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Toronto Raptors: Bench depth could take the Raps deep into the playoffs

By Quinn Allen

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 19: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as David Nwaba #11 of the Chicago Bulls defends during to the second half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on October 19, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 19: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as David Nwaba #11 of the Chicago Bulls defends during to the second half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on October 19, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Raptors are unlike none other in the NBA for one reason; they have an entire starting line sitting on their bench ready to come into games at any given time.

For several years now, the Toronto Raptors have enjoyed successful regular seasons. But come playoff time, they have failed to really make their mark as one of the NBA’s elite.

If this season is a testament to what Toronto could do in the postseason, then this may be their year. The Raps sit in first place in the Eastern conference amongst some very good teams like the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who looked to have figured things out after revamping their entire team a couple weeks ago.

Toronto sits two games ahead (in the loss column) of Boston at the All-Star break, and a big reason for the success they have endured is because of the depth of their bench. Toronto ranks first in the Eastern conference in both offensive rating and defensive rating, and sit third in the entire NBA in both those categories behind Golden State and Houston.

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Depth

Dwane Casey has voiced that the Raps literally have two different teams. A starting lineup, then another starting five on their bench. While Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan continue to be the stars of Canada’s team, their reserves have been competing with the best this season.

When you watch bench guys come in for most teams in the NBA, it’s more just to sustain the game and keep things intact until the starters are ready to come back in. With Toronto, it’s completely different. Their bench grinds hard. They score, they move the ball around, they hit 3’s, they get inside. Toronto relies on their bench to put up numbers, and that’s exactly what they have been doing.

First, let’s talk about Fred VanVleet. Undrafted out of Wichita state, VanVleet has emerged as one of the Raptors most productive players off the bench. He hasn’t started one game this season. But despite that, he’s averaging 18.8 minutes per game along with 8.8 points per game. He’s scored in double figures in eight straight games for the Raps as they currently have a seven-game winning streak.

VanVleet is an extremely hard worker on the court. He ranks third in the entire league in defensive rating. He may be small, but he is very quick and is a vital part of the bench unit for this Toronto team.

Jakob Poeltl. A dynamic big who is a monster on the boards, Poeltl has been a vital key in the paint for Toronto this season when Jonas Valunciunas is out of the game. He’s only averaging 6.8 points per game, but his rebound numbers have been good, averaging just under five a game. He’s also shooting an outstanding 64.9 percent from the field. In Poeltl’s last game before the break against the Bulls, he scored 10 points in 21 minutes along with an impressive seven rebounds and four blocks.

CJ Miles, an NBA journeyman, has brought experience off the bench for Toronto. He’s averaging 10.2 ppg in 18.4 minutes per game. There are so many players that are contributing to the second unit for Toronto. Pascal Siakam, Delon Wright, and Norman Powell are other notables. Powell was a vital player off the bench for the Raptors last year. Their bench is so good this year that Powell is hardly getting any minutes now. They bring youth, quickness, and explosive energy to the floor when their starters need a break.

This team didn’t have this type of versatility and depth last season. They may have had a majority of the same players, but they weren’t producing at this rate.

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Things are coming together for Toronto, but there’s still a whole second half of the NBA season to go. They managed to get to the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago against the Cavs, but they weren’t any contest for LeBron’s team. This year could be a different story. They have so many players who can produce, and it could really be a deal breaker for them come playoff time.

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