Raptors 905 success story could play his way into Toronto rotation relatively soon

Darko Rajakovic and the Toronto Raptors need to come up with a way to find an identity after one-quarter of the 2023-24 season has elapsed, and the best way to do that might be to promote from within. Javon Freeman-Liberty’s play has been begging for greater recognition from the NBA staff.

After pissing off Chicago Bulls fans early in the offseason by stealing a player they held in very high regard, Freeman-Liberty has since set about ripping up the ranks of the G League. This is a continuation of what he was doing with the Bulls.

In four games with Raptors 905, Freeman-Liberty is averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. With tremendous 48/38/91 shooting splits, the Summer League star is showing once again that his offensive prowess is far too dominant to stay stuck in the G League.

Gradey Dick’s recent demotion to the G League shows that he was not as ready to contribute in his rookie year as many would have hoped. If the Raptors want an extra punch of offensive juice, calling up Freeman-Liberty and letting him get some rotation time is a worthwhile gamble to take.

The Toronto Raptors need to get Javon Freeman-Liberty involved.

Going back to his college days at DePaul and his past G League experience, Freeman-Liberty has been a dynamic scorer everywhere he has gone so far. Even in just a handful of games with a struggling Raptors 905 this season, his propensity for filling it up has helped keep this team from totally bottoming out.

If any team in the league is willing to give developmental players from their minor leagues a shot, it’s the Raptors. This mindset has led to players like Yuta Watanabe becoming NBA rotation mainstays, and it could be the perfect cure for the issues currently plaguing this team.

Freeman-Liberty might need the ball in his hands to be effective more than most G League developmental projects, but he is a pure bucket-getter, and there may not be a team in the league that needs a player like him more than a Raptors offense that remains unable to score consistently in half-court sets.