Start, bench, cut: Toronto Raptors point guard options in 2023

Bench: Dennis Schroder

With Schroder fresh off his national team dominance in the FIBA World Cup, the idea of putting a natural scoring point guard on the bench to accommodate an off-ball guard in Trent might seem a bit odd to some. However, the former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up might be in a better position in this role.

Schroder could dominate the ball, take as many shots as he’d like, and get some of Toronto’s young big men involved in what promises to be more frequent pick-and-roll deployment. Schroder has experience sticking around as a bench player and performing well.

The Toronto Raptors will use Dennis Schroder well.

Even though Schroder has bounced around the NBA recently and seen his scoring production jump all over the place, the only year he hasn’t hit double digits in points per game was his rookie year. That consistency is precisely what a barren Raptors bench needs.

In the starting lineup, Schroder would be either the fourth or fifth option, which limits his appeal. On the bench, he could get his time to shine, all while providing a more traditional point guard look with the projected starters if the situation calls for it.