At the start of the second quarter in the Toronto Raptors\u2019 win over the Washington Wizards, a strange lineup ambled onto the floor.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s most beneficial players.<\/p>\n
\u201cA 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\u2019s going on right now.<\/p>\n
I can do a lot of different stuff.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not likely that Nick Nurse continues deploying four bench players alongside one lone starter, and it\u2019s even less likely that the one starter is Barnes.<\/p>\n
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\u2019ll fit alongside any of the three wings in Siakam, Anunoby, or Barnes.<\/p>\n
They\u2019d need to play alongside shooters to open up space for their drives and post-ups, so they\u2019d fit well alongside Mykhailiuk and Watanabe, who are both shooters who can put the ball on the ground and attack rotations.<\/p>\n
VanVleet and Anunoby would be equally complemented by the same group, but so too would Boucher fit well \u2014 his ability as a roller is excellent alongside a pick-and-roll guard like VanVleet.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s shallow in that few of those talents overlap; the team doesn\u2019t have a deep stable of shooters, self-creators, creators for teammates, or players who can pressure the rim.<\/p>\n
The Bench Mob won\u2019t ride again this season, but the Raptors are starting to show glimmers that they can at least make do with what they got.<\/p>\n