Hey, here’s some good news for your Friday afternoon: Jared Sullinger and Delon Wright have both been cleared for team practice. That means 5-on-5, that means contact, and that means they’re both nearing their respective returns to the court.
The Toronto Raptors’ marquee free-agent signing this summer, Sullinger appeared in just a single preseason game before hitting the shelf with a sore foot. The soreness persisted despite rest and flared back up with a stress reaction when he tried to return initially, and so player and team both saw fit to take the more cautious long-term approach. That meant surgery to insert a screw into Sullinger’s foot to prevent against potential future injuries (like a Jones fracture, for example), and his timeline for a return was exceptionally wide-ranging.
Sullinger met with the doctor who performed his surgery yesterday and was given the go-ahead to resume full activities. What that means for a timeline is still somewhat unclear. It’s a huge, positive development, and Sullinger has been aggressive in trying to learn the team’s schemes and terminologies and sets while on the bench. But these things take time, and he could take a few weeks to ramp up his conditioning to where he’s game-ready, even in a minor role.
Once healthy, Sullinger should provide a big boost to a team that’s running thin in the frontcourt. The presumed starting power forward initially, Sullinger is probably not thea solution. He also stands to be one of the team’s best options as the backup center, a position he played plenty in Boston and would allow Toronto to reap some of the offensive benefits of going small without sacrificing as much size inside. His high-IQ game should help get him up to speed quickly on offense, where his passing ability will help keep the ball moving and the threat of his jumper from the mid-range (or potentially the corners) will keep opponents honest. He may be an odd fit with Jonas Valanciunas defensively, but he’s strong, physical, and will be a major boost to the team’s league-worst defensive rebounding.
With a vague initial timeline, I had originally penciled in the All-Star break for Sullinger’s return, so getting him back late in January, buying a few extra weeks to get him acclimated, would be a big victory. You can read more about Sullinger here, from when he initially signed for the mid-level exception.
Wright, meanwhile, has been slowly working his way back after offseason surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum suffered at Summer League. Initially the third point guard on the team’s depth chart, Wright may have to fight for that title with Fred VanVleet once he’s back, as the undrafted rookie has been solid in the role. Still, Wright was impressive a season ago – when called on in the NBA, in the D-League, and especially in Las Vegas this offseason, where he’d done well to start adding size to his frame – and the admittedly limited glimpses at his pre-game or practice workouts have been really encouraging. His pull-up jumper looks smoother than ever, his handle remains tight, and he’s moving quickly and fluidly.
Of course, that’s 1-on-0 in a workout format, which is much different from a game. That’s why the process is methodical, and why the team even saw fit to get Wright a day with Raptors 905 once he was cleared for 3-on-3 work. Wright could see more time in the D-League as he ramps things back up, though the team faces a tough choice assigning him for games on Jan. 18 and 20 or having him travel with them on the road (during the D-League Showcase, no less). In either case, Wright, too, was cleared by the doctor who performed his surgery and can now practice in full. His return is perhaps less important to Toronto given their depth at the guard positions, but he’s talented enough to be playing NBA minutes right now, and you can never have too many players like that. He also possesses the length to guard some twos, and the Raptors are fond of playing smaller, multi-guard lineups, anyway. There could be a place for him at some point, and things change quickly.
Wright was always expected to be out until sometime in 2017, and this all seems roughly on schedule with what he’s been saying throughout the process. You can read more about Wright and his place with the team when he returns here and here.
