It's Time to Give This Raptors Player More Respect

The Toronto Raptors are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference for a multitude of reasons.

The Raptors have several players contributing to the team's success this season and while Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram received some of the credit by making the All-Star team, others are due for their flowers as well. Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz believes the team's hidden gem is big man Sandro Mamukelashvili.

"Sandro Mamukelashvili previously established himself as a quality backup big with the San Antonio Spurs and is now having the best season of his career in Toronto with the Raptors," Swartz wrote.

"The 26-year-old has always been able to stretch the floor (38.3 percent from three this year) and has shot the lights out when given a starting opportunity. In his 11 starts for the Raptors, Mamukelashvili is averaging 16.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and shooting 55.7 percent overall and 42.6 percent from three.

"Mamukelashvili has played well enough that he'll almost certainly turn down his $2.8 million player option next season while looking for a significant raise."

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Sandro Mamukelashvili Deserves More Credit For Raptors

Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili is fouled by Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Mamukelashvili signed with the Raptors this offseason to be the team's first big man off the bench and he is thriving in that role, especially with Jakob Poeltl being out with most of the season with a back injury.

He is one of the new additions to the team this season, so the fact that the Raptors are back in the playoff race should point towards him as one of the biggest reasons why. Teams are recognizing that Mamukelashvili is helping out the Raptors in such a large way will help his chances at landing a massive contract in free agency.

The Raptors have better offensive and defensive rating this season when Mamukelashvili is on the court versus when he is on the sidelines, making him an incredibly valuable part of Toronto's winning formula.

Mamukelashvili may be flying under the radar now, but that respect, or lack thereof, will turn into a massive raise this summer from the Raptors or another team.

Mamukelashvili and the Raptors are returning to the court tomorrow when they take on Ryan Rollins and the Milwaukee Bucks. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET from inside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Fans can watch the game on Sportsnet or stream it on NBA League Pass.