The Raptors have managed to shrug off the loss of their likely starting Power Forward and backup Point Guard, and compiled an excellent record to date. What happens when the walking wounded are ready to go?
The Toronto Raptors are off to the best start in franchise history, with 19 wins in 27 games. They have done so without several players who were expected to play important roles in the team’s rotation. Injuries have kept PF Jared Sullinger and PG Delon Wright in street clothes, but that won’t be the case much longer.
Wright has been sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in Summer League play. He is expected to be available sometime next week. Sullinger had an operation on his foot, but has been able to remove his walking boot recently. The target for his return is perhaps the second week of January.
Coach Dwane Casey is going to have an embarrassment of riches or a significant problem of trying to keep everyone happy with their minutes and roles. There’s no one except Bruno Caboclo playing so poorly that they should be penalized by having their playing time cut.
What’s almost as remarkable is the fact the D-League squad doesn’t appear to need any help. The Raptors 905 have won their last 7 games, and their 10-2 record is the league’s best.
I anticipate Sullinger and Wright will spend time with the 905 anyway, just for the purposes of getting back into game shape. Their conditioning has taken a hit during their enforced absence, as has the higher-level skills like timing, recognition, and footwork. Only games can re-awaken those capabilities.
Send them down
There’s an easy way to deal with the happy problem of too many players. Push Jakob Poeltl, Fred VanVleet and Bruno onto the 905 for a month or so. We’d then have a roster in which the rotation players continue to be 2-Pat, TRoss, CoJo, Bebe and Norman, with the presumably eager and healthy Wright and Sullinger being available for spot duty and garbage time.
The Raptors’ offense has been so productive lately that there have been a bunch of blowouts, Sunday night’s game in Orlando being just the latest example. The Magic were pitiful, particularly in the second half, when they delivered some of the worst play I’ve seen from any NBA team in years. Anyway, I’d like to see coach Dwane Casey continue to pare down his starters’ minutes by getting the second-unit guys in earlier when the outcome isn’t in doubt.
Alternatively, Casey could extend his total-rest scheme, to which only DeMarre Carroll has been subject, to include his stars. Can’t our other people handle Brooklyn or Dallas by themselves?
Using more than ten men in any game is almost unheard of these days. The exceptions are blow-outs, when both teams empty their benches, or rebuilding squads, where everybody gets a look.
What now?
The Raptors are trying to have their cake and eat it too. They are definitely in “win now” mode, but can’t turn their backs on player development. Watch for the topic of minutes allocation to increase in importance in 2017.
P.S. All of the fussing will go out the window if the Raps suffer some injuries. So far our team has been fortunate; let’s hope it continues.
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