Raptors’ Gary Trent Jr. has a path to first All-Star game nomination

The Toronto Raptors have had a decent start to the season, considering the number of injuries that they have had to deal with and how limited their options have been. Nick Nurse’s side is 3-2 right now, with three of those games being on the road. Gary Trent Jr. has been instrumental in that hot start.

Trent, who is entering his third season with the franchise, has become a vital part of this team on both sides of the ball. The Raptors have been surprisingly effective from 3-point range, and Trent has been one of the main reasons why that start has been sustained.

Trent has enjoyed a great 2021-22 season, and he has picked up right where he had left off. At the moment, he is averaging 20.2 points per contest while shooting 44% from the field and 41% from beyond the three-point line as well. His defense has remained sensational.

In most areas, his stats are better than or pretty close to what they were last season. Beyond the raw numbers, Trent has taken on a bigger role on this team and become one of their most important players on both ends of the court.

Toronto Raptors: Gary Trent Jr. might make an All-Star team.

Trent is the Raptors’ best weapon from beyond the arc, and one of the biggest reasons why the team has improved so much in their 3-point shooting. Last season, they were the 21st-best team in the league when it came to 3-point shooting. This season, they are second on that list after playing five games.

In terms of overall scoring, only Pascal Siakam has been ahead of Trent. While he can be a streaky player, his 27-point outburst in a win against the 76ers showed that he could be a tremendous finisher inside, in addition to the value he brings to the table as a shooter.

Trent’s transformation as a defender in the last two years has been something to behold. Once upon a time, his numbers in the defensive areas were some of the worst in the NBA. This season, his defense has been elite. He is the second-best isolation defender in the league right now based on points per possession, behind O.G. Anunoby.

Despite added competition in the form of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, Trent’s numbers could become too impressive to ignore in January.

All things considered, it is safe to say that Trent is playing the best basketball of his career. If he enters the final stretches of the voting process with 20 points per game and elite defense for a team making a run at a top seed, his numbers will be too impressive to ignore.