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Three overreactions to avoid following Toronto Raptors preseason

By Thomas Valentine

TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 10: Norman Powell #24 of the Toronto Raptors passes the ball against the Golden State Warriors during Game Five of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 10: Norman Powell #24 of the Toronto Raptors passes the ball against the Golden State Warriors during Game Five of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors – Stanley Johnson (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /

End of the rotation

If you haven’t heard, Nick Nurse has not been pleased with the performance of the end of the rotation – namely the likes of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson, both of whom were brought in this offseason.

While the coach publicly calling you out isn’t a good look, it shouldn’t be deemed the end of the experiment, because really, it hasn’t even begun yet. Hollis-Jefferson and Johnson have only played four games for the Toronto Raptors so far, with RHJ averaging 12 minutes per game, while Johnson averaged 12.8 minutes a night.

Stanley Johnson, in particular, has looked far off of the pace so far, but that doesn’t mean he should be out of the rotation completely – at least not this early. Offensively, we know who he is, and it’s not good. Not good at all. Much like Patrick McCaw, having Johnson on offensive end can leave you feeling like the Raptors are a man down at times, but his defensive acumen can still shine through.

Preseason is a lot of player’s chances to prove themselves, and not everyone can adjust at the same speed – especially when in new surroundings. Though, that might be enough to put some people off. The NBA is the best league in the world, it’s an adapt or perish scenario – if you can’t do that then maybe you’re not ready.

Still, let’s not give up on Stanley Johnson yet, even if it hasn’t looked like the right fit yet. The Raptors are great at developing talent, and hopefully, Johnson just needs a little more time than most. It’s definitely possible, but giving up on him this early isn’t the way forward.

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