Toronto Raptors: Stock up, stock down as preseason concludes

Stock Up: Malachi Flynn

Flynn would’ve made the dud list before the Wizards game, as his inefficient shooting prompted some murmuring that Dalano Banton could take minutes away from him. Flynn immediately reasserted himself, as he looked like the lethal scorer we saw during his Summer League stint.

Flynn ended the preseason by scoring 22 points, teaming with Sam Dekker to lead Toronto on a miracle comeback run that eventually pushed them into the winner’s circle. After some uneven performances on offense, it’s nice to see Flynn back in control with the ball in his hands.

Toronto Raptors guard Malachi Flynn turned his preseason around.

Despite the fact that Flynn faces plenty of competition in this backcourt rotation between VanVleet, Dragic, and Gary Trent Jr. this season, he finished 2020-21 on a tear, and the Raptors would be very foolish to let all of that momentum fizzle out due to a lack of consistent playing time.

Banton’s time will come, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of Flynn. Given his college pedigree, we know that he’s going to be a solid defender and playmaker. If his shot keeps falling and he stays aggressive on offense, he’ll take the next step that everyone in this franchise expects him to make.