A Surprising Raptors lineup could play important minutes this season

The Toronto Raptors have officially finished up their slate of preseason games before the 2024-25 NBA season. With the games starting to count in less than a week, the Raptors could get creative to find success with this group of players.

Last season, the Raptors had a disappointing effort from their bench. On one hand, the Raptors' bench was around the middle of the pack when it comes to bench scoring. They posted 32.9 points per game, ranking 18th in the NBA.

However, their bench ranked 28th in the league when it comes to net rating, posting a woeful mark of -4.4. Only the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons posted a worse net rating in that category.

A big part of the equation can be how the coaching staff blends the minutes of the bench players with the starters. Matching minutes with certain starters can certainly offer a lift to an underwhelming bench.

After getting a glimpse of the new arrivals in Toronto, there should be some intrigue with a few possible combinations that the Raptors could use in 2024-25.

A New Lineup That Could Bring The Raptors Success This Season

Some form of small ball has been a popular weapon to deploy for many teams in the NBA. Considering the Raptors' lack of depth at the big man position, it should not be surprising to see them turn to these methods as well this season.

Considering the versatility of star forward Scottie Barnes, he should get his fair share of time as the small ball center for the Raptors this season. From there, the task becomes filling out the lineup around him.

RJ Barrett has missed most of the preseason for the Raptors after being sidelined with a shoulder injury. There should be no doubt that he will be a big part of the Raptors once he is ready and available.

The lineup gets interesting when considering the deployment of Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead together in the backcourt. Both guards have displayed some incredible tenacity on the defensive end for the Raptors. Mitchell's spot in the Raptors' rotation is all but guaranteed, while one could argue Shead has played well enough to have earned minutes in the regular season.

The last piece of the puzzle would be another new face for the Raptors: Jonathan Mogbo. The rookie still has an uphill battle to establish himself as a rotational piece for the team this season. However, his versatility and relationship with Barnes could offer some intrigue to compliment this lineup.

The final product is a lineup of Mitchell-Shead-Barrett-Mogbo-Barnes. The upside of this unit would be the defensive impact they can have and the potential to turn that into transition offense, going in the other direction.

The versatility that Barnes offers as a star leaves a lot of room for experimentation. With relatively modest expectations for the 2024-25 season, the Raptors have plenty of room for creativity with how they use their players.