Toronto Raptors: 3 players who need to step up without Chris Boucher
By Mike Luciano
No. 2: Gary Trent Jr.
Trent was setting the world on fire as a starter, as his first few games with the Raptors included a buzzer-beater that won a game, a career-high 44-point performance, and a match against the Golden State Warriors in which he totaled the second-highest plus-minus rating for an individual player in NBA history. Despite all of that, Trent moved into a new role against the Nets.
Trent p;ayed just 14 minues and scored just five points, as he ended up on the bench following the return of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet to the starting lineup. Trent has been excellent with the Raptors, but Toronto needs to have him translate that production to the bench in order to fill a need.
The Toronto Raptors need Gary Trent Jr. to score like Chris Boucher
Trent needs time to get going when he plays, but he has proven that when he catches fire, he is more than capable of being a team’s primary scoring option. He won’t be afforded that luxury on the bench, but he’ll have to manage in order to give the Raptors shooting off of the bench for the first time all season.
Trent is likely a key component in the future of this club, but he needs to take on a reduced role for the next week or two in order to make sure the second unit actually has some teeth. Five-point games simply won’t get the job done.