How should Raptors handle Malachi Flynn/Dalano Banton puzzle?

We’re big fans of Toronto Raptors rookie Dalano Banton. The Nebraska alum and Rexdale native brings with him some solid athletic ability and defensive versatility, and those skills helped him leapfrog Malachi Flynn in the rotation. However, his regression over the last few weeks has been very tough to see.

Banton went from making over 50% of his shots to converting on a paltry 28% of his looks since November 26.

Banton is averaging just 2.4 points per game in those contests, with a win against the Wizards and the Cavaliers loss where Toronto only had eight active players serving as the only time in that span where he has scored more than four points in a game.

The Raptors’ bench is the lowest-scoring unit in the league, and that almost helped undo some tough wins. Flynn has not been much better, but Banton’s struggles may prompt some speculation about a potential change in the rotation.

With Flynn in need of some reps to prove that he is worthy of returning next season and Banton struggling to get anything going, could Nick Nurse actually try out the San Diego State product over Dalano?

How should the Toronto Raptors handle Dalano Banton, Malachi Flynn?

While Flynn hasn’t necessarily done much to warrant more playing time, Nurse removing Goran Dragic from the rotation and making Justin Champagnie the backup center for a bit shows he’s willing to do unconventional things in the rotation.

The only thing stopping that is the fact that Flynn’s recent play has been awful at times. He mustered just six points on 2-12 shooting in a loss against the 76ers when given the chance to start.

The biggest issue with Banton’s game right now is the lack of a reliable jump shot, which is forcing defenses to pack the paint and limit his ability to get to the rim. He may need to work on that shot with Raptors 905.

Whenever Banton goes to the G League, he absolutely dominates. In a win against the Capital City Go-Go (Washington’s affiliate), Banton recorded 30 points on 11-18 shooting.

The same tools that helped him become an efficient scorer at the start of the season are still there, but he’s not showing them off as frequently as he did earlier in the year.

https://twitter.com/NBACanada/status/1467945989109653504

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a second-round rookie having issues on the offensive end. However, if the Raptors are going to assert themselves as a playoff contender, it would be unwise to rely on someone who is in such a deep offensive funk to be one of their first guys off of the bench.

Flynn is running out of time in Toronto, but Nurse leaving on him over Banton in the short-term might not be the craziest thing he’s ever done.