If Ja’Kobe Walter keeps playing like this, the Raptors may have found exactly the kind of bench spark they’ve been hunting.
Walter turned in a strong home opener in Toronto’s blowout win over the Chicago Bulls, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals while going 4-of-8 from the floor in 23 minutes. More important than the box score, though, was the way he fit into the night. He brought edge, pace and discipline every time he stepped on the floor.
The Raptors came out with a defensive bite that lasted all 48 minutes, and while Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard obviously established the tone early, Walter kept it going after they sat. Collin Murray-Boyles and Jamal Shead chipped in too, but Walter’s stance, physicality and active hands stood out.
He didn’t just bring energy on one end, either. His offense was part of the story as well.
Walter showed a little of everything in his offensive package Wednesday night. He opened with a midrange jumper off a screen, a nod to the shot creation he flashed back in high school.
From there, he buried a wing three after coming off a DHO, then started making the simple reads that matter for a non-primary creator. He also picked up a bucket on an offensive rebound, simply because he crashed in from the perimeter and put himself in the right spot.
That was the theme of his night offensively: right place, right read, right time. He wasn’t forcing anything. He extended possessions, moved the ball, and kept mistakes to a minimum, which is exactly what a reserve on a good team is supposed to do.
The shooting line from deep won’t jump off the page - Walter went 1-of-5 from three - but there’s a reason to like the process. He got five clean looks in the flow of the Raptors’ offense and took them without hesitation.
That matters. A guy who shot above 40 percent from three last season is supposed to let it fly when the shot is there, and Walter did exactly that.
His best work may have come on defense, where he logged three steals in three different ways. First came a chase-down strip of Josh Giddey, which led to an easy look for Barnes on the break.
Then he picked Giddey up 94 feet from the basket, got into his stance and poked the ball loose for another transition chance. The most impressive one came against Noa Essengue, when Walter was sealed by the bigger forward but still stretched out to steal the inbound pass and ignite the break again.
That last play said plenty about why Raptors fans like Walter so much. He doesn’t back off when the matchup gets messy. He tries to make something happen anyway.
With the on-ball defense, connective passing, three-point volume and nonstop energy he brought on opening night, Walter gave himself the kind of start that can set a tone for the season. After his sophomore breakout last year, year three might be where he takes another step.
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