The Toronto Raptors are without Scottie Barnes, but that can't dampen Toxic Positivity Friday, especially not on a weekend where LeBron James is coming to town and Vince Carter is getting his jersey retired. In Episode 1739, Sean Woodley goes solo to talk about the silver linings of Scottie Barnes being out the lineup, Jonathan Mogbo's pathway to a serious Rookie of the Year case with Barnes out of the lineup for extended time, Immanuel Quickley getting the kes to the team upon his return, and a weekend that will be full of nostalgia as LeBron James and Vince Carter, two major figures in Raptors history, will be in town for very different reasons. Off the top Sean dives into why Mogbo getting to start in Barnes' place not only makes sense, but sets him up to rack up the kinds of numbers that could vault him into Rookie of the Year contention is a down year for first-year guys. Next, Sean talks about the heavy offensive burden Immanuel Quickley is going to carry in Barnes' absence once he returns to action, and what that'll be a good thing in the long run. Lastly, Sean talks about the upcoming Vince Carter jersey retirement on Saturday, and why LeBron James coming to town on Friday is a nice bit of a symmetry on a weekend where the imperfect history of the Raptors will be celebrated as it ought to be.

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Gametime
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FanDuel
You can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place aFIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with ONEHUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET!Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Show Theme Music: Keep Fallin' / The Passion HiFi on SoundCloud

The Toronto Raptors started life without injured star Scottie Barnes on Wednesday night with a wildly entertaining 138-133 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on the road. In Episode 1738, Sean Woodley goes solo just after the buzzer to run through his biggest takeaways from the game, Jonathan Mogbo starting and Jamal Shead impressing again, and more from a loss that sends the Raptors to 1-4 on the season. Off the top, Sean digs into how the Raptors pillars of competence: Jakob Poeltl (20 points, 16 rebounds), RJ Barrett (31 points, 8 assists, 4 threes) and Gradey Dick (a career-high 30 points on 11/17 shooting) figure to give this team far more structure and purpose than the Raptors had when Scottie Barnes last missed time to close the 2023-24 season. Immanuel Quickley, who probably wins this game for the Raptors if available, figures to be that fourth pillar soon. Next, Sean talks about the efforts of the rookies. Jonathan Mogbo got his first career start and looked pretty solid doing it. Jamal Shead dishes 9 assists in his 20 minutes of action. And Jamison Battle had his roughest outing of the young season. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (Davion Mitchell), The Bad (the defense) and The Hmmmm (can the Raptors continue to play with this kind of spirit throughout Barnes' absence?) to round out the show.

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Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
You can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place aFIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with ONEHUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET!Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Show Theme Music: Keep Fallin' / The Passion HiFi on SoundCloud

Toronto Raptors star forward Scottie Barnes is out for the team's game against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday as he undergoes testing on the eye injury he sustained against the Denver Nuggets on Monday; can the Raptors withstand a prolonged Barnes absence? In Episode 1737, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (Locked On NBA Newsletters, Basketball Feelings) to chat about the injury to Barnes, the rotten injury luck he's faced in 2024, and how the Raptors can weather their best player's absence. Next, they chat about Ochai Agbaji having his fourth-year option picked up by the team and the early returns on his revamped game so far this year. Lastly, they check in on the state of the team after one week of games. How are we all feeling compared to where we were at a week ago before the season began? And just how valuable is a revitalization of the team's vibes?

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Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
You can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place aFIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with ONEHUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET!Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Show Theme Music: Keep Fallin' / The Passion HiFi on SoundCloud