Mock Draft: Raptors Tabbed to Take Former Top Prospect From Baylor

The Toronto Raptors are projected to take Baylor freshman Ja'Kobe Walter as a sharpshooting guard with the No. 19 pick in the NBA draft

Feb 13, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Ja'Kobe Walter (4) shoots a technical free throw against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports / Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports

There'd been high expectations for Ja'Kobe Walter coming out of high school.

The Texas native had been the No. 1 shooting guard in his recruiting class, a five-star prospect, and was viewed as a potential one-and-done lottery pick for the Baylor Bears. But things didn't exactly go as planned for the 6-foot-4 guard.

It's not entirely clear what Walter is as a prospect. He was expected to be a lights-out three-point shooter for the Bears this past season but only connected on 34.1% of his threes. His 1.4-to-1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio was pretty underwhelming and his on-ball defense left something to be desired.

But the upside is certainly intriguing and could land Walter as the No. 19 pick for the Toronto Raptors later this month as Kevin O'Conner of the Ringer expects.

Walter averaged 14.5 points per game as a freshman and at times showed flashes of being an impressive scorer. His shooting stroke looks good and though he only shot 37.6% from the field, it's not hard to see that improving as he develops physically.

Though he doesn't have impressive height, Walter's 6-foot-10 wingspan allows him to take on bigger assignments and his athletic testing at the combine suggests he's quick with above-average lateral movement ability.

If Walter can develop as a shooter, it's not hard to see him being a successful NBA player. He shot 79.2% from the free-throw line this past year and there's no real reason to believe he won't be a very good shooter. But he'll need to improve as a defender and a playmaker to really flourish as a shooting guard.

Considering where Toronto is in its developmental cycle, drafting for need doesn't seem like a very good idea. That said, Walter doesn't really fit what the Raptors are looking for this summer. He's not a defense-first wing defender and he's not enough of a playmaker to fill the backup point guard spot.

Toronto already has a roster full of shooting guards and undersized wing player and adding a player liek Walter may just create some redundancy, especially if Gary Trent Jr. is back next season.

Walter's upside from high school makes him a potential sleeper in this year's draft, but the Raptors may be better off looking elsewhere toward the second half of the first round.