The Toronto Raptors got in one last free agent signing at the eleventh hour before training camp starts. Juancho Hernangomez, who is known for his role in Adam Sandler’s “Hustle” as Bo Cruz, signed with Toronto on a one-year contract after spending 2021-22 with the Utah Jazz.
Hernangomez is likely going to compete for a spot on the final roster with some of the players currently on non-guaranteed contracts. Although he struggled to get consistent playing time last season, the right role on the right team could easily rejuvenate his stagnant career.
Hernangomez is a solid shooter who has been able to put up respective scoring and rebounding numbers despite constantly being shipped across the NBA. Being in a stable environment like Toronto might give him the tools he needs to become a standout role player.
The Hernangomez addition is going to make some aspects of this scheme and roster much stronger. However, as with any new addition, a few incumbents on the roster are going to be knocked out of whatever playing time they have been allocated. The camp battles just got even crazier.
Winners and losers after Toronto Raptors signed Juancho Hernangomez.
Loser: DJ Wilson
Wilson impressed Raptors fans as much as a player can in a four game stretch. Though the team was depleted due to injuries and COVID-19, Wilson showed that he could attack the basket and defend at an NBA level. Those skills helped him earn a multi-year contract.
In the fight for one of the final guaranteed roster spots, Wilson could have an edge due to his size. Unfortunately, adding a more experienced player with a more well-rounded offensive game in Hernangomez might make it tough for him to stand out in Nick Nurse’s eyes.
Toronto Raptors: Juancho Hernangomez will compete with DJ Wilson.
Hernangomez is not exactly David Robinson when it comes to protecting the rim, and Wilson is clearly the better of the two when compared on that end. His ability to defend multiple positions is what will likely be a determining factor if Nurse only has room for one non-guaranteed big man.
The odds of both Wilson and Hernangomez sticking around are unlikely, but the Raptors would do well to find a way for one of them to make the final cut. If it’s based on offensive potential, Hernangomez has a proven history of being a solid role player in this league.
Winner: Toronto’s perimeter offense
the Raptors were one of the worst collective shooting teams in the league last year, with stars like Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. standing out as two players who were able to thrive where most of their role players started to fail. Hernangomez could be a slight boost in this realm.
Hernangomez is a career 35% 3-point shooter. In a brief tenure with Minnesota, he was a knockdown shooter who became a regular starter. Players like Khem Birch and rookie Christian Koloko will be net negatives on the perimeter, while Hernangomez could thrive.
The Toronto Raptors could use Juancho Hernangomez’s shooting.
When shooting is one of your best traits as a player and you’ve been relegated to a handful of spurts at the end of games, it’s hard to really get in a rhythm or flex that particular muscle. As such, a Utah team that had tons of shooters saw little value in playing Hernangomez.
Bringing that skill to a team like Toronto, which can stand to be a bit better in this area, might make him more valuable than players like Wilson or even Dalano Banton. Even in a limited role, Hernangomez could give the second unit a punch of spacing and shooting that it lacked last year.
Loser: David Johnson
Johnson’s fate seemed ultimately confirmed when Jeff Dowtin earned the second of Toronto’s pair of two-way contracts. Following an injury-marred season, it looks like the Raptors aren’t going to give Johnson a second chance at making his mark in Toronto.
The Raptors officially have the maximum of 20 players in camp ready to duke it out. Johnson, much like Yuta Watanabe, was a victim of some changing winds around Toronto. After failing to take a substantial leap forward in Summer League play, Dowtin’s play made the decision even easier.
Juancho Hernangomez will push out David Johnson.
Johnson could eventually bring value to some team, but he is just not the right fit for the Raptors right now. With his shooting still a touch inefficiently and lacking lockdown defensive skills, Johnson needs time in the G League to hone his abilities.
The Raptors saw Johnson and Dowtin play side by side in Las Vegas, and Dowtin emerged the clear winner. Even if Hernangomez doesn’t make the roster, it all about ends the possibility of Johnson sneaking his way onto the team. Hopefully, he can catch on with another team in need of guards.