Masai Ujiri, Nick Nurse, and the Toronto Raptors have done an admirable job of clawing back to relevancy following their awful start to get right back in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. While the Raptors are playing some exciting basketball of late, this roster is far from perfect.
The Raptors have ranked smack dab in the middle in several key offensive and defensive statistics. While that has been due to key players like OG Anunoby and Kyle Lowry missing time due to injury, some players that were expected to play huge roles in Nurse’s rotation have shrunk under the weight of the expectations.
The loss of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka in free agency coupled with the lack of depth in the backcourt has really exposed some of the holes on this roster.
The Raptors have a chance to seize control of their playoff destiny, but they need to either get rid of some of the dead weight or keep putting them out there and force them to shoot themselves out of their slumps.
On Terence Davis: Play Paul Watson instead.
— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) February 12, 2021
These 3 Toronto Raptors players have really disappointed
No. 3: Terence Davis
After arriving in Toronto following a very accomplished career at Ole Miss, Davis looked like the next great Raptors development story, as he averaged 7.5 points per game on 45 percent shooting. While he is putting up almost identical numbers this season, Davis has come under fire for his play.
Davis‘ shooting percentages are slightly down, and his points, rebounds, and assists per game have all taken a bit of a dive. With Fred VanVleet moving into the starting lineup, Davis needed to assert himself as the premier rotation player for Toronto.
Davis hasn’t taken the leap the Raptors expected
Davis’ defense has been the major bugaboo, as teams are averaging 114 points per 100 possession when Davis is on the floor. When a deficient defender like Davis isn’t providing the scoring that was expected of him, he doesn’t bring a lot to the table. With minimal depth behind him, Davis is struggling without support.
With some disappointing play coupled with a bone-chilling domestic violence accusation still hanging over his head, 2020-21 has been a nightmare for Davis. While giving up on a player that young for a poor 25-game stretch could come back to bite Toronto, Davis’ play is making the Raptors consider if he’s still a part of their future.