Raptors: Putting Malachi Flynn in G League might help him develop

While the Toronto Raptors have been treated to a promising start to the season buoyed by standout young players like Scottie Barnes and Canadian rookie Dalano Banton, one of the youngsters that hasn’t been able to make as much of an impact as many believed he would is point guard Malachi Flynn.

Flynn, who was picked 29th overall in 2020 out of San Diego State, averaged 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in April and May last year, earning Conference Rookie of the Month honors in the process.

With some added confidence as a shot-creator, Flynn profiled as a potential breakout candidate who could back up Fred VanVleet at the point guard spot.

Unfortunately, Flynn has been relegated to just a handful of short cameos, as he only has two appearances this term in which he has played more than three minutes. While the emergence of Banton has been fun to watch, it has come at the expense of one of the few darlings from last year in Flynn.

With the Raptors 905 season starting this week and Flynn not moving the needle on the floor for the NBA club this season, Toronto may need to consider sending him down to the G League. Doing so might help him fix the issues that have plagued him throughout his career and get more of an opportunity to showcase his growth.

Should the Toronto Raptors send Malachi Flynn to the G League?

Toronto sent Flynn to Raptors 905 in their Disney Bubble stint last year after a slow start to the season, and he was able to quickly regain his confidence against inferior competition. Getting a couple of 20-point nights on the board in Mississauga might be exactly what snaps him out of this funk.

Banton didn’t just usurp his rotation spot thanks to pure entropy or randomness. We all know about his defensive skills, but the big question surrounding Rexdale’s finest was his jumper. The early returns show that it’s more refined than it was at Nebraska.

Could it be that it was Flynn himself who opened the door for Banton? After all, Nurse probably didn’t go into training camp expecting Banton to overtake Flynn.

No. 22 was a poor finisher at the rim last year, and it could be entirely possible that he didn’t correct some of those errors to the point where he allowed others on the roster to jump over him.

The Malachi Flynn show has hit a bit of a speedbump, but the Raptors likely aren’t at the point where they will be looking to discard them. Those last few months in 2020-21 can’t be erased, and it would be a real shame to give up on him so early into his career in the NBA.

However, it’s clear that Flynn just had not made the necessary strides that Nurse was asking for. Getting 30 minutes a night in Mississauga and working on his efficiency would probably help him get back into the rotation quicker than sitting on the bench in Toronto with his warmup kit on.