How 3 Raptors rookies could earn playing time as early as this season

Ja’Kobe Walter

The highest of Toronto’s 2024 draft picks, Baylor product Ja’Kobe Walter was touted in certain mocks as a fringe lottery pick, and he was luckily still on the board when the Raptors were on the clock at 19. The Texas native garnered praise at the collegiate level for possessing all the skills needed to be a prototypical wing player. Walter showed a knack for shooting the 3-ball in college, and not just as a catch-and-shoot guy, as Ja’Kobe could mix it up off screens, spot up, or find his touch along the perimeter.

For a Toronto team severely lacking in this department, selecting a player of Ja’Kobe Walter’s prowess could certainly help the Raptors with current playoff push intentions in mind. And with his NBA player comparisons largely pointing to gritty, 3-and-D guard/forwards like Reggie Bullock and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, this kind of player archetype has shown to be a difference maker on many championship-level rosters. Now that’s not to say Walter can be that for the Raptors of the present, but with future progression in mind, it indicates Ja’Kobe’s game can see him thrive in the NBA as a quality rotation piece at the very least. 

Now where Walter’s game kind of falters is his ball-handling, playmaking, and decision-making, where these facets are largely missing from his skillset. To be fair, it’s not like you largely expect a shooting guard/small forward to be an expert at these elements of the game, but with an ever-evolving NBA landscape, it’s always a plus to have a jack-of-all-trades type of player. There is definitely room to grow in these areas of Walter’s game, so no need to hit the panic button so soon before the young fella could take off. But if Toronto wants to be competitive ASAP, Ja’Kobe Walter is going to need to prove his worth as a viable rotation piece with his current set of skills. 

With Gary Trent Jr. no longer in the fold, this would largely indicate that Ja’Kobe Walter will run the backup SG/SF positions with the likes of Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji. The good thing for Walter here is those two gentlemen have not carved out permanent roles for themselves in the Raptors rotation, so if Ja’Kobe can outshine them, he’ll more than likely slide in with a consistent role. 

What you see is what you get with Ja’Kobe Walter. You can’t expect him to break out and become some superstar (although it’d be pretty nice on the Raptors' part if he does turn out as such), but you’re also banking on his intangibles to shine through. At 19 years old, Ja’Kobe Walter can still fall back on his youth to warrant patience and belief, but he needs to tap into his current strengths (quality defense and above-average shooting) at the very least if he wants to be a contributor now. Everything else after that is just the cherry on top.