Toronto Raptors: It’s time for Nick Nurse to tinker with the rotation

Pascal Siakam

One of the biggest issues thus far for the Raptors has been their half-court offense, and some of that blame has to come down on Pascal Siakam. Pascal is the player the Raptors paid to be their #1 option, and he, unfortunately, has not been able to consistently live up to that moniker since the bubble last season.

With his struggles as of late often getting worse in the fourth quarter, one could question if late-game fatigue is beginning to be an issue. Siakam is currently averaging 39 minutes a game, and that number would be even higher had he not fouled out in the Raptors the last outing.

With this many pieces off of the bench, it may be beneficial for the Raptors to cut Siakam’s minutes, so that he can be more energized for fourth quarters while also keeping him fresh for later in the season. Pascal is in need of some sort of change, and a bit more rest earlier in games would likely do him well when it comes to providing a spark in the fourth quarter.

It’s far too early to push the panic button, but the Toronto Raptors are 0-3 for the first time since 2005, and a few adjustments to the rotation from Nick Nurse will be needed as they try to get past this slow start and move up the eastern conference standings. On the plus side, there’s only one way to go from here.