2 bench stars emerge in tough Toronto Raptors loss vs. Pacers

The Toronto Raptors were not going to send their best lineup out on the floor against the Indiana Pacers. Names like Otto Porter Jr. and Thad Young had to move into the starting lineup due to Pascal Siakam’s groin injury, Precious Achiuwa’s ankle ailment, and Fred VanVleet coming down with a sickness.

After struggling to get much of anything going early on in this game, Nick Nurse rolled the dice, taking Gary Trent Jr. out for essentially the entire second quarter and rolling with the likes of Malachi Flynn and Dalano Banton. That second-quarter change helped the Raptors put up 39 points and go up by 11 at halftime before the roof caved in.

In a very disappointing 118-104 loss, Young finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Flynn was 3-9 from the field, but he turned those numbers into eight points and two rebounds while checking in as a +10 on the night.

The Raptors may not take down some of the tougher teams in the league with such a thin bench, but they did at least look like a legitimate squad that must be taken seriously after their Oklahoma City debacle. Young and Flynn played a big part in that, and should continue doing so for the next few weeks.

Thad Young and Malachi Flynn impressed for the Toronto Raptors.

Young was bizarrely removed from the rotation, but he has suddenly worked his way back thanks to the injuries and his excellent play. While he is never going to put up the gaudiest scoring nights on a consistent basis, his finishing, rebounding, and heads-up defensive play were invaluable in this game.

Flynn never seems to receive consistent playing time, as he and Banton keep flip-flopping on the depth chart in seemingly every other game. With Nurse in search of instant offense while Trent remained mired in a deep funk, Flynn was able to produce in an impressive fashion.

In picking up his fourth-year option, Toronto showed they are willing to get Flynn right and make him a commitment. With so much scoring punch sidelined for the foreseeable future, Flynn has a golden opportunity to reestablish himself as a rotation player in front of him.

The Young-Flynn duo, in tandem with Chris Boucher playing some of the best basketball of his life and some improved offensive results from Banton, will give Nick Nurse a slight little jolt of confidence in his team and his rotation despite the loss of Siakam and Achiuwa.