Who is the most disappointing player for the Raptors?
By Mustafa Noor
In the latest of our five-part award series, it’s time to give out the most disappointing player of the year. Which player will take home this unwanted award?
The Toronto Raptors have many players who have overachieved and played at a level far higher than expected. Unfortunately, there are a select few who have underperformed this season for a myriad of reasons. Underwhelming play can be due to injuries, lack of work ethic and off the court issues. Here at Raptors Rapture we are not afraid to give credit when it is deserved or scorn when a player has disappointed. Let’s reveal the candidates for most disappointing player of the year.
First Candidate: DeMarre Carroll
One of the most valuable commodities in today’s NBA are so-called “3 and D” players. These are individuals who can consistently shoot well from downtown and be a respectable defender. Carroll was advertised as one of these valuable players coming out of the 2009 draft. Carroll has been an average three-point shooter for his career (36%) but has fallen to 34% this season. His shot mechanics seem to be off. To my eye, he no longer has the consistency or speed in his shot that he displayed in Atlanta.
His shooting alone makes him a candidate for most disappointing player of the year but this is compounded by his injury history. Carroll has missed several games this season due to niggling injuries which he can’t seem to shake. Furthermore, since the acquisition of P.J. Tucker from Phoenix, Carroll’s minutes have decreased and he has become a more peripheral player. Tucker is a better defender and Coach Casey prefers Tucker on the floor in late game situations.
Mar 25, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson (54) is called for a technical foul during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Raptors defeat the Mavericks 94-86. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Second Candidate: Patrick Patterson
Patrick Patterson entered this season knowing it was a contract year and determined to get well compensated for his services. He told the National Post at the beginning of the season
“everybody wants to get paid and I’m one of those guys included”.
With the ever-increasing salary cap, Patterson would have expected to double his 6-million-dollar salary. If anything, he has cost himself money with his underwhelming play this season. Patterson is a “stretch 4” by description but does little to stretch the floor in games as a 38% shooter from the field. Patterson is often widely inconsistent and can go several games without significant contributions.
His niche as the only legitimate stretch-4 on the roster was made invalid with the addition of Serge Ibaka who is a better defender and shooter. Even so, Patterson remains a serviceable player but the question of resigning him became a lot trickier with his play this season. If the Raptors resign Lowry, Tucker and Ibaka then a difficult decision must be made. How many dollars MLSE should invest into Patterson?
Final Candidate: Jonas Valanciunas
If you were to poll Raptor fans and ask them a simple question, who is the most frustrating player on the team? I would wager that Jonas would be a popular choice. Jonas’s minutes and production were questions from his first start in the NBA as the modern-day game no longer values low post big men. His peers include Enes Kanter and Greg Monroe who both have limited roles for their respective teams. Sadly, JV is repeatedly destroyed in the pick and roll due to a lack of lateral quickness and effort.
This is one of the many reasons Coach Casey tends not to play Jonas heavy minutes in the fourth quarter. Unless the game is a blow-out, coach Casey prefers a small ball line up with Ibaka at the five. This is because the Raptors give up 6.2 less points per 100 possessions when Jonas is sitting on the bench. This perfectly illustrates his defensive shortcomings and against the better teams in the league Jonas isn’t a viable option.
And the winner is….
This is a tough one as any of the three candidates have legitimate reasons to be crowned as the most disappointing player of the year. However, DeMarre Carroll was hyped as a vital piece for Toronto to become a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. 2 years later, Carroll has only played 97 games and when he has played he has not impressed. DeMarre Carroll, please come to the front of the row and collect this award.