Heading into a crucial season and the final year of his contract, Gary Trent Jr. isn’t exactly enthusiastic about a full-time gig coming off the Raptors bench. But as Josh Lewenberg writes, you can feel confident the 24-year-old guard will accept his role and embrace it.
are halfway through their four-game preseason schedule and, officially, their first-year head coach is keeping his options open when it comes to the rotation. Unofficially, there are a few things we can surmise, including the winner of the fifth spot in the team’s starting lineup, which most assumed would come down to Trent or off-season addition and veteran point guard
At some point before the Oct. 25 season opener against Minnesota, Rajakovic plans on sitting down with each of his players to discuss their role and what he expects from them over the coming months. Heading into a crucial season – his sixth in the league and the final year of his contract – Trent isn’t exactly enthusiastic about a full-time gig coming off the bench.
He probably doesn’t need a sales pitch, but that’s something Rajakovic can point to when they finally have their chat. As a source of instant offence coming off the bench, Trent’s had and can continue to have success in this role. The new offensive system that Rajakovic is working to install with the Raptors is predicated on ball movement and quick decision making, which aren’t things you would automatically associate with Trent’s game. In the past, he mostly had the green light to create off the dribble – understandably so, he was one of the only players on the roster capable of generating his own shot.
Those are all things the Raptors are going to need from him if he’s going to lead what they’re hoping will be a much improved second unit. Last season, Toronto ranked last in bench points and minutes. Famously, Nurse used a tight rotation and relied heavily on his starters, often at the expense of development at the backend of the roster. It’s one of the primary reasons why the front office decided to make a change over the summer.
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