Raptors Blown Out in Preseason Opener, but Hope Springs Eternal

The Toronto Raptors opened their preseason in the NBA Canada Games 2026 at the Videotron Center in Quebec City, losing to the Miami Heat 129-105. The team did not have Kawhi Leonard on the floor, and while they were blown out, there is some room for optimism.

Toronto Raptors Blown Out in Preseason Opener 

In the bad loss to the Heat, the Raptors got off to a poor start, being outscored by 18 points in the first quarter and were down 21 at the half. They shot just 39% from the field and 29% from the 3-point range, while Miami shot 49% from the field and 35% from deep.

It’s the preseason, so the starters did not play much, and RJ Barrett was tied for the Raptors’ leading scorer with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting in 17 minutes; Scottie Barnes had 11 points in 12 minutes, and Tyreke Key came off the bench to score 15 points.

Looking at the Glass Half Full

Even though they were beaten badly, it was the preseason, and Leonard wasn't on the floor, so there are reasons for optimism. Key scoring 15 points is a good sign, as the second-year guard, who played in the G League last season, may be a player who can help a Toronto team that needs guard scoring. Immanuel Quickley, who averaged 16.4 ppg last season, is the only guard on the team that averaged more than 7.5 ppg per game last season.

Good Extension 

At the beginning of this month, the Raptors signed young guard Jamal Snead to a three-year extension, and he may have a breakout season. A second-round pick in the 2024 draft, he averaged 6.6 ppg and 5.4 assists per game last season. He did not have a good shooting season (36.7%) but led all bench players in the NBA in assists, was one of only 18 players to play all 82 games, and averaged 9 ppg and 5 assists per game, in Toronto's lone playoff series.

Coming Up 

The Raptors have four more preseason games before the regular season begins on October 21, when they host the Chicago Bulls. While Toronto faces two teams in their first two games that were under .500, their next six games are all against teams that had winning records last season.