When a player has fallen out of favour with Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, he makes no concerted effort to hide it.
Such is the case with Malachi Flynn, who was taken 29th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and who showed some bright spots amid a dismal year in Tampa that saw the then-rookie burdened with inconsistent minutes and a role change from college.
It is understandable, then, that one of the early-season storylines has quickly become Nurse’s reluctance to play Flynn, despite the Raptors starting 1-3 and the sophomore’s skill set (which includes a proclivity to competently run the pick-and-roll) theoretically a boon to a team lacking consistent creation.
On Tuesday, when asked about why Flynn hasn’t seen any meaningful playtime, Nurse told reporters: “There's a Fred [VanVleet] and there's a Goran [Dragic] and we've given Dalano [Banton] a run.”
He added that Flynn is “a good player” and that “he's not out of the discussion” for rotation minutes in the future, though he was sure to note that when given that chance, it would behoove Flynn to make the most of his opportunity.
Despite this answer, many remain confused as to precisely why Flynn has fallen out of the rotation, so what follows here are a few reasons that has become the case.
Why Malachi Flynn isn't playing
1. Goran Dragic minutes
Herein lies the rub: Goran Dragic has not played well to start his Raptors tenure.
He has already shifted from starting alongside VanVleet in the backcourt to acting as the de facto point guard for the bench unit, but has struggled in both roles to cement himself as what he has long shown to be: a crafty playmaker with decent defensive ability who adds reliable scoring punch in the half court as both a shooter and rim attacker.
The reasoning for Nurse giving Dragic the benefit of the doubt is twofold: First, the 35-year-old is, simply put, a veteran. That status gives him a longer leash than most, and there is more than enough historic evidence to support the notion that his game will come around. When it does, it will provide a tangible impact on winning.
Second, the Raptors have made no secrets about looking to deal Dragic before or at the upcoming trade deadline. Benching him would only hurt his trade value, as other teams may look at that as increasing the likelihood they can snag him as a buyout candidate. Benching him now in particular, when he’s already not playing well, would eliminate the potential for him to revive his value to where the Raptors want it to be.
So, no matter how poorly Dragic plays, at least for now, Nurse won’t be ceding those minutes to Flynn.
2. Emergence of Dalano Banton
In his few stints thus far this season, Dalano Banton has done what Flynn has struggled to do: impress in limited minutes.
“Dalano's the one you should probably be asking me about,” Nurse said on Tuesday. “He's played outstanding every minute he's been out there … You guys should be all over me for not playing him more.”
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Everyone will be able to recall Banton’s appearance in the team’s season opener, in which he appeared as a defensive sub for Svi Mykhailiuk, who was in foul trouble. The Raptors were in the midst of getting walloped by the Washington Wizards, but once Banton entered the game (hitting a half-court buzzer-beater for his first NBA points), the momentum completely shifted and sparked the team to a spirited, yet futile, comeback attempt.
Banton hasn’t played quite so many minutes since then, but Nurse has trusted him to come in for short bursts when necessary, and the rookie continues to deliver. While his offensive game is evidently a work in progress, his size and length and energy on the defensive end are perhaps ahead of what was projected, and that (combined with his hometown status) has also contributed to his becoming a fan favourite, leading to crowd-induced shifts in momentum.
If Banton continues to play this way as the ninth or 10th guy in the rotation, life just isn’t going to get any easier for Flynn.
3. Preseason impressions
Evidently, Flynn didn’t impress in preseason. While there were flashes of growth here and there, he clearly didn’t show enough for Nurse to have interest in playing him real rotation minutes.
As a small guard who lacks the ability to apply pressure to the rim, Flynn has to rely far more on his jump shooting to be effective—specifically his pull-up jumpers, since the role he ideally fits best in is as an initiator running pick-and-roll. In preseason, though, those shots were spotty for him, and at times seemed to be a microcosm of his entire game just being a little behind expectations.
Of course, the fact that Flynn’s rookie season was during one of the most bizarre in league history, particularly for the team he was playing on, had to play a factor. Furthermore, the fact that he was forced to try to capitalize on inconsistent minutes and a murky role could understandably have led to some confidence issues, too. There were many times during the preseason where Flynn simply looked uncomfortable, particularly as he saw the floor less and less.
At this point, one can only hope that when Flynn does get his chance to take to the hardwood again, something Nurse did note will “happen one of these days,” he will be able to seize the moment and begin the process of carving himself out a space of his own.
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