Sandro Mamukelashvili quickly emerged as one of the Raptors’ most trusted reserves this season. He averaged the second-most minutes off the bench behind Jamal Shead, led all reserves in scoring, and was one of the team’s most reliable 3-point shooters.
And yet, his season ended on a somewhat disappointing note. He struggled in the playoffs, averaging just 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist, while shooting 28.6% from behind the arc. Those struggles brought up some questions about his postseason potential that the Raptors will undoubtedly consider when he declines his player option and becomes a free agent this summer. After all, do they really want to use their only real chance to sign a free agent on someone who may not even help them win in the playoffs next season?
In Mamukelashvili’s defense, it was his first playoff run. Before joining the Raptors, he had never even played more than 61 games in a season and had also never played as big a role for a full regular season as he did for the Raptors. So, suddenly finding himself playing a key role for a playoff team was a huge adjustment. The 27-year-old is also determined to learn from his struggles and become the playoff contributor the Raptors will want him to be if they re-sign him.
“I wish we won Game 7, and I wish I could have done a lot more in the playoffs,” Mamukelashvili said in a video posted to his YouTube channel. “But, you know, as I said, it’s just the beginning. I really played 80 games. I really understood what I needed to get to the next level. So, in my opinion, I’m really, really confident in this summer that I will attack all those weak points I had in the game and make something special next year.”
Given their other expensive long-term contracts, the Raptors cannot afford to overpay Mamukelashvili if other teams turn his free agency into a bidding war. At the same time, however, the Raptors could quickly regret not giving him another shot, especially if he comes into next season ready to contribute in the playoffs.
Mamukelashvili had real regular-season value for the Raptors
To get to the playoffs, you first need to win in the regular season. And Mamukelashvili proved that he could help the Raptors do that.
Floor-spacing bigs don’t grow on trees, and Mamukelashvili was the only one on the Raptors’ roster last season. He shot 38.9% on 3.7 attempts per game. Jakob Poeltl, meanwhile, is a non-shooter, Collin Murray-Boyles attempted less than one three per game, and Scottie Barnes shot 30.4%. Mamukelashvili created space in the frontcourt that no other player at his position could for the Raptors. He has his defensive limitations, but he made up for them by being part of some of the highest-scoring lineups in the regular season.
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