Ja’Kobe Walter’s averages of 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1 steal per game may not jump off the page, but the second-year player has emerged as an important rotational player for the Raptors due to his defense and 3-point shooting.
The latter has been especially valuable for a Raptors team short on reliable 3-point threats. Walter is currently the only Raptors player who shoots at least three 3-pointers per game and also sinks at least 40% of them. If his percentage doesn’t dip below 40% after the Raptors’ final game of the regular season, Walter could put his name into the franchise’s history books as the youngest player to shoot 40% or better on at least 250 attempts for a season, as Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg noted on X.
In the history of the franchise, 14 Raptors players have shot at least 40% from 3-point range over the course of a full season (minimum 250 attempts). 21-year-old Ja'Kobe Walter is on track to become the 15th and the youngest to do it. pic.twitter.com/80MGf6laJK
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 11, 2026
Walter’s 3-point shooting has been crucial recently
Immanuel Quickley had to miss a bunch of time due to injury lately. The logical solution to his absence was to put backup point guard Jamal Shead into the starting lineup to run the offense. But Shead is not the same kind of 3-point threat Quickley is, which only increased the Raptors’ spacing issues around Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes.
So, Darko Rajaković ended up inserting Ja’Kobe Walter into the starting lineup to improve spacing and handed the offense to Scottie Barnes. Walter has played at least 25 minutes for nine consecutive games now. In March, he trailed only RJ Barrett in 3-point attempts with 65 and led the team in makes and percentage, shooting 46.2%. So far in April, Walter has attempted and made the most threes on the team, sinking almost 50% of his shots from long range.
Walter shot only 34.9% on 3.6 attempts per game as a rookie. Improving his accuracy by almost 5% in just one year is a great development and increases his chances of being a part of the Raptors’ long-term plans.
Walter still has to answer one question
With the season almost over, Walter still has to ask one all-important question: Will his 3-point shooting hold up in the playoffs?
This will be Walter’s first trip to the postseason in the NBA. The games quickly become more physical and more important. Every shot matters. That’s a lot of pressure for a young player whose most important asset is his 3-point shot.
It is also an opportunity, though; an opportunity to gain crucial playoff experience and to show the Raptors how valuable he really is.