Scottie Barnes is the Toronto Raptors’ best player and one of the leaders of this young core. Since the All-Star break, however, he has been in a noticeable slump, averaging just 15.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
I previously examined how this slump is puts pressure on Toronto’s other primary scorers, but Toronto’s thin bench could also be exposed during this stretch.
Who is the next man up?
Toronto does have solid contributors beyond its four primary offensive options: Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett.
Jakob Poeltl remains a reliable starting center when healthy. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has made a larger impact than expected, Jamal Shead has proven to be a capable backup point guard, and Sandro Mamukelashvili has exceeded expectations in a limited role.
This is a group of useful rotation players. However, none of them are built to absorb a large scoring burden.
Mamukelashvili leads that group in scoring at just 10.8 points per game, which is already a career high.
When Barnes is struggling, there is no obvious role player capable of stepping up and taking on additional offensive responsibility.
Will the veterans step up?
Poeltl and Mamukelashvili are two of the more seasoned role players on Toronto’s roster. Each of them has an opportunity to help stabilize the offense while Barnes is struggling.
Poeltl is never going to be a high-usage scoring option. However, just last season he averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.
Toronto does not need one player to replace all of the production lost during Barnes’ slump. Instead, the Raptors need smaller contributions across the roster.
If Poeltl can add even two or three more points per game, something he has clearly been capable of in the past, it would go a long way toward boosting Toronto’s offense.
Mamukelashvili is a different story. He is going through his own post-All-Star break slump. After averaging 11.4 points before the break, he has produced just 7.9 points per game since. Simply returning to his pre-All-Star numbers would provide a meaningful boost for Toronto.
What about the young guys?
Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles could also provide a boost for Toronto. Both players have intriguing potential. That potential can be exciting to watch unfold, but it can also be frustrating as they are still learning what they can and cannot do at the NBA level.
Shead appears to be hitting a sophomore wall. NBA defenses are daring him to beat them as a scorer rather than a playmaker, and he has struggled to adjust.
Murray-Boyles is dealing with a different problem: he has not been on the court. The rookie forward has been battling a nagging thumb injury that has caused him to miss the last eight games and limited his effectiveness before that stretch.
Conclusion
None of these players are expected to carry a significant offensive load. That responsibility will always belong to Barnes, Quickley, Barrett, and Ingram. However, when one of those primary options struggles, recently that has been Barnes, Toronto needs its role players to produce more consistently.
Poeltl must build on his momentum, Murray-Boyles needs to get healthy, while Mamukelashvili and Shead need to rediscover the form they showed earlier in the season. If that happens, this team will be better positioned to withstand an extended slump from its best player.
If not, the Raptors could be in for a painful end to the season.