The Toronto Raptors are trying to figure out what lineups work best as they get into the home stretch of the season.
The Raptors have their four players solidified apart from the center position, but they are still trying to deduce who works best in that fifth spot between Jakob Poeltl, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
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“Poeltl missed nearly two months and seems to be getting an ease-in return, but he figures to continue starting more often than not at center, which will reduce rookie Collin Murray-Boyles to “occasional starter” status,” Bleacher Report contributor Grant Hughes wrote.
“Whether CMB or Poeltl takes the floor to open games, it’s the other four Raptors that matter most. When Quickley, Barrett, Ingram, and Barnes are on the court, Toronto is winning those minutes regardless of who’s at center. While it may owe to a lot of minutes against second units, it’s worth noting that Sandro Mamukelashvili’s time at the 5 coincides with the most success.
“Toronto isa plus-6with Murray-Boyles as the fifth starter, a plus-5.3 with Poeltl, and a plus-6.7 with Mamu.”
Here’s a look at each of the three options to determine who would be best in the starting centre role:
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Collin Murray-Boyles
Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles looks on against the Orlando Magic. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Murray-Boyles has been the player that has been in the starting role the most recently, and it’s possible that he ends up staying there for the rest of the year. As a rookie, his confidence may wane a bit if he were to come off the bench, but the Raptors also like his defensive intensity that he brings in the beginning of games, which is why he may be the first centre on the court.
Murray-Boyles may not end up playing the most minutes, but if he were to get the first stretch of action in the first and third quarters, it could give the Raptors a boost in those particular minutes.
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Jakob Poeltl
Poeltl has been the starting center for most of the season while he’s been healthy, but he has come off the bench in the last couple of games as he works to get back from his back injury.
Perhaps Poeltl will return to the starting lineup when he has had a few games under his belt, but there is also reason to believe he should be in the second unit because a player might fit better than him in the starting lineup.
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili has been exceptional for the Raptors all season long, and there is an argument that he is the best player out of the three possible centres at this moment in time. He might be the right player to start, but given the fact he has the least amount of experience in the starting lineup out of the three is possibly why Darko Rajakovic hasn’t given him that role.
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It might be worth it to see Mamukelashvili start just to see what the Raptors would get out of it, but the lineup with him and the other four starters has been a successful one for Toronto this season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/raptors/onsi as Three Options For Raptors Starting Lineup as Season Closes.