Terrence Ross: Where Exactly Does He Fit With The Raptors?

The 2012 NBA Draft came around, and the Toronto Raptors had the 8^th pick in the 1^st round, and there were many names floating in and around the position the Raptors slotted into.

There were mentions of the young, high potential big man in Andre Drummond from the University of Connecticut, the largely hyped up combo guard, Austin Rivers from the University of Duke, Weber State’s – and eventual rookie of the year – Damian Lillard, UNC’s Harrison Barnes, and another Connecticut product, shooting guard, Jeremy Lamb.

These were some of the bigger names mentioned in the draft, but the Raptors didn’t select any of the above. Instead, they surprised many, selecting the shooting guard from the University of Washington, Terrence Ross.

Terrence Ross was drafted as a culture piece to Dwane Casey’s team, who was considered in the draft to be NBA ready, mostly to help out in the accelerated rebuild the Raptor’s organization was undergoing throughout the season.

What Raptors fans saw was the contrary: a young player who was nowhere near the “NBA readiness” they had expected; Ross was much more of a project as soon as he stepped on the floor. Ross was brought in for his great defensive skill-set and potential, plus to spread the floor with his perimeter shooting. Raptor fans rarely saw any of that consistently; there was nothing more than flashes of potential. Something positive to take away from Ross’ season was the fact that he finished the season as the NBA’s Slam Dunk Champion.

There isn’t really a question Ross is a terrific young player with potential, great athleticism, can hit the shot from the outside, and has defensive upside, but considering the fact he’s a shooting guard on a team ridden with wing players/talent (Rudy, DeMar, Landry, Novak), where does he exactly fit in with this roster and organization?

Minutes are at a minimum for Ross, knowing he will be playing behind DeMar DeRozan who is the starting shooting guard – for now – the new small forward, Rudy Gay, Landry Fields, who recently signed a major contract with the Raptors last off-season, and newly acquire Steve Novak. Terrence Ross –  considering Casey’s philosophy of rather playing veterans over rookies/prospects – is not going to be expected to play consistent and large number of minutes every night, something that actually stunted his growth.

With great potential, Ross is a prospect who could turn into a key player, whether it is in Toronto, or elsewhere. With that being said, Ross elsewhere might be his fit; he could be used as a trade asset.

Ross, on a rookie contract, has a lot of things to offer for any team looking to get better, looking to get younger, or looking for a clean swipe in a rebuild. If the Raptors are going to ‘blow it up’, that’s another story, however if they are looking to win now, dealing Ross may be the best route because this team can likely get someone ready to immediately contribute.

Ross’ rookie contract, age, potential, athleticism and basketball abilities garner interest from any team. For example, in the deal involving Rudy to the Raptors, the Memphis Grizzlies were incredibly interested in Terrence Ross, and depending on which side of the fence you are on, that could/should/would have been the best option in keeping Ed Davis and keeping the strong front-court the team had going at the time.

Where does Ross fit in with this team, aside from trades? Ross is potentially the 4^th player in the wing rotation. But, there are many scenarios that Ross fits in perfectly.

If the new general manager, Masai Ujiri, decides to try and deal players in connection to a re-tool, Ross will likely have an opportunity. Hypothetically, if DeMar is traded, Ross and or Fields will start, because both are natural shooting guards, and have skill-sets that suits a player like Gay, who dominates the basketball, especially with this team and system. Ross – because of his ability on the wing to shoot the basketball better than Fields and DeMar – is automatically a better option, also because Gay has not shot the 3 ball well in the past season.

Ross becomes the floor spacer, used to counter teams trying to load up on the inside, and to make them pay if teams try to go double coverage. Ross also adds the ability to cover his match-up individually. Having capable, above average wing players on the defensive end, allows for less help and less need to rely on young big Jonas Valanciunas, and or Amir Johnson, and overall better work on the defensive system.

Another option is using Ross as the 6th man for this team, and kicking Landry Fields out of the rotation. Quite frankly, the only way to justify Fields playing is due to his horrendous contract, however I don’t find that to be a good  enough reason to give him minutes. Ideally, the wing rotation would consist of something like this – Rudy Gay 36 minutes, DeMar DeRozan 36 minutes, Terrence Ross 24 minutes. If Ross does develop sooner rather than later, this would be one of the best wing rotations in the league. Having a strong 3 man wing rotation is key, with players such as Novak and Fields being used in certain situations or in the case of injuries (or as salary dumps).

At the end of the day, Ross may be a trade chip, or someone who could become talent – the right opportunity just has to come. Hopefully, we will be able to see the best Terrence Ross as a member of the Toronto Raptors.