The Raptors were pretty healthy this season. Brandon Ingram played more than 64 games for the first time since his rookie season in 2016-17, Immanuel Quickley played the most games since his 2022-23 season with the Knicks, and Scottie Barnes cracked the 80-game mark for the first time in his career.
What Barnes did is no easy feat to accomplish. Only 24 players in the entire league played at least 80 games this season, including two other Raptors. Sandro Mamukelashvili also played 80 games, and Jamal Shead is one of 18 players who actually managed to appear in all 82 games of the regular season—a special feat that his teammates appreciate.
“He’s the head of the snake, especially for the second group,” Brandon Ingram said about Shead after the final game of the regular season. “To be available is the best thing, knowing that somebody’s going to be there consistently, doing the same thing every night—defensive intensity and running the team—that’s special to do, especially how hard he plays every single night.”
Jamal Shead is a key part of the Raptors’ rotation this season
Shead joined the Raptors in a draft-night trade after the Sacramento Kings had selected him with the 45th overall pick and quickly established himself as a solid defensive-minded backup point guard.
He already averaged almost 20 minutes per game as a rookie, but his role grew in his second season. He averaged 22.6 minutes per game and started 12 games. Playing a bigger role on a more competitive team came with some new challenges, and Shead’s efficiency from the field took a hit. He shot only 36.7% from the field in the regular season. His assist numbers went up from 4.2 per game to 5.4, though.
Even with some shooting struggles, Shead’s consistent availability was a big deal, especially once Immanuel Quickley had to miss some games towards the end of the season.
This will be Shead’s first playoff action
The Raptors ended Shead’s rookie season with a 30-52 record and finished just outside of the play-in tournament as the number-eleven seed in the Eastern Conference. It was an improvement from their 25-57 record in the 2023-24 season, but not nearly enough to get into the postseason picture.
So, this will be Shead’s first trip to the playoffs, but he needs to be ready to deliver. Immanuel Quickley exited the game against the Nets with a right hamstring issue, and the team is still waiting on MRI results. Quickley has also been dealing with plantar fasciitis. If he isn’t fully healthy in time for the playoffs to start this weekend, Shead may be pushed into a bigger role than expected.