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The Toronto Raptors are quietly tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 11-5 and have won four games in a row. All-Star guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, who is rounding into form after a slow start to the year, have obviously been big factors for their success. However, their bench has also been a secretly strong asset this season, and it has shown in the statistics.
Toronto's bench ranks No. 2 in offensive rating, No. 3 in defensive rating and No. 1 in net rating in the NBA. Kids (and C.J. Miles) are alright.
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) November 20, 2017
Depth was a bit of a question mark for the Raptors coming into the season after they let the likes of Patrick Patterson, P.J. Tucker, Cory Joseph, and DeMarre Carroll go over the summer. Those players were integral pieces coming off the bench and the Raptors didn’t necessarily bring in established players to fill those spots.
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However, veteran C.J. Miles has been solid as their sixth man, while several of their younger players in Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl, and Delon Wright have stepped up to play significant roles on that very good bench unit. And even with Wright sidelined due to a dislocated shoulder, second-year guard Fred VanVleet has stepped right in to fill the void at backup point guard.
It’s a testament to the front office and the coaching staff how quickly the Raptors have constructed such a strong bench on the fly. And with rookie OG Anunoby playing so well as a starter, that bench could potentially be even stronger once Norman Powell returns from his hip injury.
