Raptors: Grading offseason newcomers after first handful of games

Goran Dragic

Where do we even start with this one? On the court, Dragic looked every bit of 35 years old. His shooting percentages from the field and 3-point range went into the toilet, his defense was nonexistent, and his passing left a lot to be desired. Perhaps even more embarrassing was the 1-2 punch of what happened after a loss to the Bulls.

Not only was Dragic thrown on the end of the bench in favor of a rookie in Dalano Banton, but the Raptors got much better the exact second the Slovenian veteran was dropped from the lineup. Banton starting off his NBA career so well while Dragic languishes on the bench has made it harder for Toronto to unload the veteran.

Goran Dragic has been benched by the Toronto Raptors.

While Toronto was clearly a stopgap for a veteran in Dragic that is chasing a championship, what contender is going to part with $19 million in assets in order to acquire a player that was outperformed by a second-round rookie so convincingly that a switch needed to be made after just four games.

It’s possible that Dragic is just going through a slump or that he doesn’t vibe with what Nurse wants to do, but the results that he has provided when compared to Banton are night and day. So far, the addition of Dragic, and the subsequent decision not to unload him in the offseason, is looking like a massive L for the front office.

Grade: F