The Toronto Raptors signing Kyle Anderson is building a ripple effect for the rest of the team's bench unit.
Anderson's ability to create plays for himself and others should take some responsibility away from Jamal Shead in the second unit and keep the Raptors' offence more organized off the bench.
Here's a look at which players could see their minutes affected by Anderson joining the roster.
| Position |
Starter |
Backup |
Bench |
Bench |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG |
Jamal Shead |
Chucky Hepburn (two-way) |
Jaden Bradley (two-way) |
|
| SG |
Ja'Kobe Walter |
|||
| SF |
||||
| PF |
Allen Graves |
|||
| C |
Toronto Raptors forward Jamison Battle motions to a teammate during a game against the Golden State Warriors. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last year, Jamison Battle saw his minutes take a massive hit, going from 17.7 minutes per game to just around 8.5. Brandon Ingram's arrival to the Raptors certainly had an impact on Battle's playing time. Adding another small forward to the mix will only hurt his chances even further.
While Battle played in six of the seven games during the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers , he received the opportunity to contribute when Ingram was sidelined with an injury. We've seen Battle improve over the course of his career, especially as a 3-point shooter. Battle has made over 40 per cent of his shots from downtown during his two NBA seasons so far.
In a way, Anderson is replacing Garrett Temple on the roster. Temple was 39 years old and years removed from any meaningful minutes in a rotation, but that isn't the case with Anderson, who averaged nearly 20 minutes per game last season with the Utah Jazz , Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves .
Battle will still get chances to contribute, but it might come less often with Anderson in the mix. Like Battle, Anderson can play in both forward spots, which blocks two chances for the third-year pro to see the floor.
Santa Clara Broncos forward Allen Graves reacts after making a basket against the Kentucky Wildcats. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Raptors should hope and expect to play Graves more often this season than Anderson. However, he is a rookie and the Raptors don't know how he will respond in his first year in the NBA. While the Raptors are hopeful that Graves can be in the rotation as a rookie, they cannot guarantee him a meaningful role and minutes right out of the gate.
Graves will have to earn his keep when he officially gets to the NBA, but if he isn't up to snuff, Anderson can fill in his role off the bench. Graves is expected to play more as a power forward or even a small-ball centre for the Raptors, which is slightly different from Anderson, who aligns more with being a wing. There is also a chance for Graves and Anderson to share the floor together.
However, Anderson can operate at the top of the key off the elbow, which is similar to where Sandro Mamukelashvili was on offence this season with the team. Anderson could be viewed as a replacement for him even though Graves fits that mold on a long-term scale.
Anderson was brought in partially to mentor Graves and show him the ropes on how to be a playmaker on the NBA level. Sometimes the best way to teach someone is to show them exactly how it's done.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/raptors/onsi as Whose Minutes Are Most Threatened by the Kyle Anderson Signing? .
