The Raptors are hoping to reunite with Kawhi Leonard. That decision comes with many risks. The absolute worst-case scenario is that the trade falls through because Leonard is suspended for too long or his contract is voided as a result of the investigation into the Clippers’ alleged salary-cap circumvention.
But even if the trade goes through, there are a few horror scenarios that could hit the Raptors. Leonard could never be healthy enough to take the Raptors to the next level. Or he is, but fails to carry them to postseason success.
However, there is also one worst-case scenario that has nothing to do with Leonard. What if Leonard joins the Raptors and he is healthy, but the Raptors’ young role players aren’t ready to be key contributors on an Eastern Conference contender?
The Raptors are relying on young role players to grow quickly
Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter will enter their second and third seasons. They still have a ton of development ahead of them. Murray-Boyles is a disruptive, versatile defender, but he needs to expand his offensive game. Walter needs to be able to counter defenses running him off the 3-point line, and Shead needs to become a more efficient scorer. Nevertheless, the Raptors are expecting them to grow quickly and be ready to be the main contributors off the bench for a team hoping to compete with the likes of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, and Indiana in the East.
If Leonard comes to Toronto, the starting lineup should be Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. The next three players in the rotation will be Murray-Boyles, Shead, and Walter. Both Leonard and Poeltl haven’t exactly been healthy in the last few seasons, so Murray-Boyles and Shead will be asked to step into starting roles at times as well.
If those three aren’t ready to be top-eight players on a competitive team, the Raptors will be in a tough spot. If Leonard comes to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and several draft picks, the Raptors can’t really afford to take things slow and give the young players time to develop.
They would have to explore trades to bring in outside help and potentially move on from Shead or Walter—Murray-Boyles should be considered off the table in trade talks even if he’s not quite ready for the spotlight yet because his potential is so high. Giving up on the other two would hurt as well, but the Raptors wouldn’t be left with many other options.
All three have given the Raptors reason to believe in them
The Raptors’ belief that their young bench trio is ready for the next level didn’t come out of nowhere. They all earned that trust by stepping into roles they were never meant to fill in the playoffs.
Murray-Boyles was the Raptors’ third-leading scorer in the playoffs behind Barrett and Barnes as a rookie and made an impact as a rebounder and defender. He outplayed Poeltl, who struggled for most of the series. While he didn’t start, the rookie played heavy minutes, especially in the Raptors’ clutch Game 6 win.
Walter got off to a slow start, but he shot over 40% from three on at least 7 attempts in each of the last three games. He scored a total of 57 points and racked up ten steals. The second-year player was never meant to average 32 minutes per game, but injuries to Quickley and Ingram eventually forced him into a starting role.
The same happened with Shead, who stepped into the starting point guard spot in four of the seven games and averaged 32 minutes per game. He shot just 35% from the field for the series, but made a difference as a passer and defender.
Still, there’s a small chance that those experiences don’t carry over into next season and at least one of the young trio isn’t quite ready for the next step yet.
Add us as a preferred source on Google