While taking a loss is never fun, the Raptors' defeat against the Celtics on January 9 had several redeeming qualities.
In light of the unfortunate injuries to Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl (who is still working his way back to peak form), and an ill-timed ankle injury for RJ Barrett against Boston too, Toronto's crop of young players and reserves stepped up to make their mark. We saw good minutes from Jonathan Mogbo and Gradey Dick, a standout performance from two-way rookie Alijah Martin, strong play from bench standouts Jamal Shead and Sandro Mamukelashvili as usual, and an especially impressive outing from sophomore Ja'Kobe Walter.