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The Toronto Raptors may have lost their preseason game to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, but that's not really something that matters in the grand scheme of things.
The more important news: Brandon Ingram was on the floor.
It was Ingram's first time on the court in a Raptors jersey. It was also his first NBA game action since Dec. 12, 2024, when he sustained a high-ankle sprain that ended up keeping him out the rest of last season.
On Monday, Ingram scored 19 points in 22 minutes. He was 6-for-12 from the floor, and 6-for-7 from the foul line.
"Ingram seemed mostly unbothered and flashed enough skill that you can’t wait to see what it looks like when it’s not his first NBA game in 303 days," wrote Sportsnet's Michael Grange. "He got fouled on his first drive to the basket, stepped into a triple coming off a screen on his next touch and then turned Nuggets wing Cam Johnson inside out on a drive to the rim later in the first quarter."
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The Raptors have a high-cost starting lineup that's going to have to be good this season if Toronto wants to reach its ceiling.
Ingram's role in all of that is pretty crucial. He's probably the best halfcourt scorer, able to create buckets out of nothing, that the Raptors have.
“I was just really, really happy for him that he has the chance to play and compete and be with his teammates (after such a long layoff),” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters. “But he’s so talented, not just to score the ball, but how positions himself on the court — he had one great cut in the first half — he’s an enormous talent piece on the floor.”
It's also great for the Raptors that Ingram made it onto the floor on Oct. 6 for 22 minutes. That gives him plenty of ramp-up time to the regular season.
Toronto opens up on Oct. 22 at the Atlanta Hawks. And it looks like Ingram will be ready.
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