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Terrence Ross is perfect for his new role with the Toronto Raptors

By Graeme Klayh

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It’s no secret there is unanimous disappointment about Terrence Ross’ third year with the Toronto Raptors. You’ve read it from every news outlet and heard it from every fan. Ross’ role heading into the 2014-2015 season remained unchanged, but he performed slightly poorer on offense and defense from the year before. Faith in the young guard has hit a record low, but there is still hope.

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It’s hard to place the blame on only Ross while he was playing in a dysfunctional and inconsistent offensive system. The 2015/16 campaign looks to be a prime year for Ross to restore confidence from the fan base.

The good news for Ross is that there are new coaches in town and new players to take the pressure off. The Raptors look to want Ross to replace Lou Williams’ rotation spot by being a gunner off the bench. This is no starting gig, but it could be perfect for the athletic high-flyer. Is Ross capable of filling the sixth man’s shoes?

Last year, Ross finished the season with an above average effective field goal percentage (league average was 49.6% and Ross earned 50.7%), which takes into account his 3-point field goal proficiency. This stat is a truer representation of his efficiency than his 41% field goal percentage, since he shoots predominantly from beyond-the-arc.

We already know Ross can shoot the ball, but sometimes we need to be reminded how good he really is.

Most complaints about his game centre around his inability to attack the rim and create for himself off the dribble. These are not empty claims since 74.4% of all his field goals were assisted and 55.5% of his shots were taken without a dribble last season.

Most Six Man of the Year candidates are ball handlers, shot callers and creaters with the basketball. Williams was only assisted on 39.7% of his made field goals last season while shooting at much higher frequencies.

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    • Comparing Ross’ games off the bench and his games starting, we see his team assist ratio per 100 possessions and defensive rebounding percentage each climbed by 4%. It is not astronomical but through 21 games off the pine it remained consistent.

    Ross will have to do his part to fill the sixth man role, but he should get plenty of help from his teammates. His shooting will be in full effect off the bench this year. We will still hope for strong drives to the hoop but don’t expect him to step out of his lane completely. He is a shooter and that’s where he will flourish.

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