Raptors Rapture
Fansided

Toronto Raptors: Top 3 things that Gary Trent Jr. brings to the squad

By Shaun Suares

TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 26: Gary Trent Jr. #33 of the Toronto Raptors(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 26: Gary Trent Jr. #33 of the Toronto Raptors(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 21: Gary Trent Jr. #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers  (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 21: Gary Trent Jr. #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers  (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Scoring Punch

There’s no doubt that losing Powell’s scoring, hustle and stellar shooting will hurt. He was the third-leading scorer averaging 19.6 points, shooting 49% from the field, and shooting a scorching 43% from deep.

I see Trent slotting into that role as the third-leading scorer for the Raptors. Before the trade, Gary was having a career resurgence with the Blazers and his game is built for the modern NBA. He was also the third-leading scorer on the Blazers, averaging 15 points while giving Portland another deadly weapon from long range.

Gary Trent Jr. scored despite losing shots to Damian Lillard

The team will look to create a future 1-2 punch in the backcourt alongside Fred VanVleet. The Raptors are going to desperately need his energy to infuse the team with some excitement if they want another invite to the annual postseason dinner table.

As defenses learned early on, Trent is not to be left unsupervised from beyond the arc. However, he has added to his versatility by putting in work in the mid-range. Out of his total shots taken, 24% of them came from 2 point pull-ups and he made 35% of those shots.

If he continues to improve and learns to create his own shot off the dribble, he can grow into one of the more formidable matchup problems for opposing teams.

Home/Raptors News