Reggie Evans: Should the Toronto Raptors Keep Him or Let Him Go?

Reggie Evans.  A “Dennis Rodman” of the poor.  He’s a player who gives all his energy on the basketball court every time he’s playing. He’s not so talented, but he’s always at the right place at the right time (12.6 rebounds per game is the answer of that).

You're the Raptors GM. You have some expiring contracts. One of these is Reggie’s. What would you do?

He Should Stay

Keep our Rodman! You have the fourth best rebounder of the league (when he got injured, he was the second), and you're wondering what to do? He has all the energy that the rest of the team has. Give him some time, and he can show how tenacity, hustle and aggression is played and help a team.

He's a role model of commitment and respect for both the team and its fans. The other team players should strive to adopt his character and attitude, especially the younger ones.

You don’t have a team that's so strong and deep in talent to afford to let a player like Evans go. Keep him.

He Should Go

Let him go. He is going to be 31 on the 18th of May. He has had many injuries during his career, some of them serious, so he is an injury prone player. He is awful offensively. Amir Johnson and Ed Davis have shown their improvement in rebounding and in defensive play in general. They are the future of the team, the future of the game, not Evans. Don’t limit their playable minutes, and with that, limit their improvement.

These guys showed that Evans is a surplus for the team who can be replaced by teamwork, youth and talent.

Conclusion

These two thoughts exist in many Raptors fans' minds, including mine. Every fan likes Reggie, his energy and his tenacity. I like him a lot because he plays as hard as it gets without counting fatigue, day-by-day schedule, etc. Few of his teammates play with his energy and aggressiveness. But unfortunately, his style of playing caused him some bad injuries. These types of injuries can get worse with age.

If he were younger or better offensively, he could be part of a title-chasing team. Unfortunately for him, he is neither younger nor talented offensively.

But he found a team (and the team found a player) who fit perfectly. He showed his love for the game through the team. So he shows his love for the team itself. Otherwise, he could play less aggressive, considering more his possibilities of getting injured.

If I were the GM, my first thought would be to keep him. But of course, NBA is business, money and salary caps, as well as a place that needs new stars to shine. If you want to make your little stars shine brighter, a 31- or 32-year-old player may not fit in your plans. And you may not want to pay him staying at the bench.

My opinion? These types of players benefit the teams. I like talent, but these players help a lot. He has never created problems. He could be role models for younger players who are starting their careers. The only part that makes me having second thoughts is his history of injuries.

What's your opinion? Should he stay or should he go?

Thanks for reading!