Everything Bench Beauties

[SkywalkerAC]

"Bench Mob" is a bit macho-aggressive for 2022 and beyond, plus the alliterative Bench Beauties can and should be be used by Matt and Jack for individual plays "and another Bench Beauty from Boucher!!!" but I digress - what I really want to talk about is just how good this incarnation of the Raptor bench might be. We've had some really good benches in our history but I've got a sneaking suspicion this might be our best yet. One strike against it is that its also paired with one of the best starting 5s we've had but let's not get into handicapping just yet.

There are guys on the projected third unit this year - Champagnie, Banton, Malachi, Koloko, Birch - that I would have been creaming my pants to have coming off the bench in many years gone by (and some yikes years they would have been starting). But it's second unit that is just so built for success built around the veteran combo of Young and Porter (and Trent?).

Bottomline, I'm excited.

(also open to other name suggestions we can try to get on the air)

[G__Deane]

What's wrong with macho-aggressive? It's an NBA team not the cheer squad
How about Bench Battalion.

Or bench jam it down your pie holers?

[planetmars]

Without reading the OP and just the title, my first thought was Landry Field's wife.

[planetmars]

I think I give our bench a C+ right now. I'm cautiously optimistic.

I don't trust Flynn or Banton. Flynn has a lot to prove after a really disappointing sophomore year (remember he got benched in the G-league!). Banton is a walking turnover, a sieve on defense, and can't shoot. But he's really quick and agile. Those two are going to continue to give me grey hairs. I wish we got a vet guard. Someone like Derrick Rose would have been awesome. What's Goran up to? (just kidding).

Thad is a smart and crafty player and he'll have a full training camp. I just don't see too many minutes. The dude is getting up there in age. Porter was a great get, but he's likely only going to be good for around 50 games. He's not very reliable from a health perspective. I'm hoping Khem got healthy because he was hot garbage for a lot of last season. He's our best screener as he has the upper body strength to create a good wall for Fred and Gary. But we have a lot of guys ahead of him in the pecking order. Is he even going to play? And I do like the idea of Koloko. He's an awesome rim protector. But he's got a lot of work to do to be NBA ready. Right now I see a lot of Bebe in his offense.

I don't really think too much about the end of the bench guys: Dowtin, Harper, Harris, Hernangomez, etc. No idea who gets on the team and if they do, they likely only see minutes in garbage time. Maybe Harris gets some extended minutes. But he's a big question mark.

I am also hoping Boucher gives us 2nd half Boucher and not 1st half Boucher.. because that guy was unplayable. Boucher was public about how he was playing poorly and how he had to stick to doing what he was best at. And now that he's locked up and isn't thinking about his next contract, that is probably going to do wonders for his game. Analytically he's been awesome even though stylistically he looks lost and out of control. The chaos he brings is actually invaluable.

[DanH]

Hard to judge the bench until we know what it is.

If it's Precious, Boucher, Thad, Otto and Flynn/Banton, that's a pretty unbalanced group, though solidly better than the start of last year just in terms of number of quality players.

If it's Gary, Boucher, Thad, Otto and Flynn/Banton, that's a very nice bench group with a very nice mix of skillsets.

[bertarapsfan]

Yea lots of the bench guys are glue guys/hustle. We need some real bench scoring to balance. If Flynn can be legit 3 pt threat and pick n roll guy that's a good unit. If not I think I want Gary playing with that group.
The thad boucher pairing was nice in the playoffs. Otto will knock down his shots and be a veteran. But still need a gun slinger to complement them.

[TrueTorontoFan]

any one want to suggest some situational line up combinations that include 1 starter?

[The Great One]

any one want to suggest some situational line up combinations that include 1 starter?

Boucher
Scottie or Pascal
Otto
Trent
Flynn

[TrueTorontoFan]

Boucher
Scottie or Pascal
Otto
Trent
Flynn

i'd stick with as many long boys as possible and swap flynn with thad

but that is an interesting line up

[G__Deane]

Hard to judge the bench until we know what it is.

If it's Precious, Boucher, Thad, Otto and Flynn/Banton, that's a pretty unbalanced group, though solidly better than the start of last year just in terms of number of quality players.

If it's Gary, Boucher, Thad, Otto and Flynn/Banton, that's a very nice bench group with a very nice mix of skillsets.

Man, you really hate Gary and want him on the bench

[DanH]

Man, you really hate Gary and want him on the bench

I really like Gary and want him on the bench.

[DanH]

any one want to suggest some situational line up combinations that include 1 starter?

You take your 4 bench players and you get 3 bench groups. Though quite often I'd expect OG to make guest appearances in each lineup.

Fred or Pascal or Scottie
Gary
Otto
Thad
Boucher

Honestly it would be interesting to see a version with Koloko getting some spot minutes when Fred is the guy out there to provide more size/rim protection and a lob threat. Probably in place of Thad. Similarly when OG is getting minutes it's probably also in place of Thad, who should be the lowest minute bench guy I think.

[SkywalkerAC]

One quickly sees how much sense it makes to have Trent off the bench. We need his shot creation and it will allow him to be the shortest guy on the court, vs having a small starting backcourt. That way we've got a traditional 6th man candidate in Gary and an advanced-stat 6th man candidate in Boucher, bookended by the two veteran wing-forwards for our 9-man rotation.

Then Nurse can "experiment" with the 10th and 11th spots depending on how matchups and the kind of margin this core rotation can build up - Koloko, Banton, Hernangomez, Champagnie, Flynn, etc.

[LJ2]

One quickly sees how much sense it makes to have Trent off the bench. We need his shot creation and it will allow him to be the shortest guy on the court, vs having a small starting backcourt. That way we've got a traditional 6th man candidate in Gary and an advanced-stat 6th man candidate in Boucher, bookended by the two veteran wing-forwards for our 9-man rotation.

Then Nurse can "experiment" with the 10th and 11th spots depending on how matchups and the kind of margin this core rotation can build up - Koloko, Banton, Hernangomez, Champagnie, Flynn, etc.

Personally, I like having the additional perimeter shooting/shot creation Trent would provide, in the starting line-up. A starting unit of FVV, OG, Scottie, Pascal and Precious doesn't feel quite as well rounded. 3 of the 5 players aren't great 3pt shooters and OG hasn't shown that he is a good shot creator yet.

Thad and one of FVV, Scottie or Pascal I think would be the main ball handlers in the bench units, so Trent would be mostly used as a shooter anyway right?

[planetmars]

I'm okay with OG coming off the bench too. Although I'd prefer Gary. Usually those microwave scorers that can get hot at any time are best to come off the bench. But OG leading a bench unit isn't a bad idea.. especially if wants an uptick in usage.

Scottie wasn't a great defender last year though and that hopefully changes this season. Either way defensively I like the idea of having OG and Pascal cover the tougher assignments - even though we switch a lot. So that's why I'd prefer to have OG start.. but I'm not married to it.