites as a groin injury.

What Will Toronto's Lineup Look Like?

October 30, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors Scottie Barnes (4), Allen Graves (22), Jakob Poeltl (19), RJ Barrett (9), and Immanuel Quickley (5) look on against the Orlando Magic during the first half in their Emirates Cup game at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest question that surrounds the matchup is how Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic will craft the starting lineup. Collin Murray-Boyles (illness), Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring), and Trayce Jackson-Davis (illness) are all listed as questionable heading into the contest.

Quickley will certainly start if he is good to go tonight, and Murray-Boyles will likely slot into the starting lineup as well. Here is the Raptors projected starting lineup if both players are able to take the court.

PG: Immanuel Quickley
SG: Ja'Kobe Walter
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Collin Murray-Boyles
C: Jakob Poeltl

Against the Grizzlies, Jamal Shead and Kyle Anderson got the start in Quickley and Murray-Boyles' absence. Here's to hoping the Raptors get closer to full strength for tonight's contest.

Raptors Keys to the Game

Nov 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (1) drives to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome (2) during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest challenge for Toronto tonight will be generating offense without their top two players. In their first game without Barnes and Leonard, they were able to score 121 against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, last game against the Grizzlies, the Raptors had their second lowest scoring output of the season with just 102 points.

Against a Celtics team that has won three consecutive road games, Toronto will need to limit the number of mistakes they make, and capitalize on the ones Boston makes. Against the Grizzlies, the Raptors won the turnover battle 18-14, but conceded 26 points off of turnovers while only scoring 16 themselves.

If this trend continues into tonight's game, it will be an uphill climb to a victory against the top team in the Eastern Conference.

One other interesting nugget is that both the Raptors and Celtics are top five in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game, with Toronto ranking second, and Boston ranking fifth. Look for both teams to extend possessions with their prowess on the offensive glass. The Raptors will need to not only dominate the offensive glass to win, but they will need to cash in on the extra chances they create.

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