Raptors Rookie 1st Round Pick Ready to Show How Special Toronto's Rookie Class Is

Toronto Raptors rookie first-round pick Ja'Kobe Walter is ready to show how special this rookie class truly is

Mar 22, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; Baylor Bears guard Ja'Kobe Walter (4) dribbles against Colgate Raiders guard Brady Cummins (1) during the first half of the NCAA Tournament First Round at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ja’Kobe Walter is itching to get back on the court.

It’s been over a month now since the Toronto Raptors rookie first-round pick injured his right shoulder in a collision with Scottie Barnes prior to training camp. He’d been preparing for his first training camp when the freak accident occurred, sidelining Walter for the entirety of his first training camp, preseason, and the first five games of his NBA career.

Walter is ready for the wait to be over.

Toronto has listed the 20-year-old shooting guard as questionable to play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night and Walter is waiting on the final go-ahead from team medical personnel before he’ll make his debut.

If it comes Friday, it’ll be a particularly special night. Not only did Walter grow up watching the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, the man for whom he’s in part named after, but the former five-star high school prospect played both with and against Bronny James on the AAU circuit. He’s close friends with James and James’ father LeBron James.

“It's like a fairy tale kind of situation,” Walter said ahead of the potential matchup against the Jameses and the Lakers.

The first five games of this season have shown Toronto’s 2024 rookie class looks to be a good one. Second round picks Jamal Shead and Jonathan Mogbo have been among the most impressive rookies in the league so far and that’s without Toronto getting a look at Walter, the Raptors’ No. 19 pick in the draft.

The hope is Walter hasn’t lost too much time getting in developmental reps to start the season. Despite being unable to play due to the shoulder injury, Walter has been in the gym rounding out his game and trying to get used to life at the NBA level.

“Since Day 1 I got hurt, been working on my left hand, working on just other areas, my legs, strength, stretching, watching a lot of film, learning the game,” Walter said. “I've still gotten, I think, way better than what I could have been if I was just playing.”

Walter credited Garrett Temple and Bruce Brown for helping him through the process too. The two veteran guards have taken on a mentorship role for Walter, giving him tips and tricks both during practice and during games when they spot other young players making mistakes.

So what can Toronto expect from Walter?

“I consider myself just an energetic player, defensively, getting after it, down on the floor, just doing whatever I can, kind of making hustle plays,” he said Friday. “Offensively, space on the floor, knocking down shots, cutting off the ball.”

The Raptors are going to need that. Toronto ranks last in the league in three-pointers attempted and second last in three-pointers made so far this season. Without more offensive firepower, the Raptors are constantly finding themselves fighting an uphill battle against teams raining down threes.

Walter is confident he can help with that.

He’s seen what his fellow rookie classmates have done out there and it’s only further reinforced to him that he’s ready to make the jump to the highest level.

“Just seeing that they can do it, I just know that I can do it too,” he said.

It’s been a long time since the Raptors have hit on multiple prospects in a single draft and while it’s far too early to declare anything about this 2024 class, the early returns have been promising. Now it’s time to get a look at the highest pick of the group and find out just how special Toronto’s rookies really are.