Raptors’ unsung hero just cemented his case for a bigger role

Would you believe it? The Toronto Raptors have snapped their four-game losing streak after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first NBA Cup group play matchup.

Cleveland has been dealing with a lot of adversity in terms of roster health, as they are currently navigating the season without Darius Garland and Max Strus at the start of the year, and they lost key starters Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell as late additions to the injury report just before tip-off.

Many in Raptors Nation were eager to see the Raptors face another challenging opponent, especially if the duo of Allen and Mobley could have their way against Toronto. However, with a depleted Cavs squad, it became more a matter of handling Mobley and supporting pieces like De'Andre Hunter and Jaylon Tyson. While the Cavaliers' size might lead some to believe they would outclass Toronto, it was worth noting that the Cavs have been struggling with rebounding too, ranking in the bottom five league-wide (averaging 40.7) alongside the Raptors (who are averaging 38.0).

And the Raps would get the job done, winning 112-101, where they also won the rebounding battle by securing 48 boards to the Cavs' 42. Speaking of 'battle', arguably the star of the show in the Raptors' win over Cleveland on Halloween night has to be second-year sniper Jamison Battle. While Toronto would get a helpful boost from star trio, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and RJ Barrett, it was Battle's performance that stood out as the most noteworthy. In just over 15 minutes of playing time, Battle would score 20 points on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, a blazing 6-for-6 from three, one rebound, and a team-high +28 plus/minus.

Put simply, Battle was on an absolute heater that simply did not stop. For his stellar efforts, the Raptors rewarded him with the post-game "Win the Day" chain, as seen in the team's X post below.

Jamison Battle had a flawless night against the Cleveland Cavaliers

Battle's sharpshooting skills are no secret. In fact, the 24-year-old's 40.5% three-point shooting last season topped all rookies in the 2024 class, with no one able to match his exceptional shooting ability. For a Raptors team that could use trusted shooters to wait on the wings and corners ready to fire at all cylinders, Jamison Battle has proven that he is that guy. While a player like Immanuel Quickley gets praised for his shooting ability and raising the team’s ceiling in that area (though that’s not quite happening right now), I believe Jamison Battle can get overlooked for what he can provide.

He offers a much more helpful team dynamic, as he doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. Battle is the perfect role player; he knows what he needs to do, and when he's on, you best believe he's on. So far, Battle has only been averaging 10.3 minutes of playing time, down from his 17.7 minutes average last season. However, I predicted that Battle would likely be one of those Raptors players who has to fight for a consistent role in the rotation.

Even in this small sample size so far — four games where he's suited up — Battle has already had two perfect shooting performances, with another 100% shooting night (nine points on 3-for-3 from three) coming on October 24 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

It's time for the Raptors coaching staff to determine how to allocate a set amount of minutes to Jamison Battle and see what he can do with them. We can't expect perfect nights every time, but Battle's ability to space the floor might be too valuable to overlook.