When Jonas Valanciunas went down with an injury, the Raptors lost their most effective player in the 2016 playoffs.
Bismack Biyombo stepped into in the starting lineup. While Biyombo had performed well in the backup role, it wasn’t clear that he could replace JV’s offensive production as a starter.
Bismack averaged 5.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game in the regular season. He most impacted the Raptors’ defense, protecting the rim and grabbing rebounds. With Valanciunas sidelined, Biyombo’s role expanded. He doubled his points per game and averaged 11 points per game in the four games he started against Miami.