The Toronto Raptors are trying everything in their power to make it to the postseason despite their injury troubles, lackluster bench, and issues with consistency making it very tough for Nick Nurse and the rest of the squad to sustain any sort of positive winning streak.
The Raptors’ depth has been the biggest bugaboo for this team, as a starting lineup that has been excellent following the addition of Jakob Poeltl has been consistently let down by a bench that will often fail to even crack 20 points in a game despite Gary Trent Jr. supplying double-digit scoring efforts every single night.
Nurse has earned a reputation as a tinkerer that will switch up all sorts of lineups if he thinks that the Raptors can gain an advantage. However, if Toronto makes it to the playoffs, it may be time for Nurse to throw his best players out on the floor and hope for the best against another hungry .500 team.
These three Raptors getting any sort of significant rotation time in the postseason would be an egregious misstep, as none of them have shown enough promise on both ends to warrant such a substantial investment in them when the stuff hits the fan and the heat gets ticked up a notch.
3 Toronto Raptors that can’t be in the postseason rotation.
3. Christian Koloko
Koloko has received a few extra spurts of minutes at the NBA level in the last few games, as Precious Achiuwa continuing to fall flat prompted a light roster shakeup from Nurse. While Koloko is once again getting some slight run in the pros, he hasn’t done enough in the NBA to keep Achiuwa and others at bay.
Koloko’s shot-blocking and offensive rebounding have shown to be NBA quality at this stage, and he offers a quality defensive presence that could help Toronto in the minutes Jakob Poeltl spends on the bench. However, he just isn’t there as a scorer just yet.
The Toronto Raptors must work on Christian Koloko.
Koloko’s offensive game is limited to putbacks and a handful of post moves when given ample time to set up. Working on him will require patience and nuance, which is something that is in very short supply in the postseason. Expect more of the Achiuwa and Chris Boucher show when the calendar flips over.
The Raptors sending Koloko to the G League earlier in the season shows they are willing to be as patient as they need to be in order to make Koloko into a player that can eventually hold down a valued postseason spot in the next half-decade.
2. Malachi Flynn
The Raptors have given Flynn tons of chances to finally earn a long-term spot in the rotation, but he has consistently underwhelmed when given a shot to solidify his presence. Even against the Pistons, it became clear that Jeff Dowtin Jr. would be a much better option (if signed to a proper NBA deal).
Look no further than their recent win against the lowly Detroit Pistons, where Flynn and Dowtin shared the floor. Dowtin recorded nine points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Meanwhile, Flynn went 1-8 and turned the ball over twice. That game is a microcosm of his Raptors tenure.
The Toronto Raptors can’t use Malachi Flynn in the playoffs.
With Dowtin currently on a two-way contract, and therefore ineligible for postseason play, it stands to reason that the Raptors could theoretically go into the playoffs without a backup point guard. As bad as that sounds, it may be the only idea that makes sense.
Flynn needs a fresh start, and the Raptors are not in a position to give him that right now, thanks to their dogged pursuit of postseason glory. Flynn is better off honing his craft in practice rather than getting on the floor and (likely) not performing exceptionally.
1. Will Barton
The Raptors may not have expected Barton to come right in and fix all of their shooting issues, but the fact that Barton has already shown that his efficiency is nothing like what it was during his peak with the Nuggets. How much longer will Barton get before Nurse decides to finally pull the plug?
Barton scored just nine points in a five-game stretch, making just four of his 23 shots and one of his 12 3-pointers. Even though he started off hot against Detroit on Friday night, many of the defensive lapses and wild shots that have started to become his trademarks in Toronto popped up once again. It’s clear why he was available.
Will Barton must step up for the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors may not have a choice but to play Barton in the postseason due to a lack of available options off the bench, but playing someone that has clearly shown he is incapable of handling even a medium-volume role to this point is a good way to get sent home early. Barton is running out of time to prove himself.
Not even a year ago, Barton was playing vital minutes and hitting big shots on a Nuggets team that gave the Warriors a solid punch in the postseason. That player is still very much in there, but both player and team need to do more in order to draw that out of him. If they don’t, he can expect to ride the pine.