Toronto has desperately needed a steady presence off the bench for many years, and their quiet but crucial offseason acquisition, Sandro Mamukelashvili, is living up to every dollar the Raptors invested in him — namely, a super team-friendly, two-year, $5.5 million deal.
Mamukelashvili might be the Raptors' best bench player going right now
On the season to date, in 12 appearances, Mamukelashvili is averaging 9.6 points on 59.4 percent field goal shooting, 44.8 percent from three, 80.0 percent from the free-throw line, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. Mamu is just behind rookie Collin Murray-Boyles (20.4 minutes) for most Raptors reserve runtime at 18.1 minutes per game. Though I'd consider Mamu as the Raptors' main sixth man of sorts, since CMB has received three starting nods in the 2025-26 campaign so far.
Even in those under twenty minutes of playing time, the Georgian-American big man has proven to be an easy plug-in for Toronto, where he consistently acts as a key engine to spark the second unit. I just made reference to how impactful the Raptors' bench is quickly emerging as an indicative element of Toronto's endless depth, and Mamu is a large part of that success lately.
He has scored double-digits off the bench in his last five outings for Toronto, averaging 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists, during a stretch where the Raptors have gone 4-1.
As a matter of fact, Sandro Mamukelashvili has led in bench scoring a team-high six times this season. Another impressive tidbit for Mamu is his two team-leading plus/minus performances: against the Atlanta Hawks on October 22, where he finished with a +22 plus/minus, and against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 4, where he posted a +28 plus/minus.
Mamukelashvili is extremely efficient, and while the entire Raptors core is claiming this positive development, it's great to see Mamu converting 85.2 percent of his baskets at the rim and living up to his reputation as a reliable shooter. He’s a versatile option for Toronto to consider in the offense. His defense as a big man might not be perfect, but he provides significant value on the other end and as an energy guy, which helps offset those limitations in his game.