Raptors Seeing Impressive Growth as Rookie Guard Finishes Year on a High

The Toronto Raptors always knew Ja’Kobe Walter was going to need time.

Nobody inside the organization expected a breakout rookie season from the 20-year-old guard. Expectations were tempered from the moment Toronto used its first-round pick on the then-freshman shooting guard out of Baylor. General manager Bobby Webster set the tone on draft night, calling it a long-term play and warning that Walter’s first year would likely be “up-and-down.”

He was right.

Walter missed all of training camp with a shoulder injury and appeared in just four of Toronto’s first 18 games. When he did see the floor, the results weren’t great. Over his first 23 games, he shot just 39% from the field and 29.6% from three. The inefficiency mirrored many of the same concerns that followed him out of college, where his shot selection and finishing inside the arc raised questions despite his picture-perfect shooting form.

But something changed in January.

After missing three games in the middle of the month, Walter returned looking more confident, more composed, and more effective. The most obvious change was in his shooting. He entered Friday night’s 117-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons shooting 39% from behind the arc over his previous 26 games. More importantly, he’s looked like he belongs at this level. He has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine outings and is starting to carve out a consistent role.

"He’s putting in a lot of work. Very coachable player. He picks up on a lot of the details we’re teaching him," Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said of Walter. "He’s been putting in a lot of work on his shot, making sure he’s shooting in balance, and you can see his percentages are rising. He also added some eight, nine pounds of mass, getting bigger, stronger, which really helps him take contact offensively and defensively."

The eye test suggests there’s more to his game too.

Walter opened Friday’s game by snaking around a Jakob Poeltl screen and pulling up for a smooth mid-range jumper. It was the kind of play that Walter wasn’t cashing in earlier this year. Lately, though, he’s shown real growth there, flashing comfort playing off the ball, catching on the move, and curling around screens into rhythm jumpers.

He’s also become more engaged as a spacer, lifting out of the corners to give teammates better passing angles and creating cleaner looks for himself. Twice in the first half, Jamal Shead found Walter on the perimeter for catch-and-shoot threes as the rookie knocked down four three-pointers on his way to a 22-point performance.

The next step for Walter is figuring out how to impact games on the defensive end.

"I think defensively, I kind of ramped it up and kind of just changed my whole mindset, knowing that defense will carry into my offense," said Walter who added three steals Friday. "So I'm not really focused on offense as much. I just want to bring the energy defensively."

He has the tools to be an good defender too. At 6-foot-5 with long arms and quick feet, Walter has shown the ability to pressure opposing guards. He picked up Dennis Schröder at half court at one point on Friday and forced a backcourt violation with relentless ball pressure. Later, he stripped Schröder clean in the third quarter and turned it into a transition layup.

That kind of defensive activity is exactly what the Raptors have been hoping to see. The potential is there, but he’ll need to get stronger to hold up against physical drives and screens. This summer will be a crucial one for his development both as a defender and as a downhill threat, where he still struggles to finish through contact.

For now, though, there’s plenty to like. The Raptors wanted growth from Walter this season and lately they’ve gotten it. What they’ve seen in the second half of the year is a 20-year-old finding his footing in the league and flashing the kind of skills that should make him a long-term piece in Toronto’s backcourt moving forward.

Magic Number: 1

Friday's loss moved Toronto one loss or one San Antonio Spurs win away from clinching sole possession of the seventh spot in the NBA draft lottery.

10-Day Expries

Cole Swider’s 10-day contract expired Friday night after a 10-point performance from the 25-year-old sharpshooter. The Raptors can choose to bring him back on another deal through the end of the season or use their open roster spot to sign someone else on Saturday.

Up Next: Brooklyn Nets

The Raptors will hit the road Sunday to take on the Brooklyn Nets at 3:30 p.m. ET.