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The NBA's Summer League is set to begin on August 8th and the opening night features a matchup between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. Fans will get their first chance to watch the newly drafted rookies in action as the first night features eight different matchups with a bevy of young players going head-to-head.
The University of Las Vegas will host the event on their campus as all 30 teams are set to participate in the 16th edition of the MGM Resorts Las Vegas Summer League.
Match Details
Fixture: Toronto Raptors vs New York Knicks | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021.
Date & Time: Sunday, August 8th; 4:30 PM ET (Monday, August 9th; 2:00 AM IST).
Venue: Thomas & Mack Center and COX Pavilion, University of Las Vegas, NV.
Toronto Raptors Preview
The Toronto Raptors roster is headlined by Scottie Barnes, the team's 2021 lottery pick. They will also feature Yuta Watanabe and Malachi Flynn on the team who have NBA experience.
Watanabe recently represented Japan in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for the men's basketball contest. Malachi Flynn played 47 games for the Toronto Raptors last season and averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game on 37/32/80 shooting splits.
Also Check out: Toronto Raptors Complete NBA Summer League Schedule
Moreover, 7-footer Anas Mahmoud will also represent the Toronto Raptors in the Summer League. He is the reigning MVP of the Egyptian Super League and was named the 2021 BAL Defensive Player of the Year. He is also a 2021 Egyptian Super League and BAL champion.
The Toronto Raptors now have a young team surrounding Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. Although not viewed as playoff contenders, they should certainly be better than last season.
Key Player - Scottie Barnes
All eyes will be on Scottie Barnes, who was surprisingly picked up 4th overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 NBA Draft. Fans will be eager to see how his game fits with Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. He is compared to Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors due to his All-Defensive potential and playmaking prowess.
Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup
G - Malacy Flynn, G - Matt Morgan, F - Scottie Barnes, F - Yuta Watanabe, C - Anas Mahmoud.
New York Knicks Preview
![Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks [Source: Posting and Toasting] Kevin Knox of the New York Knicks New York Knicks v Indiana Pacers](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/c7a57-16283239678983-800.jpg)
The New York Knicks have announced a strong roster for their Summer League squad. It features sophomores Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley along with the newly drafted rookies like Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes. Quickley was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2021.
Argentinian guard Luca Vildoza will also represent the Knicks in the Las Vegas Summer League. He represented his country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and is the 2020 Liga ACB champion and Finals MVP.
Also Check out: New York Knicks Complete NBA Summer League Schedule
Seasoned NBA player Kevin Knox was set to be part of the frontcourt. He is entering his fourth year with the New York Knicks and has career averages of 8.5 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 35% from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, recent reports suggest Knox will miss the Summer League leg due to NBA health and safety protocols.
Players like Justin Patton and Wayne Selden also have a few years of NBA experience with various teams.
Key Player - Immanuel Quickley
Although Kevin Knox was expected to play a key role for the New York Knicks in the 2021 NBA Summer League, he is likely to miss this leg due to health protocols.
In his absence, Immanuel Quickley is expected to step up and plug the hole for the Knicks. The guard showed glimpses of potential in his rookie season in New York and will be hoping to make another big leap in his sophomore year.
Picked #25 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, Quickley was an unexpectedly bright spark for the Knicks in the regular season, averaging over 19 minutes per night and putting up double digit points (11.4).
New York Knicks Predicted Lineup
G - Miles McBride | G - Immanuel Quickley | F - Quentin Grimes | F - Kevin Knox | C - Justin Patton
Raptors vs Knicks Match Prediction
The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors are quite evenly matched in terms of NBA experience on their roster. In Summer League games, fouls and turnovers are high and players with years of game experience tend to play better.
The Raptors will have to rely upon Yuta Watanabe and Malachi Flynn to share the team's burden of scoring while Scottie Barnes could make a statement in his Toronto Raptors debut.
Where to watch the Raptors vs Knicks game?
The Toronto Raptors vs New York Knicks game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and also be available to stream on ESPN's family of networks. For fans around the world, the game will be live-streamed on the NBA League Pass.
Also Read: Houston Rockets Summer League 2021 Roster, Dates and Complete Schedule
