Raptors Rookies Play Big Roles in Loss to Rockets

Four rookies played a major part of the rotation and proved they are ready in Sunday night's battle.

Dec 22, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter (14) smiles during a break in the action against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are in a rebuilding phase with their franchise and are giving increasing opportunities to their younger players. With RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl out of the lineup, the Raptors went with a small-ball lineup and started rookies Jonathan Mogbo and Ja'Kobe Walter with Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji against the Houston Rockets Sunday night. The Raptors got off to a hot start and gave the Rockets a scare despite losing 114-110. This was an encouraging game for Toronto's decision-makers with their four rookies combining for 52 points and 10 of the teams' 17 three pointers.

The hot-hand of the night, Ja'Kobe Walter looked the part of a potentially elite scoring wing. The 20-year-old out of Baylor put up 27 points on an efficient 9-of-18 shooting while knocking down six threes. The first round pick led the Raptors in scoring and hit timely buckets in a close game with one of the NBA's elite teams.

Jamal Shead had another big game with more minutes after an impressive fourth quarter against the chicago Bulls December 16th. The 6-foot-1 point guard out of Houston had 11 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block in 33 minutes off the bench. Shead constantly makes tough, winning plays that make him hard to keep off the court.

An undrafted forward from Ohio State, Jamison Battle has made himself a regular in the Raptors rotation despite having to earn his way since training camp. Battle scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds while knocking down 3-of-5 three pointers in only 17 minutes. The 6-foot-7 sniper is extremely valuable because of his three point accuracy (44.2%) and high IQ. Battle will continue to be an important piece for Toronto off the bench moving foward.

The other rookie starter for the night, Jonathan Mogbo had an underwhelming performance with three points, three rebounds, an assist and a block in 16 minutes. Despite that game, Mogbo is a key piece for the Raptors with his versatility on both sides of the ball and will be an important player for them to develop for the future.

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