Six-game road trip gives Raptors a chance to jell

RJ Barrett's face dropped when he realized he was going to be headed back out on the road.

TORONTO – RJ Barrett’s face dropped when he realized he was going to be headed back out on the road.

Barrett had spent most of December travelling with the New York Knicks and was traded, along with Immanuel Quickley, to the Raptors on Saturday, flying straight from Indianapolis to Toronto. They debuted in the red and black on Monday, only to embark on a six-game road trip the next day keeping Barrett and Quickley on the road for another two weeks.

“Man, I thought I didn’t have to do that again,” said Barrett, who is from Mississauga, Ont., when he realized he wasn’t going to have a chance to settle into his new downtown Toronto home. “Those are tough, man. Those are not easy at all.

“But you stay together with the team, and as we’re figuring things out, this would be a good test for us. I’m excited to see how we do on this trip.”

The Raptors flew to Memphis on Tuesday and will play the Grizzlies the next night. They begin a four-game swing in California on Friday with a stop in Sacramento before heading south with a stop in Golden State on Sunday and then back-to-back games in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Jan. 9 and the Clippers on Jan. 10.

The Raptors end the trip in Utah on Jan. 12 before returning to Toronto and the friendly confines of Scotiabank Arena on Jan. 15 to host the Boston Celtics.

Quickley said that the long period of time on the road with his new teammates will likely help with the club’s on-court product.

“A lot of time on the plane, a lot of time at dinner and things like that, on the road,” said Quickley after Toronto’s 124-121 win over Cleveland on Monday. “Just trying to get to know these guys off the court, on the court, knowing where they want the ball and things like that.