A number of Toronto Raptors starters have their status up in the air for a late-night game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Immanuel Quickley has been downgraded to doubtful with plantar fasciitis in his right foot while Jakob Poeltl and Brandon Ingram are questionable with lower-back injury management and right heel inflammation, respectively, according to a team announcement and the NBA’s official injury report.
All three players missed Toronto’s shellacking of the Utah Jazz on Monday, which was the second night of a back-to-back. Poeltl has not played in games on consecutive days since returning from the lower-back strain that has held him out for over half the season, including a 24-game stretch from mid-December to early February. However he has missed only three games since, all of which were part of back-to-backs.
According to reporting from Sportsnet’s Michael Grange both Poeltl and Ingram’s absences were not of concern. However, Quickley has been playing through the plantar fasciitis for “a couple of weeks now,” Darko Rajaković said, and has been doing exercises for it before games consistently, Grange added.
Poeltl, 30, struggled when he did play early in the season as his mobility was hampered by his bad back – which has plagued him since training camp. He averaged only 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 0.5 blocks over his first 21 games, and was frequently a step slow on defence. Now after returning from his extended absence, he’s seemingly recovered, averaging 11.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while appearing far more nimble in his movement.
Quickley’s performance has similarly been a tale of two halves, although without an injury impacting his play. The 26-year-old guard shot only 34.7 percent from 3 over the first 41 games of the season, but has been red-hot since, hitting at a 41.8 percent clip.
Meanwhile after consecutive 30-point games in big wins over the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons, Ingram’s gone cold, averaging only 14 points to go along with four turnovers over his last three games. This included a six-point, five turnover effort on Sunday against the Suns that was among Ingram’s worst performances as a Raptor.
Toronto will miss Quickley’s shooting, Ingram’s scoring and the presence of Poeltl’s seven-foot frame against the Clippers (and Brook Lopez) if they’re unable to go.
