Toronto Raptors: How Jamal Shead Could Leverage Himself as a Reliable Tool

After what would be deemed as a fairly successful Summer League run, the former Houston Cougar could see some action in his respective role as a Raptor this season.

Mar 28, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Jamal Shead (1) goes through drills during practice at American Airline Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Jamal Shead's basketball identity was prevalent throughout his time as a Houston Cougar. Under Kelvin Sampson -- defend like a dog, compete with an endless motor and retain a resilient mindset.

Nearly a 10-point-per-game scorer while averaging five assists and more than 1.5 steals throughout his collegiate career, he was productive, and he was the anchor of a Houston team that made it all the way to the Sweet 16. Then into the draft, after waiving off a number of potential two-way offers reported by the Athletic's Kelly Iko, Shead landed a three-year deal with the Toronto Raptors as the 45th pick in the draft.

Into NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, the 6-foot hard-nosed point guard shed his promise on the floor in front of many basketball fanatics, tallying points in the box score while bringing his typical strong-willed energy to the Raptors' defense. Throughout five games and a 2-3 record, Shead produced alongside now-sophomore Gradey Dick and fellow rookie Ja'Kobe Walter -- who was selected with the 19th overall pick by Toronto.

The former Cougar averaged 8.2 points on 42.1% from the field, adding 3.8 assists to lead the team in the facilitation department and coming second on the team in most steals per game with 1.2.

This development and ability to show that he can produce on a level of this magnitude in an efficient manner -- despite his 2.0 turnovers a game -- shows that he is capable of handling on-court duties in an NBA game if handed the keys at the point guard position. Combining that with the youth the Raptors hold, and Shead could well find his way onto the floor behind Immanuel Quickley and Davion Mitchell at some point early on with the intensity he offers on the defensive end of the floor.

Shead's impact isn't limited to the college space, and Toronto fans will notice that soon enough if they hadn't already.

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