Gary Trent Jr. is Showing All-Star Potential Since Joining the Raptors

Gary Trent Jr. was traded from Portland to Toronto along with Rodney Hood in exchange for Norman Powell on NBA trade deadline day, and ever since his move, he has been balling for the Raptors. In Saturday night’s matchup with Cleveland, Trent Jr. dropped a career-high 44 points and shot an astounding 17-19 from the field and 7-9 from beyond the arc. Not only did he lead the team in scoring, but he had the highest +/- of anyone who saw the court that night.

INTERESTING FACTS

2nd highest FG% for any player with 44+ points in a game during the shot clock era (1954-55)
Joins Chris Bosh as the only Raptors players with 40+ PTS & 80+ FG% during 1 GP in franchise history
Raptors set or matched their 1st half records for PTS (87), FG% (71.1), FGM (32), and 3PM (13) during win vs. CLE
Joined Klay Thompson as the only players with 40+ PTS/85+ FG%/9+ 3PA during 1 GP in NBA history

Odds vs. CLE: TOR +122 (Spread +2.5)

MAIN TAKEAWAY

GARY TRENT JR. IS SHOWING ALL-STAR POTENTIAL SINCE JOINING THE RAPTORS

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The Duke product is now averaging 22.0 PPG over his last six games with Toronto, as he adds more breakout performances to his resume that began during last year’s run in the bubble. He’s gained the trust of his new team already, and takes a high percentage of the Raptors’ shots, which is harder to do with guys like Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in Portland. He also hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat DC a few games back.

The promise he has shown with his new team proves that Trent Jr. has a higher ceiling than some may have thought. With the way that he has been playing in Toronto, it’s not unreasonable to picture him as an All-Star in the near future. The Raps are a well-coached team, and the guy taking their big shots and providing that scoring punch has full capability of possibly reaching All-Star status in the near future. It is a matter of consistency and continued improvement now to see if he can accomplish such lofty goals.

BEST HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights from Trent Jr.’s big game

Gary Trent Jr. puts up a career-high 44 on RIDICULOUS EFFICIENCY! 🤯
🔥 44 PTS
🔥 17-19 FGM
🔥 7 3PM@gtrentjr x @Raptors pic.twitter.com/FMYf7fm0qY
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2021