The Toronto Raptors have now lost nine of their last 12 games following a very tough loss against the Boston Celtics, and this losing streak has turned up the scrutiny on the bench. Players like Malachi Flynn, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Yuta Watanabe are part of the worst offensive bench unit in the NBA. This has to make Nick Nurse irate.
The Raptors were getting just 24.5 points a night from their bench this season coming into their tussle with Boston, and they put up just 13 points against the Celtics. Flynn had eight of those 13, while Isaac Bonga and Dalano Banton failed to record a single point in this game.
Even when the Raptors get all of their starters back, the lack of skill on the bench is going to prevent them from coming out on top in some very winnable games. When a second-round rookie in Banton and Khem Birch have been two of your best bench players, that’s a huge flaw.
Nurse can’t just sit on the sidelines and allow this team to just keep getting beaten into submission. He needs to do something to shake up this struggling unit. Perhaps one of these 3 quick fixes may be able to give that group the kick in the rear it needs to be successful.
3 ways the Toronto Raptors can fix their bench.
3. Give Malachi Flynn more minutes
Flynn’s first half against Boston, in which he played more minutes than Banton, showed that he is still capable of producing solid offensive showing when he is given a long leash. While he has some flaws that have yet to be ironed out, the struggling Raptors might be forced to throw him back into the fire.
Flynn tallied eight points, three rebounds, and three assists on 3-8 shooting in 15 minutes. While this wasn’t the type of performance that will make Nurse sign his praises from the highest mountaintops, it was one of his stronger games of the season. Will this end his exile to the bench?
Will the Toronto Raptors unleash Malachi Flynn?
Flynn’s poor shooting percentages might not make him seem like a solid offensive option, but his film against Boston showed that the tight handle, willingness to rise up from 3-point range, and quality passing Masai Ujiri saw at San Diego State is still there. As good as Banton has been, he isn’t the most dynamic offensive player at this point.
If Nurse continues with this trend and plays Flynn over Banton, it may just wake this offense up. While his hot finish to 2020-21 may seem like a distant memory to some, it showed that Flynn is capable of being a quality scorer at the professional level. On a Raptors team leaking coolant, Flynn might be what gets things turned around.
2. Sub out Chris Boucher, trust Yuta Watanabe
Boucher has provided very little in the way of positive contributions on either end of the floor. His shooting percentages have plummeted and his defensive skill appears to have been completely sucked away. The Raptors might lose an interior presence by taking his minutes away, but Watanabe has earned an increased role.
The Raptors didn’t play Boucher a single minute against Boston despite all of the injuries, which could be Nurse sending a message about his place within the team. Swapping out a big in Boucher for a perimeter-oriented player in Watanabe might sound risky, but Yuta has earned more time once his minute restriction is lifted.
Will Raptors coach Nick Nurse lean on Yuta Watanabe?
Watanabe’s offensive game is starting to become more varied now that he has some NBA experience under his belt. Even with his improvements in that area, he’ll get on the floor because of how skilled he is as a defender. That energy and hustle are hard to replace.
Boucher used to be a terrific shot-blocker and 3-point sniper, but his value has gone down the drain this season. Watanabe stands to benefit from Boucher’s struggles now that he is at full strength. Perhaps his two-way skills will be what snaps this bench out of the trance they have been in all season long.
1. Start Khem Birch over Gary Trent Jr.
Birch is a perfectly serviceable player in the NBA, but the fact that the bench has come unglued without him is a sign that they are lacking depth and scoring quality. Changing the starting lineup might sound blasphemous, especially considering how well Trent is playing, but this could give the rotation more balance.
Trent has taken the next step as a defender and scorer this season, and he’s done so while splitting time alongside four players that are all capable of being the leading scorer on any given night. His scoring numbers may improve on the bench while Birch helps out the starting unit.
Could Gary Trent Jr. become the Toronto Raptors’ Sixth Man?
Assuming Nurse gives Trent the same minutes as he did when he was a starter, No. 33 will get the greenest light in the world off of the bench. After an entire season of searching, the bench will finally have a player that can catch fire and carry the second unit when the starters need some reprieve.
Birch could move Pascal Siakam back to the power forward spot, giving Toronto a veteran rebounder and post presence that could help fix their big issue in the paint. This is a bold move, but going 3-9 in 12 games has to prompt some change, and this could help even out the two units.