The Toronto Raptors have struggled to stay in the playoff hunt for a myriad of reasons this season, and one of the main on-court reasons for this poor performance has been head coach Nick Nurse constantly shuffling the rotation in order to find a solid bench player that is not named Chris Boucher.
Nurse said that the Raptors are “back at square one” in terms of their bench rotations, as he decided that sticking to a set group could get Toronto back on the right track.
In Toronto’s loss against the Utah Jazz, a game in which the Raptors were leading one of the most noteworthy contenders in the league, Aron Baynes was barely on the floor, while Yuta Watanabe, Patrick McCaw, DeAndre’ Bembry, and Stanley Johnson didn’t play at all. Paul Watson and Malachi Flynn ended up getting more burn off of the bench.
The Raptors are hoping that leaving more platers out of the rotation makes for a simpler offensive attack that puts stars like Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet on the floor for large chunks of time ends up reversing their fortunes.
This decision makes sense, but it is by no means flawless. This new alignment has some glaring holes that might outweigh the benefits.
What are the benefits of the Toronto Raptors’ new rotation?
Pro: More minutes for Paul Watson
Watson, another Raptors 905 star, is averaging 2.4 points per game while shooting 41% from the field. At 6-6 with enough muscle and bulk to line up in multiple spots on the defensive end, Watson offers very interesting two-way potential if he hits his stride.
Making over 40% of his shots from 3-point range, Watson is a sniper, which is a dimension to his game that players like Baynes and McCaw have not shown this season. He could be exactly what the Raptors need on both ends of the floor if he can get hot from beyond the arc. However, playing him is a tad risky.
How will Paul Watson help the Raptors?
Watson has played in just 31 games in his career, and most of his experience has come in mop-up duty. At 26 years old, Watson is not a teenage rookie that could use these games as an experience to work out the kinks in his style. He’s getting close to his athletic ceiling, which could make it hard for him to stick.
Watson is a gamble, but he’s shown enough to at least warrant some consideration for an expanded role. If he falls on his face, however, the former Atlanta Hawks player might find it hard for a third team to take a chance on him.