The Toronto Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard knowing that other players like Ja'Kobe Walter would need to step up in the aftermath of an injury. Not even two weeks into the season, Toronto already faces the prospect of a long road with Leonard on the mend.
The Raptors announced that Leonard, who missed their brutal loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves with swelling in his left knee, will miss a "period of weeks" as he recovers. There is no structural damage, and the team is being overly cautious, but losing Leonard for a big chunk of time this early in the season is certainly far from ideal.
Walter slid into the starting lineup against Minnesota, likely because Darko Rajakovic was nervous about having another non-shooter in Collin Murray-Boyles alongside Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl. Walter will be given a fairly long leash in the next three weeks, and fans can finally see just how realistic it will be to expect a Year 3 breakout.
Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter need to shine with Kawhi Leonard injured
The Raptors drafted Walter one year after Gradey Dick, who has an almost identical offensive skillset. Walter beat him out almost immediately, proving to be a more effective defensive player and 3-point shooter. Both of those traits will be stretched to breaking point without Kawhi to paper over the cracks.
Walter's scoring dropped from 8.6 points per game as a rookie to 7.5 last year, but that is due to playing a role on a playoff team instead of one tanking for better draft position. Walter nailed over 40% of his 3-pointers last season, which was much-needed on a Raptors team that has spent a half-decade looking for consistency from beyond the arc.
With Scottie Barnes fresh off a goose egg against the Timberwolves and RJ Barrett's strong start being slightly blunted by his poor 3-point shooting, Walter will be asked to both give this team offensive juice and play passable defense to the point where an all-time defender like Leonard isn't missed too terribly. Good luck!
Ja'Kobe Walter will be in the starting lineup for the Toronto Raptors
The Raptors could have concocted dozens of other hypothetical trade packages for Leonard, but they chose to keep Walter for moments like this. If he struggles on either side of the ball, Rajakovic may be stuck between a rock and a hard place. He could make some rotation changes, but there is no clear advantage.
If Walter falters offensively, the Raptors have no counterpunch. Jamal Shead is struggling, and Jamison Battle may not be well-rounded enough for starter minutes. If he struggles defensively, Collin Murray-Boyles could slide into the starting lineup, but that would lead to three non-shooters in him, Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl sharing the floor for heavy minutes.
Michael Grange is reporting that the earliest Raptors fans can expect Leonard back is November 9 against the Memphis Grizzlies, which would encompass a minimum of six games. If Walter shines in that limited sample size, he will gradually earn greater offensive responsibility when Kawhi is back.
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