It was clear when the Toronto Raptors decided to abandon the Davion Mitchell experiment, which had proven to be effective in spurts, that Jamal Shead was fully trusted as the team's primary focus of a tenacious and gritty guard for the foreseeable future.
I was really impressed with Shead's rookie campaign, especially given the circumstances that brought him to Toronto in the first place. He was an older prospect, and the only reason he ended up with the Raptors is because they managed to pull off a trade with the Sacramento Kings during 2024 draft night, a salary dump trade involving Jalen McDaniels. To say the Raptors were essentially gifted Jamal Shead would be a pretty fair statement.
Shead's rookie season wrapped up on a very strong note, as he averaged 7.1 points on 40.5% field goal shooting, 32.3% from three, 4.2 assists, 1.5 rebounds, and nearly a steal (0.8) per game in 75 games with the Raptors. Regarding his impressive availability, it positioned Shead at the top of the Raptors' brass when it came to healthy players, since he was the only roster member to appear in more than 65 games during the 2024-25 campaign.
Jamal Shead must build on his solid Raptors rookie season
There's a lot of potential in the Raptors' vision with Jamal Shead firmly in the mix.
He will likely still play a key role off the bench, not quite being ready for Toronto's starting point guard spot just yet. To that point, Shead is essentially the Raptors' only other true point guard on the main roster besides Immanuel Quickley. You could count Alijah Martin too in a sense, who is set on a two-way deal as of now. Sure, Toronto has been used to shifting players out of their natural positions, thanks to their versatile skillsets, but given the Raptors' need for a solid hand to lead the second unit, Jamal Shead is poised to be that guy.
But with that comes perhaps a bit more pressure in his sophomore campaign. Shead did great for a late second-round pick, though his ability to build on this strong introductory season will determine his footing — not only in the Raptors' pecking order but also in the broader landscape of NBA point guards.
Shead's three-point efficiency and effectiveness could use a bit of work. It's by no means horrible, but if he can bring that 32% up to a consistent 35% or higher, that would be an absolute win for Toronto. He's also not the most refined offensive player in general, as you'll rarely see Shead creating a shot for himself, given how stout he is in setting up his teammates. Last season, he also raised a couple of red flags for me, particularly during stretches when he was turning the ball over too often or having too many inconsistent performances. At one point, I was even worried he might lose his spot to Davion Mitchell.
Be that as it may, I still believe Jamal Shead will be a key rotation piece for the Raptors, not only in the 2025-26 season but beyond, especially if the true guard depth remains this shallow. It seems like while Toronto stacked up on talented wings and forwards, the point guard spot somehow got lost in the shuffle, putting Jamal Shead firmly in the spotlight.