Grading every Toronto Raptors move this offseason
Re-signing Patrick McCaw
Entering the offseason, the Toronto Raptors were intent on signing their top-tier wing. Kawhi Leonard? pass. Danny Green? Naah. This offseason was all about Patrick McCaw.
McCaw returns as the one Raptor free agent who re-signed with the team. He signed a two-year fully guaranteed $8 million contract. Without bird-rights, the Raptors needed to use part of their mid-level exception to retain him. Clearly, he was a valued member of the team.
Can we ask why? What did McCaw show during his time with the Raptors that warranted a return, let alone an $8 million commitment?
At this point in his career, Patrick McCaw is unplayable offensively. Not mediocre, not bad, unplayable. With the Raptors, he posted a usage rate of below 10-percent, shot just 5.7 attempts per 36 minutes, and shot 33-percent from three-point range, including 1-11 on shots not labeled “Wide-Open”.
Most alarming, Toronto scored an average of 9.5 fewer points per 100 possessions with McCaw on the floor as opposed to when he sat. That ranked in the bottom six-percentile of his position, according to CleaningtheGlass.Â
Even defensively, McCaw is a bit overrated (not bad, overrated). He’s too small/thin to cover anything other than point guards and frail shooting guards, he can’t be effective in a switching scheme, and he’s not an extremely impactful help defender. McCaw’s advanced defensive statistics are actually overwhelmingly negative.
A guard who is solid defensively and horrendously on offense doesn’t tend to make it in today’s NBA. Toronto not only used a roster spot on McCaw, but they also overpaid him.