Quickley predicts much-needed "change" on way for Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors might not be able to hit a full reset button on a disappointing season to date, but they appear to be doing their best to use the first game of 2025 as a stepping stone.

Heading into last night’s contest against the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto had seen themselves drop 11 consecutive games, tied for the second-longest such streak in the NBA this season.

Any sort of streak like that can lead to finger-pointing, existential dread, and all sorts of uncomfortable questions for fans, media, and anyone surrounding the team. While a rebuilding season was to be expected, any slide that goes on for nearly a month is bound to tank a team’s morale.

But with starting point guard Immanuel Quickley returning to the lineup for the first time since October, Toronto was able to eventually cruise to a 130-113 victory over the Nets, their first win since December 3.

Quickley, who had been battling a UCL tear in his elbow— a common baseball injury for pitchers but a rarity in the likes of the NBA — played 32 minutes in his return to action. While many injuries often sideline players from keeping up their conditioning, Quickley was able to get back up to speed rather swiftly, putting up 21 points on the night.

“I’ve had a lot of success,” Quickley said. “But there’s been stretches in my life, throughout my basketball career, and in life where you work really hard and you don’t get the results you want, and you got to just come back the next day and pound the rock again… we’re going to see a change here soon.”

Change in the NBA is often seen in the form of trade rumours and transactions taking place, but that’s not always the case. With a little over a month until the February 6 trade deadline, a move or two is likely on the horizon for Toronto. But while Quickley himself came to the franchise via a blockbuster move last year, any such trades are likely to be much smaller scale this season.

He didn’t explicitly say as much, but simply having an experienced lead guard like the 25-year-old Quickley should do wonders for a Raptors team in search of answers.

“When you have the game taken away from you for a long time you’re a little bit more grateful. You miss it,” Quickley added. “Not that I took the game for granted before, I feel like I work pretty hard, but it’s just good to compete and be out there with your teammates, coaches. It’s just a different feeling than being on the sidelines.”