Toronto Raptors: Making a roster case for all 3 non-guaranteed players

SF Sam Dekker

Sam Dekker seemed like a long shot to make the roster given how infrequently he was given minutes earlier in the preseason, but that second half against Washington completely flipped the script. Dekker looked less like a former first-round bust and more like the dynamic scorer we saw at Wisconsin.

Dekker scored 18 points in the finale, making seven of his 10 shots and four of his five 3-point attempts. The much-improved averages that he put up overseas in Turkey appear to have translated over to the NBA, and that could be what gives him the edge on a squad that is currently deficient in shooting.

Sam Dekker could give the Toronto Raptors more shooting.

The trouble with Dekker is the fact that he essentially had one good half of preseason play. Is that enough to warrant getting a roster spot? Likewise, he’s not the best defender in the world, and that has to be considered when rounding out the back end of this roster.

Dekker had his time to shine, and he took full advantage. One has to believe that one of the reasons that Nurse hasn’t decided on the final roster yet was Dekker’s fantastic game against the Wizards. If Toronto wants one more catch-and-shoot guy among their reserves, Dekker could win the job.