Other than dealing with the Chris Bosh saga, figuring out how to strengthen the team for the second half of the season should be a top priority for Bryan Colangelo as the trade deadline nears. This roster has shown they have the potential to either be a complete failure or a moderate success, and Colangelo must make moves to ensure that it’s the latter or better. As the schedule has softened, we have once again shown the ability to beat the lesser clubs of the association. However, as we found out the last two seasons, that distinction doesn’t come close to determining playoff success, something that should be an immediate goal.
This I can explain. His low usage rate when he is on the floor minimize his impact on team stats, such as team O/D rating and even plus minus (since that stat also accounts for the other members of the rotation. However, when he is being used, his individual stats, or the stats that are only dependant on his contributions, he looks pretty good, pretty great even.
Basically, like what everyone else has been saying, it comes down to usage rate. Involve him enough in the offense and there's no reason why his individual efficiency won't be reflected in the team stats.
Now here's where you might say "but the raptors lose more when he shoots more than average, so the usage rate argument doesn't hold up". That's a fair point, but I would argue that Jonas often gets those extra field goals when A) the guards are putting up a ton of bricks and Jonas is cleaning the glass, or B) he's a last resort after its clear that the other scoring options aren't working. In both scenarios, the team as a whole is playing below average, so it makes sense that they would win a lower percentage of games.
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