Toronto Raptors: Handing out preseason superlatives and awards

Most Disappointing: Gary Trent Jr.

Goran Dragic may have won this award before last night’s game, but he looked like his old self against Washington. Malachi Flynn broke out to eliminate himself from contention. While he had his moments, Trent didn’t start the preseason off like a player on a $51 million contract.

We are huge fans of Trent here. While some might scoff at his contract, it’s rare to sign a 22-year-old guard fresh off the best season of his career for a comparatively economical price like this. He’ll be an impact player this season. Having said all of that, he didn’t do a ton to really dominate in the preseason.

Gary Trent Jr. needs to be more consistent for the Toronto Raptors.

Trent came into Tuesday night shooting 38% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc. Both of those numbers went down after last night, though he did show that his effort on the defensive end and ability to impact the game as a rebounder and passer are making slight improvements.

We believe Trent will turn things around. He’s just too darn effective as a scorer to regress this season. However, with the backcourt rotations still in flux thanks to a stockpile of guards that could earn minutes, Trent needs to start the regular season off with a bang against Washington.