Seth Lundy Should Get The Last Two-way Contract Spot For The Raptors

The 26-year-old wing fills a substantial gap on this team

With the Kawhi Leonard trade investigation still unfolding as of writing, the focus shifts to how the rest of the roster will look when the deal finally comes to fruition. Although that might resolve itself in a while. 

As per The Athletic’s John Hollinger, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a cap-circumvention case “must be tried before a system arbitrator and then potentially go through an appeals process before any penalty can be handed down by the commissioner.” He doubts that a conclusion will be made in the next two and a half months, which is just about the time when training camp kicks off.

In terms of roster construction, the Raptors still have two spots open — a standard NBA contract and a two-way sheet. With the Summer League recently concluded, there’s a glaring standout that is certainly making his case clear for the last two-way spot on the team. Seth Lundy has a year left of his eligibility for such a contract, and I think the Raptors should sign him.

Consistency on the floor

Lundy suited up in four of the five games that Toronto played in Las Vegas. In those four contests, he averaged a team-high 20 points, shooting 52 per cent from the field and 43.8 per cent from deep on eight attempts a night. He was also a hound on the defensive end, snatching 1.8 steals on average, trailing behind just Allen Graves in the leaderboard. While stats like these already indicate his efficient play on the court, advanced metrics show that his production ultimately contributes to winning basketball.

For starters, Lundy recorded a team-high 26.3 efficiency difference, which means the team scores 26.3 more points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor. While not a primary playmaker, his 2.19 assist-to-turnover ratio demonstrates his ability to take care of the ball and make the most out of every possession. As good as those two stats sound, his offensive numbers struck me the most.

Despite a chunk of his offence being generated from the perimeter, Lundy’s 74.1 per cent true shooting percentage reflects the marksman’s consistent shot-making across all three levels. Coupled with a 22.1 pet cent usage rate, which ranks fifth among the Raptors, Lundy sounds like a glove-like fit for a team that struggled to produce outside of their star players, and from beyond the arc.

Lundy’s prospective role on the Raptors

If the Raptors have one thing to fix in their offence, it would be their three-point shooting. Toronto ranked 29th in the league in three-pointers made with 11.8 per game. Sandro Mamukelashvili, Immanuel Quickley, and Ja’Kobe Walter were the only Raptors who shot 50% of their attempts from beyond the three-point line and made at least 37 per cent of them. Hence, opposing teams could care less about the perimeter, putting more bodies on primary ball-handlers to derail their offence.

Coincidentally, the Raptors tallied their highest net-rating difference with lineups that featured one or more of the aforementioned players. Most of the team’s offence ran through Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and RJ Barrett, and if the overwhelmingly positive net-rating indicates something, it is that shooters complement the gravity pull of those players. 

The regular season is one thing because the Raptors played up-tempo and relentless transition-heavy basketball, which resulted in more possessions. The playoffs slowed them down, as they were forced to execute from half-court. Despite the change in pace, Toronto remained a more effective team when their primary offensive players shared the floor with knock-down threats. Together, they form a mutual symbiotic dynamic, one that forces defences to make choices, one way or another. 

The free agent market is thin for a reliable shooter, available at a team-friendly price. Lundy certainly fits the bill, and I think he is worth spending the last two-way spot on the team. As scorching as he was in the desert, his ability to play off-ball, as exemplified by his usage rating, will keep the aforementioned trend moving forward.

The Raptors ranked third in assists during the regular season, which is a tell-tale indication of a potent offence. The reason why the lineups were effective was the unselfishness they displayed on the court. Hence, defences have their work doubled because of players who possess perimeter sharpshooting and recognize the right read like Lundy.