If you read my year-end report card for Sandro Mamukelashvili and numerous pieces on him before that, you would know I was already a big fan of the signing beforehand.
The three-month sample we saw of him in 2025 only confirmed how much of a smart, under-the-radar move it was for the Raptors organization. While he's not necessarily the Raptors' definite answer for true center depth, he has been Toronto's most consistent contributor off the bench. He earns every bit of the 21.2 minutes he averages each night.
And in Mamu's first game of 2026, he came up huge for Toronto (as they defeated Atlanta in a final score of 134-117) , serving as arguably his magnum opus up to this point in his Raptors tenure. Against the Hawks on January 3, Mamu would deliver a very impressive stat line: notching 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks, in just over 31 minutes of action.
Sandro Mamukelashvili kicks off 2026 with a stellar night vs. the Hawks
Those 12 boards would serve as Mamu's new season high. Likewise, the three blocks also became a new season high, and arguably the most striking feat of the bunch was his career-high eight assists. Mamukelashvili led the entire Raptors squad in rebounding on January 3, marking his third time doing so in the 2025-26 campaign, and also stood out with the game-high plus/minus of +27.
Considering Mamu's previous outing for Toronto in the New Year's Eve crushing 103-106 defeat to Denver, he struggled significantly, going 0-for-5 from the field and failing to provide the Raptors with the extra boost they desperately needed. But this performance completely turned that tough night at the office on its head and served as motivation for Mamu to prove his worth as the new year gets underway.
He addressed it as such during his post-game presser, saying (YouTube link here):
"I am very hard on myself because I want to win … So, it was definitely tough, especially going into New Year's, but I was kind of telling myself “I'm going to leave that in the 2025 and go into 2026 … clear it off and just new mindset.” … Everybody goes through the slump … I've been working with a great mental coach … gave me some three words, and how to kind of reset and everything like that. So, just trying to keep up with that and make sure, like I stay, mentally present in the moment and I feel like that's helping me a lot."Sandro Mamukelashvili, January 3, 2026
Mamukelashvili has repeatedly emphasized that his top priority is winning basketball above all else. For the Raptors, this means much more than just the points he scores. In Mamu, Toronto has a hustler who can use his versatile skillset to contribute in many ways. He's not the most elite rebounder, but when he’s got a chip on his shoulder, we’ve seen him step up and shift into a different gear in that area.
As such, he might not be the most defensively sound big man, but he used his size to get three blocks against Atlanta, staying close as a defender to secure those plays. We also know that Mamu can playmake well at his position, so his eight assists are not that surprising — serving instead as a catalyst for what he can do on his best nights. These well-balanced performances across the board are exactly what the Raptors need in 2026, especially as they inch closer to the finish line and aim to be a competent playoff squad.