Raptors Rookie Breaks Down His ‘Welcome to the NBA’ Moment & Toughest Matchups

Toronto Raptors rookie Jamal Shead said Stephen Curry and Ja Morant were the toughest players he had to guard this year

Apr 6, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) dribbles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Jamal Shead knew NBA life wouldn’t be easy.

Four years at Houston and 138 college games can only prepare you so much. The Toronto Raptors rookie point guard had seen nearly everything the NCAA had to offer, but when game 59 rolled around on the second night of a back-to-back in Indiana, exhaustion hit differently.

Welcome to the NBA.

Nobody dropped 40 points on Shead this season. He wasn’t posterized or embarrassed by a superstar. Instead, his wake-up call came quietly, painfully, against the Pacers in February.

It was ugly.

Shead committed seven turnovers in just less than 20 minutes and looked as overwhelmed as any rookie could on a brutal night. He missed both shots he took and finished minus-12.

“Coach joked and said, I set a rookie record for turnovers in a game,” Shead said during his season-ending media availability.

But Shead didn’t get down on himself.

“After that, we sat down and talked for about 10 minutes and just about the energy you have to have for back-to-backs and just what comes with it,” Shead said of his conversation with Raptors coach Darko Rajaković. “He made every mistake or everything that I've done this year that wasn't good, into a learning experience.”

In a season filled with disappointments for Toronto, Shead was undeniably a bright spot. Drafted 45th overall, he quickly surpassed Davion Mitchell as the Raptors' primary backup point guard and took over late in the year when Toronto opted to rest Immanuel Quickley.

“The offensive side kind of came along a little bit,” said Shead, who shot 32% from three-point range after struggling as a shooter in college.

Defensively, he showed toughness at the point of attack, with quick feet, active hands, and solid instincts. Yet, there were moments that served as harsh reminders of NBA reality.

“Steph kind of cooked me to a point where Davion had to come back into the game,” Shead said. “And then the first start versus Ja just wasn't pleasant. I think just taking it as a learning experience and not keeping my head down, but those were probably the two that showed me what the NBA is like a little bit.”

Those moments are a rite of passage in the NBA.

Shead used them as fuel. He learned how to manage back-to-backs, studied the league’s toughest covers, and by season’s end, earned his place as a trusted piece of Toronto’s rotation.