At the start of the second quarter in the Toronto Raptors’ win over the Washington Wizards, a strange lineup ambled onto the floor.
Watanabe handled in the pick and roll and threw a dart to a rolling Boucher after manipulating the defenders, probing, setting up the pass with craft.
Translation: if this team is going to keep winning games, it has to find ways to win when one or more starters get some rest.
Watanabe is back from a long stay on the injured list with a calf strain, and his defensive versatility, shooting, and off-the-bounce flair makes him one of Toronto’s most beneficial players.
“A lot of people are upset with my play, which I understand, but I do a lot of mental work into figuring out what it is, and like I said, eventually you find it, eventually you know what you have to do and that is what’s going on right now.
I can do a lot of different stuff.
His abilities to play off the bounce, score as a roller, and attack the offensive glass are all crucial for a team without a lot of offense on the bench.
It’s not likely that Nick Nurse continues deploying four bench players alongside one lone starter, and it’s even less likely that the one starter is Barnes.
So how to divide the four stars? VanVleet is a true point guard and playing like one of the best in the league, so he’ll fit alongside any of the three wings in Siakam, Anunoby, or Barnes.
They’d need to play alongside shooters to open up space for their drives and post-ups, so they’d fit well alongside Mykhailiuk and Watanabe, who are both shooters who can put the ball on the ground and attack rotations.
VanVleet and Anunoby would be equally complemented by the same group, but so too would Boucher fit well — his ability as a roller is excellent alongside a pick-and-roll guard like VanVleet.
But it’s shallow in that few of those talents overlap; the team doesn’t have a deep stable of shooters, self-creators, creators for teammates, or players who can pressure the rim.
The Bench Mob won’t ride again this season, but the Raptors are starting to show glimmers that they can at least make do with what they got.