Jamal Shead might be one of those NBA players whose impact you can't fully see just by looking at the box score. His true value for his team isn’t always reflected in the numbers alone. You really need to be familiar with his character and watch him play to get a fair sense of how important he is to the squad. The eye test for Jamal Shead says a lot, and it’s paid off many times for the Toronto Raptors, especially in their recent win against the Miami Heat.
Raptors place a ton of trust in Jamal Shead (and for good reason)
Jamal Shead logged the most minutes on the bench unit with 23:19 on the court and made a big impact for the Raps, finishing with eight points, ten assists (a team-high), three rebounds, and one block. Back to that point about just looking at his on-paper numbers, Shead's 33.3 percent field goal percentage doesn’t tell the full story of his effect on the game, but he actually led Toronto with a team-high plus/minus of +27.
Speaking about how important it is for the Toronto Raptors to get quality contributions from their entire roster, head coach Darko Rajakovic highlighted the boost they get from having a guy like Jamal Shead on the team, saying:
"... Jamal [Shead] stepping on the court, every single time he changed the game. He ended up game [sic] being a +27. So that tells a lot about his impact on this team. "Darko Rajakovic, Dec. 15, 2025
Rajakovic later responded to a question that expanded on his thoughts about Jamal Shead, saying (YouTube link here):
"He's a true point guard, you know? His heart and mind is in the right place. He just thinks how to make the best play every single time down the court. It is a luxury for us to have a player like that, that's just playing for one goal, and that goal being winning. "Darko Rajakovic on Jamal Shead
Maybe I’m reading into it a bit too much, but from a PR perspective, it really shows how highly the Raptors front office and coaching staff think of Jamal Shead. Not only do they speak highly of him, but they also often have Shead take the mic to speak with the media after games. He did it again in the Raptors' most recent win on December 15, which certainly makes sense given his important efforts in that game.
But the leadership qualities and genuine good-hearted character that Shead consistently shows are already well recognized by many Raptors fans and basketball commentators. It’s clear that the Raptors are smart to leverage that, both on the court and in how they handle the media. On nights where the "main" guys like a Scottie Barnes or Brandon Ingram don't serve as mouthpieces for the Raptors, you can count on Shead to step up and share his thoughts as a solid representative for the team.
It's not that the others can't do this role just as well, but I think Shead is an excellent spokesperson and can clearly express the overall vibe and belief inside the locker room. When it comes to Shead being a strong leader and bringing out the best in his teammates, he said during the post-game scrum (YouTube link here):
"... Honestly, just finding guys' strengths. You know, BI [Brandon Ingram] had it going, kind of played off of him. And then, me and Sandro [Mamukelashvili] had a really good connection early. And then, you know, just trying to push the pace, try to play fast as possible really. "Jamal Shead, Dec. 15, 2025