By Canadian Press

Ja’Kobe Walter is NBA ready as Raptors search for Scottie Barnes’s replacement

Dec 11, 2024 | 11:34 AM

TORONTO — It’s an old adage that rookies don’t draw fouls in the NBA. It’s partly because veterans get the benefit of the doubt from referees and a little bit because young players don’t know how to draw defenders into fouls.

Fortunately for Toronto Raptors freshman Ja’Kobe Walter, he plays like an old soul.

The 20-year-old Walter is averaging seven points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Raptors so far this season, but had a season-high 19 points in Monday’s 113-108 loss to the New York Knicks. He’s drawn eight shooting fouls and three and-1s so far this season, including making 4 of 5 free throws as part of his 19-point performance.

“Just being aggressive, just trying to finish through contact, not focusing on any cause,” said Walter, who accounted for nearly half of Toronto’s 11 free-throw attempts on Monday. “We weren’t getting a lot of the whistle calls today, but I think just still going to the rim, trying to finish, and not focusing on it.”

Walter was selected 19th overall in this past summer’s NBA Draft and is one of four rookies that made the Raptors lineup. Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo and Jamison Battle, however, are all at least 22 years old.

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Walter was a standout freshman for Baylor University last season, averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists over 35 games, all starts. He showed some defensive prowess too as he averaged 1.1 steals and 0.2 blocks per game.

“I think crashing the glass, rebounding, been focusing on that,” said Walter on how he’s translating his game to the NBA. “I have a lot of energy, always been able to do that.

“I’m just trying to find others, being confident with my passes, getting to the paint.”

Walter has spent two stints on the Raptors’ inactive list to recover from a sprained shoulder, missing a total of 14 games. In the 11 games he has played in, his usage rate is 20.8 per cent, a stat that indicates what percentage of team plays involve him when he’s on the floor.

Head coach Darko Rajakovic said that one of Walter’s strengths is he doesn’t let the speed of the pro game get to him.

“Even as a rookie, even 20 years old, he has a specific pace that he’s playing with. He does not get sped up,” said Rajakovic after practice on Tuesday. “He plays at his own pace, and it allows him to see things, to create contact.

“He also has good size, long arms, he can finish at the rim, and for him it’s understanding that, ‘OK, I can do this at this level as well.'”

The Raptors confirmed on Wednesday that all-star Scottie Barnes sprained his right ankle in the loss to New York. Barnes will be re-evaluated in one week.

In the meantime, Rajakovic said he’d be relying more on swingman RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., reserve guard Davion Mitchell, Shead and Walter to help carry the load while Barnes recovers.

It’s a situation that Toronto’s depth players are used to this season.

The Raptors have now lost 107 man games to injury or illness this season, a number that will go up with Barnes and starting point guard Immanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL) and Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery) all out.

Mitchell, who also attended Baylor, said that Walter was well prepared for playing professionally after his time at the university in Waco, Texas.

“I think it comes from being around the Baylor people who’ve been around NBA players before, who kind of teach you how to be an NBA player,” said Mitchell. “I’m saying not just teach you how to be a college player.

“When I was there, they taught me how to be a pro, a little bit.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press