The Toronto Raptors got stomped by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday evening, 117-94. Although Scottie Barnes struggled immensely in his first test without Kawhi Leonard, Ja’Kobe Walter’s play was definitely a positive takeaway for me. This was expected to be a big season for Walter, with a rookie contract extension looming next summer and RJ Barrett’s future in question. So far, he’s answered the bell.
In his first game being propelled into the starting lineup, he was arguably the Raptors' best player. Yes, RJ Barrett started strong and carried a massive amount of the workload in the first half, but his impact waned in the second half while Walter’s remained consistent.
He finished with 22 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block, while shooting 7-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three. On a night when the Raptors faced what projects to be one of the league's most lethal perimeter-scoring teams, Walter showed up in a big way as a shooter. Walter did that while maintaining the impact he’s brought to the glass this season and still being a positive defensively.
Walter’s year three leap is looking legit
It’s no secret the Raptors lack elite floor spacing. It may truly be the team's biggest issue, and they are currently starting Jakob Poeltl at center, so that’s saying something.
But through three games, Walter has been the exact type of boost the Raptors' perimeter scoring attack has needed to open this season. Yes, before Sunday he was shooting 3-of-12 from three over two games, and that’s far from pretty. But the volume is super valuable even when his shot isn’t falling. Last season, he proved he could shoot 40 percent from three, so having most of his attempts come from beyond the arc is incredibly valuable for this team. When his shots do fall, he can have a night like he did against the Wolves, where he shoots over 60 percent from three.
If Walter keeps letting it fly from deep the way he is, Toronto will have a better shot at competing with these high-end floor-spacing teams. On Sunday, he made up for half of the Raptors' threes, as without him they would’ve shot 5-of-30 from beyond the arc.
According to Cleaning the Glass, 67 percent of his total shots this season have been from three-point range, and that trend needs to continue. I understand Walter brings way more to the table than someone like Jamison Battle, who is widely viewed as a specialist. However, Walter has shown, from the start of this season and in preseason, that even if his primary offensive focus is shooting threes, he can still make the right read as a passer or scorer.
Factor in the energy he's bringing defensively on a nightly basis, and you can see why early on he looks like the Raptors' best bench piece.
I always thought a year-three leap for Walter was coming, but not this quickly and not like this. Obviously, it’s not all him, as the coaching staff probably got in his ear about being more aggressive as a three-point shooter. That being said, I have been so thrilled with his play through three games, and if this is the way he plays all season, the value of a potential extension next summer is only going to get higher.
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