I've had my eye on Ja'Kobe Walter for quite some time now and it's definitely been for good reason. While he may not have a fully developed offensive game, Walter compensates with his defensive intensity. This aspect of his on-court effort has stood out at various points throughout the season, not only among Raptors pundits and analysts but also within the organization itself.
In Toronto's last game against the Bulls, Brandon Ingram was a major highlight thanks to his impactful offensive burst that complemented the Raptors' stout defense. However, the team's overall offensive effort left a lot to be desired and will need to improve as they move forward. That being said, I mentioned in my last piece that Ja'Kobe Walter was my second key star of the night, and he made the most of his 22 minutes off the bench.
Walter scored 14 points, shooting 4-for-9 from the field for 44.4 percent. He was 2-for-5 from three and went a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line. He also contributed four rebounds and three steals, tying his career-high, which he's done in eight different games. Walter was a huge boost off the bench, providing valuable contributions on both offense and defense.
In the post-game media scrums, both head coach Darko Rajakovic and teammate Brandon Ingram applauded the 21-year-old Raptors sophomore.
Rajakovic had this to say about Walter (YouTube link here):
"I thought that Ja'Kobe played a very good game. I thought that he did an outstanding job defensively. I thought that he was in right spots on offense, took the right shots. There is a growing confidence inside this group [...] that he's ready for a challenge."Darko Rajakovic, Feb 19, 2026
Similarly, his star teammate Ingram shared his thoughts on Walter, offering plenty of praise for the young player's game (YouTube link here):
"On the defensive side of the basketball, he's aggressive. On-ball defense, he makes guys not want to dribble the basketball. We actually kind of went at it in practice the other day, uh, where he was kind of getting into my s*** and playing defense. And I definitely think he has that mentality every single time he steps on the floor. He's has high character. So whenever he comes on the floor, he wants to do the best that he can. He's willing to learn and he gets better every single game. I think he's going to be a good proBrandon Ingram, Feb 19, 2026
in his league."
Earlier in that same Ingram scrum, the two-time All-Star shared his faith in Walter's shooting prowess: "I'm always telling him to shoot because he's one of our best shooters on the team."
After Ochai Agbaji left the Raptors at this past trade deadline, it created more opportunities for one of the other young wings to step up in his absence. Now, Agbaji didn't leave a huge mark during his not-so-great 2025-26 season, but there were still minutes up for grabs for someone to seize and take a commanding role with the Raptors moving forward.
And it's becoming pretty clear that Ja'Kobe Walter is that guy.
While the Raptors are receiving mediocre production from someone like Gradey Dick, Walter more than makes up for it by not only hitting his three-pointers more consistently but also providing defense that far surpasses Dick's — even if Dick tries to be a serviceable defender and hustles on the court. That effort has only gotten Dick so far, and as I mentioned in the title, Walter has more or less snatched the brass ring that was open for the taking.
For a Raptors team that prides itself on defense, consistent effort on that end, and making the opposition's night a lot harder as a result — Ja'Kobe Walter does just that. So long as Walter can live up to that moniker as one of the team's best shooters — knocking down the three-ball at an efficient rate on multiple attempts — it could prove to be a major X-factor for the Raptors as they embark on a hopeful path to the playoffs.