The Toronto Raptors have been all over the place to start the second half of the season. Two wins against the rival Nets are certainly nice, but they came after both the Hornets and Hawks demolished them in concerning fashion. More losses against the Pistons and Magic set this team back even further.
Toronto is still in the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they are finding it more difficult to escape the uncertainty of that two-game slugfest. On top of that, competitors beneath them are starting to nip at their heels. With OG Anunoby injured, things are looking fairly glum.
However, amid some of their more painful losses, some players have taken the opportunity to prove their worth to this coaching staff and front office. It hasn’t helped reverse some of the losing, but they should still be commended for their efforts in this area.
The Raptors have seen been through wild fluctuations in the last few weeks. Which players are trending up? Is anyone in danger of getting relegated to permanent backup duty?
Stock up, Stock down after hectic Toronto Raptors second-half start.
Stock Up: Malachi Flynn
Flynn was really starting to run out of time when it comes to making sure the Raptors see him as a valued part of the organization, as he had not taken the sophomore leap many expected. Luckily, Flynn was given a chance to earn minutes with Fred VanVleet out. He’s made the most of them.
Since the Raptors resumed play, Flynn has averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 assists per game on 51% shooting and 42% from 3-point range. With the backcourt currently leaking coolant at an alarming pace, Flynn has done everything he can to patch up the cracks.
Malachi Flynn has impressed the Toronto Raptors lately.
Last year, Flynn looked like an overdraft in the first half of the season because of how bad a shooter he was. When given some extra run in the rotation, he exploded in the second half and earned a Conference Rookie of the Month award. Could he be in for a similar second-half surge this year?
The Raptors will likely remake their bench in the offseason, potentially with an emphasis on getting more backcourt help for VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. in the draft. Flynn could face a roster squeeze, but his standout play is making it harder for Toronto to officially part ways with him.
Stock Down: Dalano Banton
As in any competition, there are losers. While Banton was originally given rotation time over Flynn before he won it back, they both were so poor that neither of them ended up getting rotation minutes. Unfortunately for the second-round rookie, the pendulum has swung back in Flynn’s direction.
Since the start of Toronto’s eight-game winning streak in late January, Banton is averaging just 2.4 points per game with just one game in double figures. While he looks dominant in the G League, his offensive skills still need some extra fine-tuning before he’s fully ready for primetime.
Dalano Banton isn’t scoring for the Toronto Raptors.
Banton is hitting the rookie wall, as his inability to create for himself on the offensive end left Flynn a perfect opportunity to seize some minutes back. Flynn will likely be in the rotation for the rest of the year unless he has a catastrophic game that requires Banton to save the day.
Banton is going to have a role on this team next year, as Nick Nurse is looking for every opportunity to make sure he can get minutes. In the immediate future, however, it seems like Nurse will roll with Flynn at the backup point guard spot.
Stock Up: Precious Achiuwa
Achiuwa might be one of the most maddening players in the league when he’s dropping the ball and taking ill-advised shots, but even the most cursory examination of any Raptors game shows that he has boundless talent in the post. After his Rising Stars stint, he seems to be closer to putting more of the pieces together.
Achiuwa is averaging 13.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in the second half of the season. Perhaps the most interesting development is how he’s been shooting the ball from 3-point range. Achiuwa has gone 8-18 from deep after the break, giving his offensive game a whole new dimension.
Precious Achiuwa is playing great basketball for the Toronto Raptors.
While Khem Birch keeps starting, Achiuwa’s play has been so effective lately that it’s a borderline travesty that he is not in a starting role. From a purely merit-based point of view, Achiuwa should be getting the notoriety and long leash that Birch receives every night.
Achiuwa’s defense has been spectacular in the last few games, and his offense is starting to come around in the way Nurse and Masai Ujiri envisioned it would. Still in his early 20s and improving with each passing month, the acquisition of Achiuwa is looking better by the game.
Stock Down: Khem Birch
Birch has kept his starting role with VanVleet and Anunoby both on the mend, but he has done very little to prevent Achiuwa from passing him on the hypothetical depth chart. One solid game against the Nets shouldn’t overshadow the role he played in Toronto’s blowouts.
Birch has made six shots since the All-Star break, and five of them came in one game against Brooklyn. Birch played just a handful of minutes against Orlando due to the fact he was a complete non-factor on offense while getting bullied on defense.
Toronto Raptors big Khem Birch can be a liability on offense.
Birch’s trademark floater is completely broken and it looks like he’s wearing iron inside of his shoes. While Achiuwa has brought springiness and efficiency to the table in the second half, Birch is making his three-year contract look worse with every goose egg he throws up.
We’re not asking Birch to play like Siakam. We’re asking him to provide something on offense, even in a very limited capacity. If he continues to see minutes, Nurse risks running this team even further into the dirt on the back of a disappointing performance out of his frontcourt.