In their most recent contest, the Toronto Raptors finished a four-game road trip with a 121-107 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. This was all without Kawhi Leonard, and the Raptors also without Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley.
Darko Rajakovic went into this Milwaukee game with excitement for his younger players, as he believed it was an amazing opportunity for them to get out and play. Nobody took this opportunity better than Alijah Martin, finishing with a career-high of 27 points on just 11 shots, including 6-for-7 from three.
This was aided by Jamal Shead, who was in the starting lineup for the first time this season, providing 16 assists. Shead looked extremely comfortable running the offense and finding the open man, Alijah Martin being that man most often.
The Raptors have continued to struggle from three-point range, remaining in the bottom ten in the league. This scoring outburst from Martin was exactly what they needed. Without him, the Raptors shot just 3-for-25 from beyond the arc against the Bucks. In just his second NBA game playing more than 20 minutes, Martin has made a case for an increased role. It would be deserved after that performance, and as great as this is for Toronto and Darko Rajakovic, the minutes don’t come from nowhere.
Martin's increased role might come at someone else’s expense
Ja’Kobe Walter was moved into the starting lineup in Kawhi’s absence. The Raptors hoped for some offensive help, especially from three. After a good start, he has shot just 5-for-25 in the past four games. With Toronto desperate for shooting help, it is difficult to justify 30-plus minutes a night for Ja'Kobe if his struggles continue.
Alijah Martin showed confidence and his willingness to let his shots go in a big way last night. This was a breath of fresh air for the Raptors after an up-and-down start to the season. Darko Rajakovic should be rethinking his rotations as a result. This isn’t to say I think Martin should immediately replace Walter in the starting lineup, but he has definitely earned more opportunities going forward.
Unfortunately, this is most likely going to come from Ja’Kobe Walter's playing time.
I don’t think this will be a long-term decrease in minutes for Ja’Kobe, or that he will be dropped from the rotation. He has shown that he can be a reliable shooter, hitting over 40% on almost four attempts per game last season. Maybe a drop to the bench again is what Ja'Kobe Walter needs to regain his confidence.
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