The Toronto Raptors continue looking like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference as winners of their last eight games in a row. As they keep stacking up wins, fans can't help but take notice of the strong play of Jamal Shead, who's logging a lot of minutes as a ball-handler and registering one of the league's best assist-to-turnover ratios this season.
Before Toronto's victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, Darko Rajakovic had some words of praise for the youngster. "Jamal is just solid,” he said. “He has improved in taking care of the ball, touching the paint, playmaking, and defensive diversity ... He's committed to his role."
Shead's box score numbers might look modest a lot of times, but his impact in orchestrating the offense and reducing mistakes for the team has been noticeable. Jamal has been a vocal leader whose energy fuels the Raptors' bench, and who brings a level of stability that every team needs.
It's clear that Shead's value isn't always captured in the box score. What fans have enjoyed watching from him this season has been his improved decision making with the ball in his hands, ability to provide spacing, and comfortability initiating the offense. The role that he plays in doesn't necessarily make for big numbers, but his efficiency and maturity are growing, and that matters for a team on the rise like Toronto.
Jamal Shead has been fantastic this season
The Raptors are in a place where they're building toward a greater level of depth and sustainability of their process on both sides of the ball. Shead is proving that he's the kind of reliable backup guard who can be sustainable in his role and deliver results every single night.
Let's also not forget that Jamal is earning just $1.9 million this season. For a team like Toronto that's trying to go from a promising young team to a serious contender, having someone like Shead playing on a team-friendly deal is exactly what the doctor ordered.
That's why Jamal Shead's leap matters so much more than whatever numbers scroll across the postgame graphic. Shead is giving the Raptors a level of balance and reliability that playoff teams need, and he's doing it without needing an excess of usage.
We know those are the kind of players that make a championship team. Stars always get the job done, but they don't usually do it without the contributions of great supporting players like Shead.