Can Terrence Ross Finally Make the Leap for Toronto Raptors This Season?
Entering his third season in the NBA, Terrence Ross of the Toronto Raptors will look to become the consistent presence on both the offensive and defensive end that fans, coaches and players alike know he's capable of being.
What we've seen through his rookie and sophomore years is a player whose stock fluctuates more times than the price of gold. You'll see flashes of brilliance sprinkled here and there, but you're never able to bestow full confidence upon Ross because the inconsistencies in his game continue to be a nuisance.
After being inserted into the starting lineup at small forward once Rudy Gay was sent packing to the Sacramento Kings in December of last year, Ross was given more of an opportunity to not only continue his development but emerge as a go-to option on both ends of the floor. The minutes were there (26.7) from head coach Dwane Casey, yet Ross still found it difficult to carry more of a load due to his struggles in stringing together solid outings.
The negatives were outweighing the positives, leaving all parties involved frustrated and concerned.
His issues were never more apparent than during the Raptors' first-round matchup with the Brooklyn Nets in the 2013-14 NBA playoffs. Ross averaged 5.0 points on 29.8 percent shooting from the field, including 2.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists. He forced his game from behind the arc, taking several ill-advised shots en route to going an abysmal 4-of-24 from three-point range.
Despite his horrid play, Casey stuck to his guns and kept Ross in his lineup so as to not hurt his mental focus at such a crucial juncture, per Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun:
"I’m not going to do anything to crush that young man’s confidence and what he’s brought to the table thus far. Our team, our organization owes it to Terrence. With that said, we don’t want to go out and lose a game because of continuing to go to him in those situations. Our game is not about Terrence Ross and what he’s doing. It’s about the entire team.
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Casey then praised Ross for stepping up defensively after the team visited the Barclays Center:
"The reason why we win or lose is not because of what Terrence Ross did or didn’t do. In that win (Game 4), he did a lot of good things and set the tone defensively. Somehow, because he doesn’t score a bunch of points, people don’t think he played well. That’s what we’ve got to look at too. Let’s look at the defensive focus he had in the minutes he was in there. If we get the other points, that’s gravy.
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Lest we forget: if point guard Kyle Lowry hits his layup attempt at the end of Game 7, the city of Toronto would have probably hoisted Ross up on their shoulders for the defensive play that led to that attempted game-winner.
It was all a learning experience for the 23-year-old swingman; postseason basketball is a beast that Ross had never before endured. Although the Raptors needed him to be more productive throughout the series, having him take those lumps early in his career was invaluable.
DeMar DeRozan, Ross' All-Star teammate, offered his words of encouragement as the two worked out over the summer in Las Vegas, per Eric Koreen of the National Post:
"We don’t talk about it, but I know [the playoff series] bothers him. ... He feels like he let us down. The one thing I always tell T is, ‘Don’t let adversity get you down.’ If anything, let it push you even more. That’s what’s going to make you a better player. You can tell by us just working out or when we get a chance to play five-on-five, he’s [annoyed]. That’s when I can tell it still bothers him. He can’t wait to get back on the court and redeem himself.
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Redemption would be awfully sweet, although Ross has noticeable kinks in his game that could impede his progress.
During the regular season, Ross was complacent in shooting the long ball and not exploiting his insane athleticism to attack the rim. His three-point attempts jumped from 2.7 to 5.0, although his percentages (33.2 to 39.5) also saw a boost, helping his cause.
Per the NBA's SportVU Player Tracking, Ross drove the ball only 1.7 times a game, which is a wretched number when you realize the athletic gifts he has. Ross was inept at creating his own shots as well, finishing 108th in the league in points per possession on isolation plays, per mySynergySports.
He doesn't have any trouble knocking down his free throws at a cool 83.7 percent, so why not milk that fact, try and draw fouls and see what's available?
As Ian Levy points out for RaptorsHQ.com, Ross' TruUsage percentage (a look at each players involvement in the offense) was 25.79 percent—well below the 30.9 percent league average for wing players. The ball rarely moves through Ross as he sticks to his transition plays and spot-up jumpers.
His career average of 0.9 assists is proof in the pudding how Ross fails to involve teammates or help his team create scoring chances through his passing.
Through all the murkiness and criticism lies a player just itching to break out. Who could forget his 51-point outing against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 25, during which he drilled 10 three-pointers and competed with a swagger and confidence that was more than welcome?
The Air Canada Centre was his yard that evening, even in a losing effort.
It's unrealistic to expect nights like that all of the time, yet what it did was set the bar even higher and give fans an even greater perception of what could be with Ross.
The 2014-15 season may be the year when we all finally figure out who Terrence Ross really is. He has a highly competitive playoff series under his belt and a summer of haunting memories to motivate him. Ross even has the Raptors' offseason acquisition of former Memphis Grizzlies small forward James Johnson lurking in the shadows to potentially take some of his minutes away.
Even if things don't necessarily go according to plan and Ross sputters along and sees limited growth, the coaching staff and general manager Masai Ujiri will see things through and not give up until they're at their wits end.
Ross is still very young and nowhere near his prime. The time to throw in the towel isn't drawing near and shouldn't be in the back of anyone's mind.
Is 2014-15 Ross' year to shine? If it's redemption he seeks, it very well could be.
Christopher Walder is considered by many to be the "songbird of his generation" and the greatest center to have never played professional, collegiate, high school, house league or pickup basketball. His work has been published on Bleacher Report, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, FanSided and several other online outlets. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports26.
Unless noted otherwise, all statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com/stats. All shot charts are courtesy of NBA.com/stats.
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