1. Will Dalano Banton be ahead of Malachi Flynn?
This question was asked with dizzying regularity last year, but the Raptors still appear to be no closer to an answer. Just when it looked like Banton was turning a corner with his 27-point showing against the Pistons, he was incredibly inefficient from the field against Miami and suffered an ankle injury.
Flynn may have fouled out late in the loss against the Hawks, but he had his best game of the season in that time. His 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists show that he can cook when he’s given the responsibility of initiating offense. The San Diego State product is making 50% of his 3-pointers.
Will the Toronto Raptors play Malachi Flynn or Dalano Banton?
27-point game notwithstanding, Flynn is the much better offensive option at this point in time. Nurse has been quite fond of swapping the defensive-minded Banton and the crafty Flynn in and out of the rotation when the situation dictates it.
Eventually, Nurse is likely going to capitulate and give one of them a bigger role. If I were in charge of the Raptors, the pro-am star would be given more runway than Banton, as his style of play and past history when given extended minutes show that he can be an effective perimeter player.