It is no secret that the Raptors have been decimated by injuries to start the season. Toronto has had 11 different players on their injury report, with the team already having 102 games missed between the roster. Only the Grizzlies have had more games missed due to injuries, with a staggering 114. While this isn’t a good thing, it has allowed head coach Darko Rajakovic to give everyone some run and get minutes. However, with the team starting to regain their entire lineup, who will fall out of the Raptors rotation?
Raptors Tinker With Rotation As Team Nears Full Strength
Already Fallen Out
Last night’s game against the Mavericks was the first time Kelly Olynyk has suited up this season. In his first game back, Olynyk was on fire. He went a perfect 3-3 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line. With Olynyk back, there are fewer minutes in the frontcourt, and last night Chris Boucher didn’t see the court. Boucher’s minutes have steadily decreased over the previous five games. In those five outings, he has averaged 14.4 minutes a night, down from his 18 minutes for the season.
It’s not surprising that Boucher was one of the first to see his minutes slashed. Last season, Boucher fell out of the rotation and never seemed to earn coach Rajakovic’s trust. He also doesn’t fit the style of play Toronto is asking for, lacking the ability to make quick and smart reads offensively. Olynyk’s return seems to spell the end for Boucher’s time in the rotation and maybe his time with Toronto.
Boucher wasn’t the only Raptor to get his minutes slashed last night, with Jamal Shead receiving his first career DNP. Shead has been solid this season. However, with Scottie Barnes coming into his own as the starting point guard and Davion Mitchell outplaying him for the backup point guard minutes, there aren’t any minutes for him. With Immanuel Quickley getting closer to his return, it seems unlikely there will be many minutes for Shead unless there are injuries.
On The Chopping Block
As Toronto continues to get back to full strength, it will be harder to find minutes developing all the rookies. Jamison Battle was one of the first rookies to see his minutes slashed heavily, only playing four minutes last game. With Battle being undrafted and on a two-way contract, it makes sense for the team to prioritize developing players it has already invested more into. However with his shooting touch, it will be hard to keep him out of the lineup completely given that the team lacks spacing. With Battle on a two-way, he can only play in 50 games this season and is currently at 23 games. The team might want to save those games for later when they need an extra shooter.
Who’s Next?
While Toronto is closer to full strength, Bruce Brown has yet to suit up this season, and Quickley has only played a few games. Once they both return, Toronto’s backcourt will be deep. In addition to those two, guys like Barnes, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, and Mitchell are able to play point or shooting guard. For someone like Ja’Kobe Walter, minutes will be much more limited, and he could fall out of the Raptors rotation. Getting more time with the 905 might do him more than limited playing time in the NBA.
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