While taking a loss is never fun, the Raptors' defeat against the Celtics on January 9 had several redeeming qualities.
In light of the unfortunate injuries to Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl (who is still working his way back to peak form), and an ill-timed ankle injury for RJ Barrett against Boston too, Toronto's crop of young players and reserves stepped up to make their mark. We saw good minutes from Jonathan Mogbo and Gradey Dick, a standout performance from two-way rookie Alijah Martin, strong play from bench standouts Jamal Shead and Sandro Mamukelashvili as usual, and an especially impressive outing from sophomore Ja'Kobe Walter.
Walter received the starting nod against Boston, playing just over 31 minutes. He made the most of the opportunity with a new season-high 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting, and going 5-for-9 from three (which is another new high for the 2025-26 campaign). He also recorded six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. In games like this, where the odds are largely stacked against Toronto anyway, it's always encouraging to see an uptick from the next man up — or, in this case, many men up.
In a post-game piece by Sportsnet's Michael Grange, the veteran Raptors insider revealed that Walter's hot shooting night was partly fueled by a pep talk he received from Brandon Ingram before the Celtics matchup.
Ja'Kobe Walter leaned into Brandon Ingram’s tip and shined against Boston
"At shootaround, BI [Brandon Ingram] told me I got to take more threes. … He said he was watching me shoot and things [sic] I’ve been passing up a lot of shots. So, I had that mindset coming in. Having a vet tell you that, you have to listen, if he sees something, and the shots were just falling today."Ja'Kobe Walter
It's funny because I just had a similar conversation about the subject of “veterans” in the NBA with Daniel O'Connor of Raptors Rapture. I feel like I'm still getting used to the idea that we're moving into an era where these guys, who were seemingly just youngsters themselves, are now becoming the uncs (so to speak).
Like, what do you mean 2020 was six years ago, man? It feels like just yesterday, Brandon Ingram was in a similar spot to Ja'Kobe Walter. And now, he's a seasoned NBA veteran, still flourishing as a star offensive talent, able to share his wisdom and provide that big-brother-like presence for those under him. We've seen BI do the same for guys like Jamal Shead in the past, and with Ja'Kobe Walter, it's no different.
Even a small seal of approval, like nudging a player to trust in their abilities, can make a significant difference. Clearly, Ja'Kobe Walter reflected on Brandon Ingram’s words of encouragement. It served as a morale boost to help ignite an all-around strong night at the office for the Raptors sophomore, who still carries a ton of potential for this squad moving forward.