In light of the Raptors waiving Ulrich Chomche (albeit due to unfortunate circumstances), it had me thinking of where Toronto's next steps will take them in terms of roster depth, construction, and allocating the minutes/roles from here on out. Now I know that Chomche was a super raw, untapped potential two-way prospect who hadn't quite established his footing within the Raptors' ranks, but he was still one of Toronto's few depth pieces at center.
After cutting Ulrich Chomche, where do the Raptors explore their center depth now?
The Raptors appeared to address that positional need this past offseason by taking a swing on Sandro Mamukelashvili, a switchable forward/center archetype who can catch an offensive flame at any given point (much like Chris Boucher before him). Given Mamu's addition, coach Darko Rajakovic would note in his media day availability that the 26-year-old is “going to be playing backup five for us.” I loved the Mamukelashvili pickup, but how about those third-string center minutes that could undoubtedly come up as a concern during the season, especially if one of Mamu or Jakob Poeltl goes down due to injury?
Based on the preseason sample size and coach Rajakovic's style, it seems likely that either recent lottery selection Collin Murray-Boyles or last year's draft anomaly Jonathan Mogbo will be assigned that role.
The Raptors looked to address the positional need this past offseason by taking a swing on Sandro Mamukelashvili, a switchable forward/center archetype who can catch an offensive flame at any given point. But again, as far as real centers were concerned last season, the Raptors only had Ulrich Chomche and Jakob Poeltl on the roster. Given Chomche's two-way role, raw nature, and missed injury time, he was essentially a non-factor. As a result, the burden was largely left on Poeltl's shoulders.
Sure, the modern NBA is defined by positionless basketball, and we've seen how small-ball lineups can thrive in the right circumstances (notably the Golden State Warriors with Draymond Green). It comes as no surprise either that Toronto is one of those teams that has the flexibility to run guys like Murray-Boyles or Mogbo as small-ball fives in certain lineups. Both players can grab boards at a center's capacity, and while they wouldn't be the best matchup against more powerful,true NBA centers, their defensive versatility both down low and on the perimeter can unlock disruptive lineup combinations depending on the opposition.
It'll be up to Rajakovic and the rest of Toronto's coaching staff to decide when utilizing this strategy is most appropriate, but it's a very plausible development to consider.