Toronto Raptors: Malachi Flynn, Jalen Harris must start final 2020-21 games

The Toronto Raptors have officially been eliminated from the postseason for the first time in nine years. While a good blend of veterans like Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet as well as youngsters like Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris seemed like a winning formula, some bad luck and borderline unfair circumstances helped contribute to Toronto’s massive decline.

Toronto has had plenty of stars beef up their depth over the years, but this team has been built on players like Flynn that have risen through the ranks of their developmental system. While the must-win nature of the last few seasons has made it difficult to integrate younger players in the rotation, they will get these younger players more time.

With Kyle Lowry potentially on the move in the offseason, Flynn and Harris might end up in the rotation next year, with the San Diego State alum making a strong case to remain on the roster as the backup point guard.

Flynn, named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April, has proven he can stick long-term in this league. Harris, meanwhile, is starting to look like a quality offensive player in his limited game action. These next few games should be a bunch of practice runs that help Toronto figure out where they stand next season.

The Toronto Raptors need to look at Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris.

Harris has rarely seen the field this season, but he has averaged 7.0 points per game over the last five games, showing the same silky shot he had at Nevada. He needs to work on improving his defense, but he is starting to contribute to the Raptors this season, and that’s encouraging to see.

Flynn’s offensive game is MILES better than it was when he was struggling to get any sort of playing time, but he still isn’t taking over games on that end. Why not let him run the show on offense and figure out through trial and error what works? You’re not going anywhere.

The Raptors have tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, two tussles with Central division teams in the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers, and one last game against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. None of these teams are creampuffs, but some have holes on defense, and Flynn could try to exploit them.

The Toronto Raptors will gain absolutely nothing from playing their starters over the new few weeks, meaning that Flynn and Harris could both get some extra burn. These two are still unknown commodities, and the only way to figure out beyond a shadow of a doubt what they have is to let them play as much as possible.