Gasol could be key to opening up Raptors' halfcourt offense

Raptors center Marc Gasol could become bigger part of Toronto's offense when the NBA returns

Defensively, the Toronto Raptors have been among the NBA's very best teams this season. They've allowed the fewest points per game and are second to only the Milwaukee Bucks in defensive rating.

Offensively, however, questions still linger for Toronto.

The Raptors rank in the middle-of-the-pack in offensive rating and have been a below-average team in the halfcourt this year, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Part of that offensive struggle can certainly be chalked up to injuries. The Raptors have dealt with 219 man-games lost to injury this year, the fifth-most in the NBA, according to Spotrac. It's been a constant shuffling of the deck for head coach Nick Nurse, who has deployed 15 different starting lineups this year.

Of those that missed time due to injury, nobody missed more than Marc Gasol, who played in just 36 games this year.

But now, Gasol is fully healthy, according to Nurse, and with his ailing hamstring behind him, the 6-foot-11, Spaniard could provide the key to taking the Raptors' offense to another level.

"He's a great, terrific passer," said Raptors rookie Terence Davis. "We can start the offense with him in the middle of the floor. That just helps everyone out because, in the middle, you're looking both ways"

Before being traded to Toronto, Gasol was averaging 15.7 points and nearly five assists per game with the Grizzlies. For years, he had been a focal point of Memphis' offense, with a usage rate around 21 percent. But in Toronto, those numbers dipped with the workload more spread out.

Now, as the 2020 playoffs approach, and with Gasol looking like "prime Gasol," according to Davis, the Raptors might be ready to turn back the clock on Gasol's career.

"There's more we can probably go to the well with, with him," Nurse said. "I think I'd like to probably make him a main cog in the offense, but with the way things have been going since he's been here and even this year, it seems to be there's a lot of guys that can chip in in this thing.

"I think there's probably some baskets in him in the fourth quarter or down the stretch that we could probably find and play a little inside out through him as well," Nurse said. "Any time we can get him the ball, good things happen. Not necessarily buckets from him, but good things happen. It would probably be a good thing to see if we can get his usage rate up. Again, I'm working on it, I'm not sure if it's going to happen, but it is a thought in what we're doing."

Family Photos

Simple gestures of kindness can go a long way for a franchise and the Raptors are well aware of that.

The organization has placed family photos in its players' rooms to remind them of home during the quarantine.

"It meant a lot, man," Davis said. "It felt like they really care. Just seeing that picture, it was heartwarming. Obviously I miss my son every day just being without him."

Bubble Food

The food inside the NBA bubble has been a hot topic of conversation as players post photos of their meals.

For Nurse, it's allowed him to work on his diet.

"The food has been a great help for me," Nurse joked. "I'm trying to cut a few and it's been fitting right in with that plan."

- Aaron Rose covers the Toronto Raptors and Canadian basketball for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter @aaronbenrose or on Facebook @AllRaptors.