Raptors see Ross coming off bench in new role
Enigmatic player still seeking consistency He really has to display his talents and show … who he really is
• Before coming to the Toronto Raptors this summer, DeMarre Carroll did not know very much about Terrence Ross. He recognized Ross as the guy who stood in the corner and took threepointers. As a member of the Atlanta Hawks, Carroll spent most of his time hounding DeMar DeRozan. That was, and remains, Carroll’s primary job: guarding the opposition’s offensive fulcrum on the perimeter.
In suburban Vancouver this past week, Carroll got a closer look at Ross. In scrimmages, Carroll has had to guard Ross at times.
“A great player. Offensively, he can fill it up real quick,” Carroll said. “And he also can guard. That’s something I didn’t know. Like I said before, it’s one of those things where Terrence is going to be put in a role where he really has to display his talents and show everybody who he really is.”
In other words, Carroll had the exact same first impression as almost everybody who scouts or plays against Ross. It is the repeated viewings that have become an issue for the Toronto Raptors.
Entering his fourth year, Ross remains as enigmatic as any Raptor since, yes, Andrea Bargnani. Sometimes, his natural athleticism and sweet shooting streak are undeniable. Other times, he floats through games, only drawing attention when he allows an opponent to waltz by him.
It is a massive season for Ross. Unlike Jonas Valanciunas, Ross has not received a contract extension that secures his place in the league. While the Raptors could decide that Ross’s skills are worth betting on, it is more likely that they decide that they would rather pay more for a sure thing next summer than less for a question mark now. Ross driving up his market value would require more consistency than he has shown thus far in his career.
He will have to adapt to a new role in order to thrive. Carroll essentially took Ross’s starting spot; now Ross will be counted on to punch up a bench that lost offensiveminded guards Lou Williams and Greivis Vasquez. It was a role that intrigued Ross last year, but it was just not what the Raptors needed from him.
Circumstances have changed now. To be clear, though, the Raptors do not want Ross to just do a Williams imitation.
“He’s more conscientious — that’s his goal this year, (as well as) to be a better defender,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “Last year was a bad year for him defensively. He can be a better defensive rebounder from his position.
“The thing that I think will help him is guarding his own position. He and DeMar were kind of taking turns guarding that big physical (wing players). Right, wrong or indifferent, it wasn’t fair to him to let him give up those pounds. That’s no excuse. He could have done a better job in those situations. But he’s not coming off (the bench) to just jack shots.”
“I think it will help,” Ross said of Carroll starting. “It helps in a lot of ways. (It means I will be) bringing scoring in off the bench, and it brings (my) defence in off the bench. So, it’s kind of a winwin for everybody.”
Ross could be right, as some players have needed to hit the bench before finding their game — think about Jason Terry, for example. Still, there is no reason to buy in yet. Every theory about what will fully unlock his skill set has failed so far, or at least has not succeeded with any real permanence. The Raptors brought Ross along slowly, starting him just two times in his rookie season. His role was not expanded until the Rudy Gay trade, and they put Ross in many different situations last year in an attempt to put him in the best position possible.
Now, Ross gets his most defined role ever in what might be the Raptors’ last long look at him. It is up to Ross to make it as good as those first looks.