3 Raptors who could be removed from Nick Nurse’s playoff rotation

Birch is a very unusual case. While names like Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa offer more offensive potential, Nurse continues to give him a starting role when he is healthy and one or more of the usual starters are not in the game. Will that continue in the playoffs?

Need some offensive rebounding? Boucher has got you covered? How about some scoring? That’s been Achiuwa’s department. How about some veteran glue guy plays that help Toronto out when they get into a deep hole? Unfortunately for Birch, Thad Young is filling that role.

Khem Birch could be squeezed out of a role with the Toronto Raptors.

Birch is on a three-year, $20 million contract, but younger players have quickly taken most of the offensive responsibility away from him. Throw some knee problems that have popped up at the most inopportune times into that concoction and you have a recipe for absolute disaster.

The Raptors will find it difficult to play four big men off of the bench without a viable backup point guard in the postseason. If any one of the big men are going to lose minutes, Birch seems to be the most likely candidate. He has a few games left to change Nurse’s mind.