In hindsight it’s possible I underrated Malachi Flynn when I wrote that he has star potential? In that prediction I wrote about his the future, in that Flynn has plenty of room for growth. I wrote this then:
Flynn plays like a Steph Curry who shoots well, instead of GOAT-level, and isn’t quite as burst-y a dribbler or an athlete. That’s still a very good player. Think Jamal Murray.
That’s the path to stardom for Flynn. Plenty has to break right for him to sniff Murray territory. He needs to improve his strength, most of all, but his ability to create separation from defenders also needs work. His jumper has to carry into the NBA and perhaps become even more accurate. He needs to prove that his reputation as a defender remains true in the NBA. Basically, everything needs sharpening, which is a normal expectation for a rookie.
I’m joking, of course, that I was underrating him. Reaching those heights remain an unlikely goal. Though possible, of course, if all things break right. But I did underrate how quickly Flynn’s skills would translate to the NBA. I thought it would take time for his ability to manifest, for his passing feel to adapt to NBA speed and athleticism, for his handle to maneuver around NBA defenders, for his jumper to reach over NBA length. Keep in mind that this is of course preseason, so every possible projection has to taken with salt as large as a grain can grow. Still. Things look rosy.
Flynn already seems stronger than advertised. His ability to finish in the lane hasn’t been compromised at all by the presence of NBA athletes; his body control has allowed him to create good looks from the mid-range at will. Against Charlotte, he never forced the issue on his drives, but he was able to absorb contact and still maintain his elite touch within the six-to-eight foot range. His pull-up jumper was immaculate, whether from behind the arc or in the mid-range. He can create space with his dribble, and he dusted multiple defenders with a nasty right-to-left crossover. All that projects well. And as a result, he has shot over 50 percent through two games despite taking a huge majority of his shots from deep or the mid-range.
His passing was the skill that most obvious would translate, and it surely has. He’s been flinging passes all over the court. That hasn’t escaped the notice of Nick Nurse.
“He’s been a good generator of offence and I don’t mean just because he’s been scoring,” said Nurse. “He’s just been getting in to the heart of the defense; again, he’s making some good drives and he’s finding some great fire-outs to guys, getting the offence initiated and breaking down the defense into rotations. That’s been a pleasant surprise. That’s not easy to do in this league, to be able to come in and do that.”
And defensively, Flynn has been better than advertised. To be fair, he wasn’t supposed to be a poor defender. Remember, he won Defender of the Year for the Mountain West Conference. But with his size and build, it was a fair question whether his success would transition to the NBA right away. Thus far, Flynn has been excellent. His anticipation has allowed him to snag four steals through two games, and they’ve come on the ball and off, as he’s jumped live dribbles as effectively as passing lanes. He’s also been able to guide larger offensive players without fouling, forcing poor shots with picturesque contests. He’s shown a grasp of the small things, such as taking good angles when chasing the ball around screens. He doesn’t drop out of plays.
In the fourth quarter, with all youngsters on the floor and everyone playing for real things like minutes or contracts, Flynn took over. He hit deep pull-up triples. He drove and finished from the short mid-range. He threw one-handed passes on the move for triples. He was, far and away, the best player on the court, and he was facing a player picked 26 spots ahead of him in LaMelo Ball. He was so good that Nurse took him off the court with six minutes remaining in the game so as to get a longer look at deeper-bench players. Flynn hasn’t earned his stripes yet, but it’s telling that he’s not one of the players left on the court to close a preseason game.
All told, Flynn has now compiled 26 points and 7 assists in his first 40 preseason minutes. He’s shot 42.9 percent from deep. Perhaps most significantly, the Raptors have outscored Charlotte by 48 points with him on the court, highest among all Raptors. (Next highest, by the way, is DeAndre Bembry at plus-27. And remember: the Raptors have won the two games by a combined 14 points.) Those numbers are tough to dismiss. He’s done it while frequently performing as the best player on the floor. Certainly, that deserves an asterisk, because — and this is putting it mildly — not everyone tries as hard as possible in preseason. But even given those mellowing elements, Flynn looks like he belongs, which is rare for a rookie of any stripes, let alone an undersized late-first round pick. Flynn is ahead of schedule.
His teammates recognize his promise, without wanting to get ahead of themselves. So far in the preseason, Fred VanVleet has been a mentor to Flynn.
“Getting the offence initiated and breaking down the defense has been a pleasant surprise,” said VanVleet of Flynn. “That’s not easy to do in this league and to come in and be able to do that, I mean listen, it’s still preseason and don’t want to get carried away here, but he’s looked good.”
All this points towards Flynn being less a project and more a player. He’s ready for real minutes already to start the season. They may not come. As has become tradition, the Raptors have a deep bench. Pat McCaw, Terence Davis, and Matt Thomas are all entrenched ahead of him in the rotation for guard minutes. Not to mention Norman Powell. But with Flynn’s floor general qualities, he offers something no other bench player can. Consequently, one day soon, Flynn could be coming for minutes. If his trajectory remains the same, that day could come sooner rather than later.
