Could Chris Boucher see minutes cut in awful stretch for Raptors?

The Toronto Raptors went from one of the worst benches in the league to a team that was continuously getting enough production from their second unit to pull off some upsets. While Chris Boucher was a huge reason why the bench turned around, he’s been struggling mightily in the last few days.

Ever since a fire in Scotiabank Arena during Toronto’s win against the Pacers, Boucher has been putting up some grotesque offensive numbers right before the shortened playoff rotations will come into effect. Boucher is a paltry 9-33 from the field over the last four games, averaging just 6.3 points per game on 27% shooting.

Getting blocked at the rim seems to be Boucher’s favorite thing to do lately. He can’t get enough of it! His offensive rebounding numbers look solid on paper, but they are a bit inflated. Catching your blocked shot and missing a tip-in count as offensive rebounds.

The odds of Toronto eventually getting burned by leaning on Boucher will increase if he continues to play like this. Ahead of the time when rotation minutes are scheduled to be chopped down, Boucher is not exactly making the case for an extended chunk of time on the floor.

The Toronto Raptors are leaning on a struggling Chris Boucher.

Precious Achiuwa has become Toronto’s Sixth Man of late, as his fantastic defense and quality 3-point shooting have helped him leap over Boucher in the rotation. Veteran leader Thad Young brings versatility on both ends of the floor and a sage-like demeanor to the game that has quickly made him a mainstay.

Cleaning the Glass (subscription required) shows that Boucher has one of the worst efficient field goal percentages in the league at the power forward spot. His offensive rebounding remains stellar, but the value he brings in that area is nullified by his inefficient finishing and shooting.

When he’s at his best, Boucher can be a game-changing weapon that befuddled defenses with his mobility and length. When he’s struggling, however, he becomes a net negative that gets backed down in the paint and can’t seem to connect on anything from 3-point range.

The Raptors will lean on their five starters, the sensational play of Achiuwa, and Young’s experience in the postseason. After that, how Nurse divides up minutes could be anyone’s game. Nurse has been willing to take Boucher out of the lineup, and he might need to do it again if this continues.