National Basketball Association

Raptors' Terrence Ross - carrying less weight, bringing more game

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Terrence Ross is out of excuses. He’s come to Raptors camp looking slim and confident. Will he disappoint – again?

Last season’s Raptors training camp was noteworthy for the arrival of the new, improved Kyle Lowry. He shed considerable weight over the summer of 2015, largely due to him paying more attention to his diet. Lowry was ready for a big season, and that’s exactly what he provided.

This year, swingman Terrence Ross is turning heads. He says he’s lost “about 15 pounds” and seems quicker as a result. The thought that this upcoming season will finally be TRoss’ breakout is hard to resist.

Yet I’m doing just that. Terrence has been given every imaginable opportunity by the Raptors to show his skills. To be fair, he does…about once a week. If there’s a more maddening player in Raptors’ history, I’m having difficulty remembering him.

TRoss has skills the Raptors desperately need. The NBA game has transitioned into a floor-spacing chess match, in which teams try to outshoot each other from beyond the 3-point arc. No Raptors swingman has the capability of Terrence to drain long balls. His career 3-point shooting percentage is 37.7, which isn’t spectacular but is certainly enough to make him a threat. Contrast that number with DeMar DeRozan’s 28.3% in more seasons.

More shots needed

The problem with Terrence’s 3-point shooting isn’t the efficiency, it’s the quantity. He averaged 4.3 attempts per game in 2015-16, which is the fewest in 3 years. Both he himself and coach Dwane Casey must take more responsibility for getting Terrence quality (and quantity) shots. The magic number for me is 200 3-balls from Terrence. I grant you that’s a big number; as near as makes no difference to 2.5 makes per game.

Oct 5, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) drives the ball between Los Angeles Clippers guard Raymond Felton (left) and forward Alan Anderson (right) during the second quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

So far in the exhibition season, we’ve seen Terrence the crazy-making. He had fine games against Golden State and Denver, then reverted to type against the Clippers with a one-bucket stinkeroo. However, in the strong games, he showed confidence and quickness, both of which produced some excellent baskets.

Terrence’s reputation as a defensive plus has not been justified in my eyes. He gets beaten off the dribble too often. Let’s hope his new svelte body will allow him the extra split-second he needs to recover and stay in front of his man. If not, he gets “handsy” and starts racking up silly fouls.

TRoss will never have a better opportunity to thrust himself into the spotlight than this season. The Raptors have no alternative but to play him big minutes. He’s starting the first year of a hefty contract which is based on potential, not production. But you can’t dine out on potential forever.

The future is now for Terrence Ross. If he’s not a Sixth Man of the Year candidate by season’s end, I’ll be disappointed, and he’ll be on the trading block.