Toronto Raptors: 3 rotation changes Nick Nurse must make
By Mike Luciano
2. Removing lineups that put Chris Boucher on the perimeter.
Late in the second quarter, the Raptors unveiled a lineup combination that featured Scottie Barnes at point guard and Boucher on the floor as part of an ultra-big lineup. Needless to say, that combination flopped, with Boucher ending the first half as a -10 despite playing in just five minutes.
Boucher was supposed to play an integral role on this team due to his ability to space the floor and block shots, but he just looks completely out of whack right now. Nurse didn’t do him any favors with that weird lineup combination that asked him to create on the perimeter.
The Toronto Raptors haven’t seen a ton of production from Chris Boucher.
Boucher looks totally lost right now, and while he is working his way back from an injury, these statistics are not numbers becoming of someone who was one of the best bench players in the game last year. Playing him out of his element in the Chicago game was an experiment that did not work.
Boucher might need a game or two of rest just to recalibrate and get back to his old self. When he returns, put him down in the post, as his lack of bulk is counteracted by his shot-blocking and scoring. Experimenting can be a worthwhile goal to pursue, but learning from failed creations should force Nurse to never use that lineup again.