Raptors: Will Paul Watson get some chances in the rotation?

The lack of depth combined with Nick Nurse’s penchant for switching up the rotations every other game has helped almost anyone with a pulse get some consistent minutes for the Toronto Raptors this season. Despite the constant shuffling, Paul Watson has found playing time difficult to come by of late.

Watson, an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State, made his Raptors debut last season after a very strong season with Raptors 905, as he scored 19.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, all the while shooting 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.

A 6-6 guard/forward hybrid with enough bulk to outmuscle opponents for rebounds, Watson, who has averaged 1.8 points per game in his extremely limited action so far this season, looks like the ideal candidate to get some added minutes after the recent downturn in form.

With the Raptors in need of someone to muscle up and assert themselves on a bench that is just 23rd in the league in scoring despite the presence of a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Chris Boucher, Watson should get some more chances to prove himself in the coming weeks.

How could Paul Watson help the Raptors?

While his trademark offense was in absentia during his cameo against the Detroit Pistons, Watson showed effort and versatility on the defensive end, using his length to guard multiple perimeter positions. If he keeps this style of play up while shooting well from 3-point range, Nurse might run out of excuses not to put him in.

While Matt Thomas made a push for more minutes earlier in the season, Thomas’ poor perimeter defense combined with his accuracy from beyond the arc waning gave Nurse no choice but to stick him on the bench.

As good as DeAndre’ Bembry has been, he can’t be trusted as a consistent scorer. Terence Davis is still in the middle of a very disappointing season, and Stanley Johnson has all but officially migrated from the perimeter to down on the low block.

Watson proved during the bubble last year, when he scored 22 points on 8-13 shooting in a win over the Denver Nuggets, that he can be trusted to knock down some open shots. While he hasn’t had a ton of volume, he has the third-highest field goal percentage on the team, a sign that he could perhaps be a valued offensive weapon with more burn in the rotation.

While this could be the very dictionary definition of drawing conclusions from a small sample size, Toronto is averaging over 170 points per 100 possessions with Watson on the floor. the only way to test if that astonishing rate will hold up is to let Watson get some consistent action.

To earn brownie points with Nick Nurse, you need to either be able to guard multiple positions on defense, rise up from 3-point range, or pass well enough to keep the ball moving. Luckily, Watson’s G League performance and brief NBA action attest to the fact he can do all three. Boy, doesn’t make things easy for the coaching staff?

The Raptors’ bench situation is far from a five-alarm fire, but no one is doing much of anything to stake their claim and assert themselves as valued members of the second unit. Watson is ready to go, Nurse just needs to cut him loose.