Toronto Raptors: 3 bench players with the most to gain in preseason

2. Isaac Bonga

While any of the non-guaranteed players could go in this spot, Bonga might be able to lean into Nurse’s fetishistic approach to the concept of length and take home one of the final roster spots. He only played six minutes in the first game against Philadelphia, but he could be in line for a bigger workload.

Bonga made his only shots while scooping up two boards and dishing out an assist. Bonga came into the league as a point guard and has morphed into a quality wing defender. If given more time, he could start to show off some improvements on offense, specifically as a shooter.

Isaac Bonga could show the Toronto Raptors how he has improved.

If Bonga developed even an average shot, the idea of adding a very young, very dynamic wing defender with the ability to handle the ball making strides on offense could be what gives him the edge over players like Ishmail Wainright and Sam Dekker.

Of course, more playing time might also provide Bonga with more chances to make mistakes. His improvement on offense might be the only thing Nurse is watching this preseason. If he is still clanking shots off the side of the rim, he might need to find employment elsewhere before the season opener.