Raptors Make Starting Lineup Change Ahead of Wizards Game

The Toronto Raptors have moved Gary Trent Jr. into the starting lineup to replace Dennis Schröder against the Washington Wizards

Gary Trent Jr. will start for the Toronto Raptors.

For the first time this season, Toronto has made a significant change to its starting lineup, swapping Dennis Schröder and Trent in the starting lineup. It’s the first change to the lineup that hasn’t been a result of injury this year.

Raptors coach Darko Rajaković had hinted a change may be coming during his pre-game media availability and he has indeed followed through with the change.

Toronto has started 25 of 29 games this season with Schröder alongside Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Jakob Poeltl. That group had played 364 minutes together and had posted a -1.9 net rating this year.

The new starting lineup has played just 15 possessions together this year, per Cleaning the Glass, and posted a +20 net rating in a tiny sample size. Barnes and Trent, however, have played 460 possessions together this year without Schröder and those lineups have posted a +6.7 net rating this year, per Cleaning the Glass.

Trent hasn’t exactly had the kind of season that warrants this opportunity, he’s averaging just 11.3 points on 40.4% shooting, but his 37.4% three-point stroke should create more floor spacing for Toronto’s other starters. That’s part of the reason the Raptors have been 3.8 points better with Trent on the floor compared to when he sits.

With Schröder coming off the bench, Barnes will be asked to play more of a traditional point guard role. Rajaković had tried to shy away from that look because he had concerns about Barnes’ ability to bring the ball up the floor against pressuring defenses. That said, Toronto has played 110 possessions with Barnes as the team’s lone point guard and posted a +23.8 rating in those possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass.