Going into this season, I had an idea that Jamison Battle was primed for a bigger role on this hopeful roster. He’s carved out an identity as one of the team’s most willing and dangerous shooters, earning the respect of his teammates and coaching staff over the years. With Toronto entering a new stage and expectations rising around the Kawhi Leonard reunion, Battle’s shooting would need to be an integral part of the team.
Even amid the team’s injury struggles and Kawhi’s extended absence, it hasn’t taken long for the 25-year-old to emerge as the Raptors’ most reliable and efficient shooter.
Now, if we want to get technical, Alijah Martin could be interpreted as the Raptors’ best shooter from beyond the arc, hitting a 53.3 percent clip — 15 total 3PA, eight of which have gone in. And while Martin has become a darling of Raptors Nation lately for his own emergence, that number doesn’t tell the whole story. The volume and sample size are still small.
Battle, meanwhile, is no stranger to letting the rock fly: to date, he’s attempted 49 threes and made 21, good for a team-best 42.9 percent. That’s a much stronger sign of the reliable shooting Toronto needs. For context, Immanuel Quickley is Toronto’s next-best shooter, but he’s hitting a shaky 33.3 percent from deep (21-for-63). The struggling Ja’Kobe Walter isn’t faring much better: he’s also made 21 threes, but on 64 attempts, for a 32.8 percent clip.
These three gentlemen stood out before the season as the biggest signs of life from beyond the arc. And while the season is still young, Jamison Battle has largely emerged as the team’s safest bet. If you need any further proof of that, just look at what Battle did last night against the Grizzlies: 14 points in the third quarter alone, and a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from deep. He can pop off at any given point, like his sudden explosion against the Lakers not long ago.
Raptors need a dependable three-point weapon, and Battle is answering the call
That really says a lot, too, considering Battle was arguably third on the shooters’ totem pole, even with a bigger role in sight. I even had him in the mix for an internal battle to earn more minutes, a larger role, and a steadier spot in the rotation. So, it wasn’t exactly a sure thing, either.
But the Raptors may not be able to ignore what he’s doing for much longer. They might have to hand Battle the keys and put full trust in him to let it fly from deep.
Right now, Battle is averaging about 18.2 minutes per game. That number could keep climbing as the Raptors deal with injuries and restructure their rotations. But I’d take it a step further: if Ja’Kobe Walter continues to look underwhelming in his current role, Toronto should consider trimming his minutes. He’s averaging 29.6 per night so far, and I’d argue a lot of that time should go to Battle instead, who’s already delivering in the area where Walter was expected to step up.
When Kawhi returns and the team is back to full strength, Toronto should explore lineups that include Battle alongside the heavy hitters. Think Scottie Barnes, CMB, Kawhi, Battle, and one of IQ, RJ, or Poeltl. When the team hits a rut, Battle has shown he can be the helping hand they need to get out of it.
The Raptors desperately need that kind of shooting, and it’s a bonus that they may already have the answer in-house. Still, looking elsewhere for more depth would be ideal.
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